Sophie Scott

Sophie Scott is the national medical reporter for the ABC, in addition to being a prominent public speaker.
Sophie has won numerous awards for excellence in medical and health journalism, including an Australian Museum Eureka award and multiple awards from various professional medical colleges.
Sophie’s reports appear on the ABC news, Lateline, and 7:30. She hosts the Health Quarter on ABC News 24 and is a frequent guest on Richard Glover’s 702 Drive.
She is an ambassador for Bowel Cancer Australia, to raise awareness of cancer screening.
She is the author of two books, Live a Longer Life and Roadtesting Happiness.
Follow her on Twitter @sophiescott2
Email [email protected]

• Mental health overhaul introduces individual care plans

  By political reporter Dan Conifer and medical reporter Sophie Scott

  Posted November 26, 2015 10:10:01 | Updated November 26, 2015 15:39:49

  The Government announces a major overhaul of mental health services, introducing individual care plans, a dedicated single hotline, and more funding going for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

  Topics: health, health-policy, turnbull-malcolm, australia

• Sick mother denied insurance for life-saving transplant over 'technicality'

  Exclusive by medical reporter Sophie Scott

  Posted November 25, 2015 12:06:07 | Updated November 25, 2015 13:54:21

  Brook Duggan was denied cover for a life-saving stem cell transplant because the procedure did not involve transplanting cells from another person.

  Topics: stem-cells, health, sydney-2000

• New heart attack warning labels for popular painkillers

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott

  Posted November 18, 2015 05:52:02 | Updated November 18, 2015 11:15:26

  A range of popular painkillers will carry new warning labels saying they can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke following a Therapeutic Goods Administration review.

  Topics: health, diseases-and-disorders, australia

• Health insurers probed over value for money

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott

  Posted November 13, 2015 15:03:01 | Updated November 14, 2015 21:16:53

  Health insurers could be asked to provide better value for money for rural and regional customers, as the Federal Government looks likely to revamp the private health insurance rebate.

  Topics: health, health-insurance, australia

• Nurse takes explicit photo of patient under anaesthetic

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott

  Posted November 06, 2015 06:04:44 | Updated November 06, 2015 17:23:06

  A Sydney school teacher tells of her shock after learning a nurse took an explicit photo of her while she was having routine gynaecological surgery at a private hospital.

  Topics: medical-ethics, medical-procedures, womens-health, law-crime-and-justice, health, sydney-2000, nsw

• Look-alike drugs putting patients' lives at risk, anaesthetists warn

  Exclusive by medical reporter Sophie Scott

  Posted October 07, 2015 12:00:46 | Updated October 07, 2015 13:46:54

  Some of Australia's leading anaesthetists warn patients are at risk of serious harm because labels on strong surgical drugs are too easy to mix up.

  Topics: health, doctors-and-medical-professionals, australia

• Codeine-related deaths more than doubled in nine years: study

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott and Jenya Goloubeva

  Posted October 05, 2015 15:04:09 | Updated October 05, 2015 16:23:41

  There has been a significant jump in the number of codeine-related deaths in Australia, new research reveals, with the number of fatalities involving the pain medicine more than doubling between 2000 and 2009.

  Topics: pain, drug-use, doctors-and-medical-professionals, health, health-policy, australia

• Several patients of Sydney breast implant clinic 'rushed to hospital'

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott and Rebecca Armitage

  Posted September 24, 2015 06:07:32 | Updated September 24, 2015 17:33:34

  New details are revealed about ambulances being called to popular Sydney breast implant clinic The Cosmetic Institute to take young patients to hospital emergency departments.

  Topics: health, medical-procedures, sydney-2000

• Tips via text message can cut risk of repeat heart attacks: study

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott

  Posted September 23, 2015 05:40:15 | Updated September 23, 2015 06:12:49

  Receiving regular text messages about healthy living can help people who have had a heart attack significantly reduce their chances of having a second one, new research finds.

  Topics: medical-research, health, doctors-and-medical-professionals, research, heart-disease, diseases-and-disorders, australia, sydney-2000

• High-profile researcher made up scientific results

  Exclusive by medical reporter Sophie Scott and the National Reporting Team's Alison Branley

  Posted September 17, 2015 06:20:24 | Updated September 17, 2015 08:30:49

  A high-profile scientist who spearheaded a campaign on medical research admits to fabricating research published in two international journals.

  Topics: medical-research, health, science-and-technology, research, research-organisations, melbourne-3000, australia

• Doctor who sparked report into surgeon bullying shocked by findings (video)

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott and Alice Matthews

  Posted September 10, 2015 18:30:44 | Updated September 10, 2015 20:51:34

  The doctor who first raised allegations about bullying and harassment amongst surgeons says she is shocked at the extent of bad behaviour revealed in a new report.

  Topics: doctors-and-medical-professionals, health, work, australia

• 'He could destroy my life': Report reveals widespread bullying among surgeons

  By Medical Reporter Sophie Scott and Alice Matthews

  Posted September 10, 2015 05:33:05 | Updated September 10, 2015 11:53:49

  A damning report finds nearly half of surgeons across all specialties experience discrimination, bullying or sexual harassment, with many fearing speaking out will equal "career suicide".

  Topics: health, doctors-and-medical-professionals, work, australia

• NSW considers tighter cosmetic surgery regulation after cardiac arrest incident

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott and Rebecca Armitage

  Posted September 03, 2015 19:44:07 | Updated September 04, 2015 09:06:15

  The NSW Health Minister seeks advice on whether to tighten legislation for the cosmetic industry after a second woman suffers a cardiac arrest during breast surgery at a Sydney clinic.

  Topics: medical-procedures, health, doctors-and-medical-professionals, bondi-2026, parramatta-2150, australia

• Medical staff 'negative, angry, irritated' towards patients who have attempted suicide

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott

  Posted September 03, 2015 06:00:10 | Updated September 03, 2015 07:43:40

  People who have attempted suicide describe the treatment they received from medical staff as "negative, angry and irritated", according to a new report, raising concerns some patients are not getting proper care.

  Topics: health, mental-health, suicide, community-and-society, australia

• Woman suffers cardiac arrest during breast surgery

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott and Rebecca Armitage

  Posted September 02, 2015 18:26:56

  For the second time this year, a young woman is rushed to hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest at The Cosmetic Institute, one of Australia's most popular cosmetic surgery clinics.

  Topics: medical-procedures, doctors-and-medical-professionals, health, healthcare-facilities, bondi-2026

• Experimental drug offers hope to families with legacy of Alzheimer's

  Lateline

  By the National Reporting Team's Sophie Scott and Alison Branley

  Posted August 31, 2015 11:55:33 | Updated August 31, 2015 18:00:40

  Australian researchers are trialling a new drug which could help prevent Alzheimer's disease in people who are genetically predisposed to it.

  Topics: alzheimers-and-dementia, health, drug-use, australia

• Thinking of getting cosmetic surgery? Take caution Opinion

  The Drum

  By Sophie Scott and Rebecca Armitage

  Posted August 24, 2015 13:51:56 | Updated August 24, 2015 14:13:00

  Any doctor can put up a sign and advertise themselves as a cosmetic surgeon, which makes it hard for patients to know who they can trust to undertake their procedures.

  Topics: health, medical-procedures

• Breast implant clinic probed over alleged anaesthetic use (video)

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott and Rebecca Armitage

  Posted August 20, 2015 19:23:23 | Updated August 20, 2015 21:18:04

  One of Australia's most popular cosmetic surgery clinics is under investigation by health authorities for alleged inappropriate use of anaesthetics.

  Topics: health, doctors-and-medical-professionals, parramatta-2150

• 33 doses of bioCSL Fluvax given to young children despite warnings

  By national medical reporter Sophie Scott

  Posted August 14, 2015 17:33:30

  Health authorities voice concern that more than 30 doses of bioCSL Fluvax have been given to Australian children aged under five this winter, despite warnings not to give it to young children.

  Topics: vaccines-and-immunity, health, influenza, diseases-and-disorders, children, australia, sa

• Experts reject Jacqui Lambie's suggestion for mandatory ice treatment

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott and Alison Branley

  Posted August 13, 2015 16:00:13 | Updated August 13, 2015 16:53:38

  Forcing ice addicts into treatment does not necessarily work and there are proven alternatives available, experts say, responding to senator Jacqui Lambie's revelation of her son's struggle with the drug.

  Topics: drugs-and-substance-abuse, community-and-society, drug-education, australia

• Pay doctors more if patients' health improve: experts

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott

  Posted August 12, 2015 00:08:51 | Updated August 12, 2015 06:22:24

  Doctors should get extra pay if their patients' health improves, according to a new report by healthcare experts who suggest sweeping changes to Australia's healthcare system are also needed.

  Topics: health-policy, doctors-and-medical-professionals, health, canberra-2600, act, australia

• 40pc patients receive no follow-up mental health treatment after suicide attempt: research

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott

  Posted August 08, 2015 23:59:57 | Updated August 09, 2015 00:11:55

  Forty per cent of patients admitted to hospital after a suicide attempt do not receive any follow-up mental health treatment and only 10 per cent receive specialist in-patient psychiatric care, new research shows.

  Topics: suicide, community-and-society, health, doctors-and-medical-professionals, australia

• Number of children seeking help for mental health problems doubles since 1998

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott

  Posted August 07, 2015 06:56:03 | Updated August 07, 2015 09:24:35

  Many parents do not recognise when their child is suffering from depression, with the number of children seeking help for mental health problems doubling since 1998, according to a new report.

  Topics: health, mental-health, community-and-society, australia

• New Alzheimer's drug could slow decline: experts

  AM

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott and Sarah Sedghi

  Posted July 23, 2015 11:30:33 | Updated July 23, 2015 11:32:36

  Dementia experts are cautiously optimistic a new drug could slow the progression of dementia by one-third.

  Topics: health, medical-research, alzheimers-and-dementia, diseases-and-disorders, united-states

• Four simple paths to happiness Opinion

  The Drum

  By Sophie Scott

  Posted July 20, 2015 13:26:27 | Updated July 20, 2015 13:30:11

  We can all incorporate small changes into our lives in order to be more mindful, more grateful and ultimately more happy.

  Topics: happiness, mental-health

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