It’s time to stop dancing around VAD and properly integrate it into end-of-life care
Talking about death with patients is never easy, and the topic of voluntary assisted dying (VAD) adds an extra layer of complexity and sensitivity. VAD…
Heather Saxena
Heather is a medical reporter for Australian Doctor Group.
Medical Must-See: An ascending aortic aneurysm the size of a grapefruit
A giant ascending aortic aneurysm was the unusual cause of this 72-year-old’s hoarse voice and intermittent chest pain. Ultimately, doctors measured the aneurysm at 12.5cm…
Surgeon stabbed fellow doctor to stop him testifying at his disciplinary hearing: UK
A plastic surgeon who cycled through snow to stab a colleague set to testify against him in a disciplinary hearing has been found guilty of…
My message to younger doctors: Step up, not away, as your patients reach their end
Once upon a time, a wiser, older and more silvery fox than I began to dabble in the newly recognised area of palliative care. Previously,…
Expecting GPs to bulk-bill is absurd: It’s like asking hairdressers to pay for cutting hair
I’m just starting out in general practice, but I’m already exhausted with politicians making promises that aren’t theirs to make and weighing in on issues…
Call for AHPRA’s emergency suspensions to be lifted after 12 months
Medical defence organisation Avant is calling for doctors’ emergency suspensions to be lifted after 12 months if AHPRA has not finalised its investigation into their…
‘Don’t let the bastards grind you down’: Dr Mukesh Haikerwal (quietly) retires from general practice
A week into retirement Dr Mukesh Haikerwal is making all the right noises. One of Australia’s best-known GPs, the irrepressible doctor is talking holidays, movies, more…
Why are we so quick to criticise other doctors when things go wrong?
Why are we so ready to criticise colleagues? We’re encouraged to develop empathy for our patients. Why can’t we be empathetic towards each other? Why,…
Man busted for working as a doctor despite no medical training to head Trump’s review of debunked vaccine-autism link
David Geier.A vaccine skeptic who was sanctioned after practising medicine despite having no medical qualifications is expected to lead the US review into possible links…
The tragedy of baby Robbie: We need to talk about meningococcal B
Every doctor has patients they can’t forget. Sometimes, they are not even our own patients. But for all kinds of reasons, their stories stay with…
