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Showing posts from March, 2025

NHS billions wasted as bipolar patients left 'forgotten and failed'

Exclusive data shows how neglect of this common mental health condition costs the UK nearly £10bn a year.

Protests postponed after pharmacy funding boost

Community pharmacies have delayed protest action after the government agreed a new funding package.

Morning-after pill to be made free at pharmacies in England

The government hopes the move will end the "unfair postcode lottery" some women face.

Secret filming reveals brazen tactics of immigration scammers

An undercover BBC investigation exposes how rogue agents are exploiting a UK visa scheme.

Alarms, overdoses and saving lives: Two days in UK's first drug injection room

The BBC was given exclusive access to the controversial facility in the east end of Glasgow.

'I had to use a goods lift to go for an abortion'

Dani Czernuszka-Watt was told the clinic she went to had never treated a person in a wheelchair before.

Blood victims dying 'two a week' as thousands await compensation

Tony Summers, whose son died from HIV and Hepatitis C, fears he will be dead before his compensation is paid.

Big drop in child surgery for swallowed objects

Cashless society may have helped, since coins were a common foreign object swallowed, surgeons say.

Man who died from sepsis 'not treated urgently'

William Hewes died after his meningitis, caused by a meningococcal infection, developed into sepsis.

Fake £4m Xanax drug gang boss jailed

The gang, managed from Thailand, produced 11 million pills in the West Midlands to be sold online.

Who are the millions of Britons not working?

About a quarter of the working age population - those aged 16 to 64 - do not currently have a job.

NHS software provider fined £3m over data breach after ransomware attack

Security failings by the Advanced Computer Software Group led to a cyberattack in 2022 that impacted NHS services.

Fertility patients sold unproven add-ons, HFEA says

Despite little proof add-ons help, many IVF clinics offer them, the UK's fertility regulator warns.

Government concerns over assisted dying timeline

The Labour MP bringing the bill says she is "disappointed" to be proposing pushing the implementation deadline to 2029.

Apology over delay to maternity report publication

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) report - published nine months after inspection - finds multiple breaches.

Assisted dying law could take four years to implement

A proposed change to the assisted dying bill could push back the introduction of the law by two years.

Isle of Man Parliament passes assisted dying bill

The Assisted Dying Bill 2023 passes through Tynwald's branches and can be sent for Royal Assent.

Who can get an NHS Covid booster this spring?

The spring booster campaign starts in England on 1 April, but vaccines are also available privately.

Doctors and charities call for gonorrhoea vaccine roll-out

The JCVI recommended the use of the MenB vaccine in November 2023 but has not been used in NHS clinics

UK draws up new disease-threat watch list

Some are viruses with global pandemic potential - like Covid - others infectious illnesses with no treatments.

DNA testing site 23andMe files for bankruptcy protection

The company said that it will now attempt to sell itself under the supervision of a court.

Scans in shopping centres and AI - can ideas like these help save the NHS?

Government says more NHS funds in England will go to social care as we look at how it can deliver change.

'The time for inquiries is over': The problem at the heart of the NHS's maternity care failures

An inquest into the death of Ida Lock has shone light on repeat mistakes - and wider failures in certain hospitals across England

My baby's premature birth was humbling, says Beatrice

The royal describes "months of sheer worry" she experienced over the birth of her second child.

Newborn's death 'due to gross failures of midwives'

The coroner at newborn baby Ida Lock's inquest highlights eight opportunities that were missed.

Probe into claims people allowed in to watch hospital surgeries

It is not clear how the individuals gained access to the operating theatres or who gave permission.

Repeated failures in reading scans costing lives, ombudsman says

The most common issues include clinicians not spotting abnormalities, and scans being delayed.

Public data should not conflate sex and gender, review says

Author of government-ordered review says biological sex and gender have become distinct and should be recorded separately.

Disabled travel access an 'embarrassment', MPs say

A report by parliament's cross-party-transport select committee says accessibility failings are "systematic" across all modes of transport.

What nine months in space does to the human body

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are back on Earth - but what has nine months in space done to them?

'Covid memories are in a box deep within my brain'

A critical care nurse says many colleagues moved departments because of PTSD after the pandemic.

Chris Mason: Flurry of worry over benefit changes

It could be some time before people know how they may be affected by the government's benefits overhaul.

What are PIP disability payments and why could they change?

The Personal Independence Payment is a benefit that helps cover the extra costs of long-term health conditions.

Some PIP recipients may lose out under welfare cuts

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall will set out reforms to the benefits system on Tuesday afternoon.

Countdown to pharmacies' protest over funding

Pharmacies are being advised to "work to rule" unless a funding agreement can be reached with government.

Ex-hospital bosses call for inquiry to be suspended

The inquiry's chair says she has had similar requests from Letby's legal team and Tory MP David Davis.

Poorest children missing more school and further behind after Covid

Those from the lowest income families are now up to 19 months behind peers by the age of 16.

Streeting admits 'risk of disruption' in NHS overhaul

The health secretary defends scrapping NHS England but admits the reform will bring challenges.

NHS England chair warns the buck now stops with ministers

Will the abolition of NHS England work? Senior NHS England leader Richard Meddings has given the first response from the organisation itself

How our noisy world is seriously damaging our health

The BBC's James Gallagher investigates the invisible killer all around us.

Will scrapping NHS England help improve patient safety?

The decision to scrap the organisation could offer a new chance to examine how patients are dealt with.

Men denied life-extending prostate cancer drug

NHS England says it cannot afford to offer abiraterone, which is available in Scotland and Wales.

Manslaughter probe at Letby hospital expanded

Cheshire Police expands its investigation into what happened at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Mone accuses Covid inquiry of 'cover-up'

She says husband Doug Barrowman and her are targets of a "politically motivated witch hunt".

Measles highest in 25 years in Europe, WHO says

Children under five constituted more than 40% of the cases reported in Europe and Central Asia last year.

MPs scrap judge sign-off in assisted dying bill

Activists suggest replacing judges with a three-person panel featuring a senior legal figure.

New endometriosis pill approved on NHS in England

It can be taken at home on a daily basis, but it is only patients for who have tried all other options.

Doctors try to stop under-eights drinking slushies

Paediatricians studied 21 children in the UK and Ireland who became very ill after the icy drinks.

Thousands miss NHS screenings due to admin error

Routine screening invitations were not sent because of an error dating back to 2008.

Government backs miscarriage bereavement leave

A group of MPs want workers to get the right to leave if they suffer a miscarriage before 24 weeks.

Giving blood linked to lower risk of pre-cancer gene

Frequent donors were more likely to have different genetic changes in their blood stem cells, scientists found.

Windass: 'Dementia scares me, we need more help'

The former footballer has been speaking about his future after stage two diagnosis.

Michael Gove denies trying to circumvent Dyson ventilator checks

Former cabinet minister says it would be ludicrous to suggest he tried to shortcut safety checks in the pandemic.

Doctors didn't warn women of 'risky sex' drug urges

Patients given drugs for movement disorders like restless leg syndrome say their behaviour changed entirely.

Major cuts at NHS HQ as more directors stand down

Up to 6,500 jobs could go as health secretary looks to bring NHS England closer to the government.

Software bug at firm left NHS data 'vulnerable to hackers'

The NHS is looking into claims that a software flaw at Medefer left patient data vulnerable.

Lab-grown food could be sold in UK within two years

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is looking at how it can speed up the approval process for lab-grown foods.

'I was drawn into a secretive world of chemsex and it turned me into a zombie'

Calls are made to help address stigmas attached to chemsex and improve support.

Weight-loss drugs expose women to society's harsh judgements on their bodies

Women who have quickly lost weight say strangers are now more likely to smile at them or strike up a conversation.

Can an LED face mask really transform your skin?

The at-home light therapy treatment is increasingly being seen as a must-have skincare accessory.

'Nasal tanners left me suffocating in hospital'

Edith Eagle says she felt she was "drowning in her own body" after using one of the unlicensed products.

UK authorities on lookout for Lassa fever cases

It does not spread easily and the risk to the public is very low, experts say, after finding a case.

Inquiry into claims Nottingham victim records were accessed

A hospital trust is investigating if medical records of the three victims were accessed "inappropriately".

More schools to be asked to supervise toothbrushing

Dedicated funding will allow the scheme to reach the poorest areas in England, the government says.

Common vaginal 'imbalance' may be an STI

An overgrowth of bacteria in the vagina, known as BV, may be spread by sex, researchers say.

Patients thank blood donors for life-saving plasma

Blood donated across England is being used to make immunoglobulin for the first time in 25 years.

Scientists discover new part of the immune system

New part of the immune system - hidden inside our bodies - could be used to make new antibiotics.

The NHS is spending a fortune giving people a death they don't want

The UK was once ranked the best country for end-of-life care - but, say experts, that has all changed

Scientists crack how aspirin might stop cancers from spreading

The cheap painkiller seems to help the immune system detect and destroy cancers.

Most areas cut eating-disorder help for under-18s

The Royal College of Psychiatrists worries children and young people will be put at risk, as demand rises.

Woman secretly filmed her mum being abused in care home

The camera hidden by Nicola Hughes captured footage of staff roughly handling and shouting at her mother.

Covid inquiry rejects last-minute bid from Michelle Mone

Baroness Mone and her husband both asked to become 'core participants' to the inquiry.

Autistic woman wrongly locked up in mental health hospital for 45 years

“Kasibba”, who is non-verbal and had no family to speak for her, was one of hundreds wrongly detained.

Over 50% of adults predicted to be obese by 2050

Levels look set to accelerate rapidly, particularly in lower-income countries.

'He was born navy blue': Real-life stories behind Toxic Town Netflix series

The drama tells the story of how families fought for justice over their children's birth defects.

UK death rate 'reaches record low'

The UK death rate reached a record low last year, according to exclusive analysis of death certificate data carried out for BBC News.

Covid inquiry turns to PPE deals and the 'VIP lane'

Four weeks of hearings will look at the purchase of billions of pounds of medical equipment in the pandemic.

Cancer family 'financially broken' by benefits wait

Charity report finds seven-month average wait for families of children with cancer to access benefits.

Why NHS England boss suddenly quitting is a huge moment

Amanda Pritchard's exit comes as the government moves to assert more direct over healthcare.