The Australian College of Perioperative Nurses (ACORN) has advised that the 2026 edition of The ACORN Standards will officially go live on 1 June 2026. The current edition will be replaced by the 2026 edition on the ACORN standards platform. The 2026 edition reflects the latest evidence-informed guidance to support safe, high-quality perioperative practice across Australia. ACORN will continue to provide resources to support implementation and educational materials to assist perioperative teams with integrating the updated standards into practice. To […]

Vaccine-derived poliovirus has been detected in wastewater during routine surveillance of untreated sewage at a treatment plant in Perth. This is an environmental detection and the risk to the community remains very low. There are no confirmed cases of polio in Australia. High vaccination coverage provides strong protection and helps prevent the virus from spreading. In response to this detection, the WA Department of Health is increasing the frequency of wastewater poliovirus testing in the Perth metropolitan area and working with clinicians to enhance existing systems for […]

Western Australian residents are being urged to ensure they are up to date with their diphtheria vaccination in response to an outbreak of cases in regional WA. There have been 60 confirmed cases of diphtheria reported in regional WA since late December 2025, with the majority occurring in Aboriginal people. This includes 55 cases in the Kimberley, three in the Pilbara, and two cases in the Goldfields. Cases have primarily occurred in children and young adults, with a smaller number spread across […]