Karen Brown

In a move designed to reduce the health bureaucracy, the Government has told five district health boards to cut the number of Primary Health Organisations. Audio

Strong differences have emerged between Otago and Southland residents over whether the hotly debated merger of the region's two district health boards should go ahead. Audio

The Accident Compensation Corporation says the naming and shaming of a Kaikoura man will deter others from attempting to mislead the system. Audio

President Barack Obama's Democratic Party has suffered a stinging setback. Audio

The ACT Party's controversial"three strikes and you're out"approach to sentencing is set to become law - but has been watered down as part of a deal with National. Audio

In Haiti, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has appealed to millions of destitute earthquake survivors to be patient while emergency aid is mobilised. Audio

Just two months before the next wave of swine flu is expected to hit New Zealand, the Council of Europe's health chief Wolfgang Wodarg is claiming that swine flu is a"false pandemic"pushed by drug… Audio

A major resthome operator says there's a clear need for more beds throughout the country for dementia patients who are especially violent or aggressive. Audio

The Wellington Coroner says better care for the elderly is needed to ensure that rest home residents with dementia can be safe from bullying by more aggressive residents. Audio

The Auditor-General says the Health Ministry has known since 2004 that auditing of rest homes is inconsistent and poor, and has failed to respond quickly. Audio

Pharmac says its hard-nosed approach to drug-buying has saved the country more than 400 million dollars over the past decade. Audio

Senior doctors have been told to stop whingeing and help the health sector change in the face of unprecedented funding challenges. Audio

Senior doctors say health services aren't being delivered equally and a public debate is needed. Audio

A camera inside a capsule is giving medical specialists a chance to see inside a part of the body they've struggled to reach with instruments before. Audio

Hospitals say the number of patients caught up in serious preventable mistakes will continue to rise as they increase their efforts to find out about errors and make the system safer. Audio

Genetic experts and others say an extra drug is urgently needed for Maori and Pacific patients with gout. Audio

A district health board that's failing to meet immunisation goals says it's hard to persuade families to get children immunised at the right times. Audio

Many major hospitals are failing to meet a target of moving patients quickly through their emergency departments. Audio

Many major hospitals are failing to meet a target of moving patients quickly through their emergency departments, according to figures the government's just released. Audio

Details showing how well hospitals are meeting key government health targets will be published this week. Audio