News Briefs

ABOUT 1400 deaths from heart disease and diabetes could be prevented each year and $76 million in measurable health care costs could be saved if just 10 per cent of Australian adults walked more regularly.

The Pedestrian Council of Australia is urging people to walk more and be environmentally friendly through its annual Walk to Work Day this Friday.

This is the fifth year the event has been held and it is designed to raise the importance of walking as a healthy activity and increase the use of public transport.

A clinical risk reduction project devised by Central Sydney Area Health Service has won the Australian Healthcare Association's Baxter National Healthcare Innovation Award for excellence in risk management practice.

The project implements a structured system of reporting and investigation, including strategies to prevent the problem happening again, resulting in improved quality of care.

Children and family services workers from across the Marrickville municipality are working in a forum to improve their services and the way they support local families.

The forum allows different services to network and better understand the roles other organisations play in the community.

It is funded by the Families First project.