Cancer in Australia 2017

Summary Cancer in Australia 2017 is the eighteenth in a series that provides a comprehensive national overview on cancer, including the latest available data and projections, and trends over time. Cancer is a major cause of illness in Australia In 2017, it is estimated that 134,174 new cases of cancer (excluding basal and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin) will be diagnosed in Australia, an average of 367 diagnoses each day. It is expected that more than half (54%) of these diagnosed cases will be for males and 71% for those aged 60 and over. The age-standardised rate of new cancer cases increased from 383 per 100,000 persons in 1982 to a peak of 504 per 100,000 in 2008, before an expected decrease to 470 per 100,000 in 2017. The decrease has mainly been observed in males and is strongly influenced by changes in the incidence rate of prostate cancer. In 2017, breast cancer in females is expected to be the most common cancer in Australia, followed by colorectal (bowel) cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma of the skin. Mortality rate due to cancer continues to fall In 2014, cancer accounted for about 3 of every 10 deaths registered in Australia. In 2017, it is estimated that 47,753 people will die from cancer in Australia, an average of 131 deaths each day. It is expected that more than half (57%) of these deaths will be in males and 87% among people aged 60 and over. Males are estimated to have a higher age-standardised mortality rate than females (200 compared with 129 per 100,000). It is estimated that the age-standardised mortality rate from all cancers combined will decrease from 209 per 100,000 in 1982 to 161 per 100,000 in 2017. In 2017, lung cancer is expected to be the leading cause of cancer death, followed by colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer in females and pancreatic cancer. Survival improves, but not for all cancers Five-year relative survival from all cancers combined increased from 48% in 1984–1988 to 68% in 2009–2013. Cancers that had the largest increase in survival were prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney cancer and multiple myeloma. Pancreatic cancer and lung cancer showed only small improvements; bladder cancer and cancer of the larynx had a decrease in survival; and lip cancer and mesothelioma had no change. The report notes that, according to World Health Organization comparisons, people living in Australia generally had better cancer survival than those living in other countries and regions. Cancer is the leading cause of disease burden In 2011, cancer was the leading cause of disease burden in Australia. Australians lost 833,250 disability-adjusted life years (DALY) due to premature death from cancer or from living with cancer (19% of total DALY). Lung cancer was associated with the highest proportion of the cancer burden, followed by colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer

The United Kingdom’s exit from and new partnership with the European Union: white paper

This white paper confirms the Prime Minister’s vision of an independent, truly global UK and an ambitious future relationship with the EU. On 17 January 2017 the Prime Minister set out the twelve principles which will guide the government in fulfilling the democratic will of the people of the United Kingdom. In this White Paper the government sets out the basis for these priorities and the approach to forging a new strategic partnership between the United Kingdom and the EU

Implementation of the biosecurity legislative framework

Audit objective and criteria The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources’ implementation of the new biosecurity legislative framework. To form a conclusion against this objective, the ANAO adopted the following high-level criteria: Was a robust governance and project management framework in place to support implementation of the new framework? Was the development of delegated legislation, administrative practice and business processes, effective and timely? Did the engagement with internal and external stakeholders support the transition to the new framework? Conclusion The arrangements established by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources effectively supported the implementation of the new biosecurity legislative framework in accordance with legislated timeframes. A sound planning approach, governance structure and assurance review program was established by the department to support the implementation of the biosecurity legislative framework. Nevertheless, issues relating to the delayed establishment of the Board and weaknesses in performance reporting adversely impacted on oversight and monitoring arrangements. While the framework commenced operating on 16 June 2016 as required by legislation, more effective oversight and monitoring would have better positioned the department to deliver framework elements as originally planned. Further, there is scope for the department to review its approach to assessing the benefits to be derived from the new legislative framework. The arrangements established by the department to support the operation of the new biosecurity legislative framework from 16 June 2016, including the development of policy and delegated legislation, creation of instructional material and the delivery of training for staff, implementation of IT system modifications and engagement with stakeholders, were, in the main, effective. There were, however, delays encountered in finalising a number of key activities, which ultimately reduced the time available to deliver important elements of the program, such as aspects of stakeholder engagement and IT system modifications. These delays also led to the reprioritisation of some implementation activities, including instructional material and IT changes, with delivery to occur in latter stages

How do housing and labour market affect homeless entry and exits

Homelessness continues to be a feature of wealthy nations, and most recently, has dominated Victorian front page news, as the figures of people sleeping rough on the streets of Melbourne rise. In order to develop effective policies to prevent or alleviate homelessness it’s important to understand what causes people to enter homelessness and then prevents them from finding adequate housing

Health and healthcare: what Greg Hunt must do

A strong minister will look beyond doctors and hospital to improve Australians’ health Malcolm Turnbull’s appointment of Greg Hunt to the vacancy created by the resignation of Sussan Ley has prompted more than the usual opinions and suggestions about the health minister’s role and priorities. The portfolio is always a key one for voters, but concerns among consumers and health organisations are more potent than usual for several reasons: a growing awareness that significant changes are needed to the delivery, integration and funding of health and healthcare services; frustration at the failure of the Abbott and Turnbull governments to propose and implement coherent policies; and suspicions that the government’s stealth agenda is to undermine the universality of Medicare through further privatisation and higher out-of-pocket costs... Read the full articl

Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in Australian public hospitals 2015–16: Australian hospital statistics

Overview Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) is a serious bloodstream infection that may be associated with hospital care. Hospitals aim to have as few cases as possible. The nationally agreed benchmark is no more than 2.0 SAB cases per 10,000 days of patient care for public hospitals in each state and territory. In 2015–16: all jurisdictions had rates below the national benchmark the national rate of SAB in public hospitals was 0.73 cases per 10,000 days of patient care 1,440 cases of SAB were reported 81% of cases were treatable with commonly used antibiotics- methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) cases 19% of cases were antibiotic resistant-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cases. Between 2011–12 and 2015–16, rates of SAB decreased from 0.96 cases to 0.73 cases per 10,000 days of patient care

How the insights of the Large Hadron Collider are being made open to everyone

If you visit the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) exhibition, now at the Queensland Museum, you’ll see the recreation of a moment when the scientist who saw the first results indicating discovery of the Higgs boson laments she can’t yet tell anyone. It’s a transitory problem for her, lasting as long as it takes for the result to be thoroughly cross-checked. But it illustrates a key concept in science: it’s not enough to do it; it must be communicated. That’s what is behind one of the lesser known initiatives of CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research): an ambitious plan to make all its research in particle physics available to everyone, with a big global collaboration inspired by the way scientists came together to make discoveries at the LHC. This initiative is called SCOAP, the Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access in Particle Physics Publishing, and is now about to enter its fourth year of operation. It’s a worldwide collaboration of more than 3,000 libraries (including six in Australia), key funding agencies and research centres in 44 countries, together with three intergovernmental organisations. It aims to make work previously only available to paying subscribers of academic journals freely and immediately available to everyone. In its first three years it has made more than 13,000 articles available. Read the full article on The Conversation

Gen nbn: 2020 and beyond

Australia is set to be the world’s most connected continent following the completion of the NBN rollout in 2020, according to new research released today. Developed by Western Sydney University, this report provides an in-depth analysis into how advancements in technology and nationwide access to fast broadband will transform all aspects of the Australian way of life. It predicts ‘gen nbn™’, Australia’s newest and most connected generation, will benefit from better business opportunities and flexible-working arrangements as well as access to leading education and healthcare services.  The report predicts: The internet of everything – Increased connectivity and digital innovation is rapidly penetrating every facet of day-to-day life. By 2020, technologies such as drones, 3D printers, Virtual and Augmented Reality as well as home automation will become deeply entrenched in homes and workplaces. These technologies will help transform our lives and enable better connectivity with family and friends as well as provide access to a range of new entertainment options. By 2025-2030, there are likely to be well over 50 billion devices or apps connecting everything from our fridge door to our home security systems, which will be enabled to run concurrently over the nbn™ network. Rapid growth in medical innovations – Digital technology in health care is increasing exponentially with the advent of big data, advanced video conferencing systems and 3D printing. By 2020, telehealth services, enabled by the nbn™ network will be able to connect regional, rural and remote areas with access to affordable and convenient GP and specialist healthcare appointments, saving up to $3 billion in annual health costs. By 2025, it may be possible to use big data to predict widespread disease outbreaks and by 2030 we are likely to see 3D printing drastically enhance the ability to produce medical aids and prosthetics. E-change movement will continue – Access to fast broadband in regional towns and rapid adoption of teleworking is leading people to migrate away from the major cities to regional hotspots. From now to 2030, the nbn™ network will be a critical enabler to the success of home-grown start-ups across the country and will help to facilitate access to new markets and business opportunities while still enjoying their country or coastside lifestyles. Close to 400,00 Australians workforce currently work from home; as fast broadband becomes more widespread, these figures could as much as double by 2025. Jobs of the future – Connectivity is driving innovation in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) disciplines spurring a transformation of the Australian job market. Health, education and technical services are expected to employ over 4.3 million Australians by 2030, up from the current 3.5 million jobs. From now until 2030, we will see a huge increase in online educational resources and services offering better teaching facilities to upskill our nation in key areas such as health and technical services, to harness careers in data science, coding and bio-chemistry

Evolution not revolution: views on training products reform

At the request of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Industry Skills Council (ISC) and the Skills Senior Officials Network (SSON), a National Training Product Reform Group, comprising representatives from all of the jurisdictions, considered the longer-term reform of training products. This exercise, conducted during 2016, aimed to ensure that training products remain relevant and support skills development, in the face of technology, jobs and industry change. The role of the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) was to convene a group of thought leaders to consider the challenges and opportunities for the reform of training products. NCVER commissioned three essays to inform discussion at a symposium, held on 9 August 2016. The sixty or so symposium participants considered training product reform from the perspective of industry, educators, students and regulators. Their views are captured in this summary, which was prepared to assist the reform group. The areas of agreement are presented in the key messages that follow. The points of difference, about how to balance the various interests represented in the system, were also raised. This task will require deft negotiation to avoid the introduction of further complexity into training products, given that all participants agreed that training product simplification must be an essential goal of reform. Key messages An industry-led training products framework remains a cornerstone of the national training system. Training products should: establish occupational standards enhance the capacity of learners to enquire and analyse support dialogue between industry and educators enable effective regulation to support training quality encourage lifelong learner involvement and empowerment in the development of skills and knowledge. Reform efforts should aim to preserve the effective aspects of the current training products while also looking to the future. These efforts should concentrate on the fundamentals: high-level national industry standards, along with educational standards educator and industry involvement in design and delivery. Training products should reinforce principles for partnerships between industry and educators, as well as across education sectors, supporting more agile review and the efficient update of training products. For people with educational disadvantages, VET training products shouldn’t be differentiated, but the learners should receive tailored support. They may be better assisted outside the current framework of training products. Testing initiatives before implementing wholesale reform was generally viewed as the best approach, with pilots and trials seen as good ways to further inform the design of the training product system

A future that works: automation, employment and productivity

This report was produced as part of the McKinsey Global Institute’s overall research on the impact of technology on business and society, and specifically our ongoing research program on the future of work and the potential impacts on the global economy of data and analytics, automation, robotics and artificial intelligence. In this report, we analyse how a wide range of technologies could potentially automate current work activities that people are paid to do in the global workforce, and what the impact could be on global productivity. This work does not define what the new activities and occupations that will be developed will be, nor does it analyse in depth how the economic gains of automation will be distributed or provide specific policy recommendations for governments. While we consider a broad range of automation technologies, we do not focus specifically on any particular technologies. We realize that this area of research is evolving rapidly, given the pace of technological advancement, and we plan to update the perspectives presented in this report regularly