Saturday, 29 August 2026
NT legalises voluntary assisted dying, Annual GP attendance target lowered, HotDoc adds patient payment fee
- 01
Northern Territory legalises voluntary assisted dying from early 2028
The Northern Territory parliament has passed voluntary assisted dying legislation by a conscience vote, making it the last Australian jurisdiction to legalise the practice. From early 2028, eligible adults with decision-making capacity who are suffering intolerably from an advanced, progressive condition expected to cause death within 12 months will be able to access it after assessment by two independent trained doctors. Health workers cannot raise voluntary assisted dying with patients, but those who are asked must provide government-approved information connecting patients with the system, even if they conscientiously object. The law allows formal requests by writing or video, involvement of family members or a person with cultural authority at the patient’s request, and administration by approved Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners as well as specified trained clinicians. An 18-month implementation period will establish practitioner training, clinical guidelines, a medication protocol and a review board.
- 02
Federal health department lowers annual GP attendance target
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing lowered its 2026–27 target for Australians making at least one annual Medicare-subsidised GP visit from 85% to more than 80%. It attributed the change to an expected reduction in Medicare demand as patients increasingly use pharmacies, private online clinics, other health professionals and government programs. In 2025–26, 83.6% of Australians had at least one GP visit, including urgent care centre services, while the threshold prompting a review has now fallen from below 82% to below 78%. Overall MBS-subsidised GP services declined by more than two million to 165.7 million in 2025–26, despite an increase in bulk-billed services to 134.1 million. The revised strategy also set GP workforce targets across all Modified Monash Areas and an overall bulk-billing target of 80.8% for 2026–27.
via RACGP newsGP
- 03
HotDoc to introduce $2.45 patient payment platform fee
HotDoc will introduce a $2.45 platform fee from 1 October 2026 when patients use its online payment service, rather than on every booking. The fee applies where practices have enabled online payments for the selected appointment type, which HotDoc said currently covers fewer than 10% of bookable appointment types. Patients can instead use other payment methods offered by the practice. The flat fee will replace HotDoc’s current payment processing charge of 1.75% plus $0.30, making it more expensive for some low-value transactions but cheaper for larger payments. For a $30 Routine Request, the article calculated that the new fee would be close to three times the existing processing charge and 18% higher than HotDoc’s documented $2.07 booking fee example.
- 04
Medtronic recalls Bravo capsules after 184 serious injuries
Medtronic has recalled affected Bravo CF pH-monitoring capsules after receiving reports of 184 serious injuries and no deaths as of 10 August. The capsules may fail to attach to the oesophagus or detach from the delivery device, creating risks including oesophageal perforation or laceration, airway obstruction, blood loss, delayed diagnosis and a retained foreign body. The FDA said a potential problem with the capsule deployment component may cause the failures, which may be exacerbated if the delivery device is not kept straight as instructed. Medtronic told customers to identify, quarantine and return all unused affected devices; lots expiring on or after 10 December 2027 are unaffected. The recall is the second involving Bravo devices since June 2025, although Medtronic attributed the earlier failures to misapplied adhesive during manufacturing.
via MedTech Dive
- 05
Unvaccinated people become first US measles deaths of 2026
Two unvaccinated people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, died from measles, marking the first US measles fatalities of 2026. They were Pennsylvania’s first measles deaths in more than three decades, while three US deaths in 2025 were the country’s first measles-associated fatalities since 2015. Lancaster County has recorded 185 of Pennsylvania’s 393 cases this year. Health officials released no further details about the individuals because of privacy concerns, while local GP Jeffrey Martin said unvaccinated pregnant women and children were vulnerable to measles.
via BMJ
- 06
FDA approves first oral therapy for dermatomyositis
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved once-daily brepocitinib, sold as Lisraya, as the first oral therapy for dermatomyositis. The rare condition, which causes muscle weakness and skin lesions, affects an estimated 34,000 people in the US and is typically managed with steroids, immunoglobulin infusions and off-label immunosuppressive drugs. In Phase 3 testing, a 30 mg daily dose improved a composite measure of muscle strength, function, skin health and other disease signs over one year, while enabling more participants to reduce or stop steroids. The most common adverse effects included infection, headache, fatigue, nausea and diarrhoea, and the prescribing information carries a boxed warning similar to other JAK inhibitors. A 30-day supply will have a list price of $35,000.
via BioPharma Dive
MDDR is a news digest for medical professionals. It is not medical advice and should not be relied on for clinical decision-making.