BBC News

BBC News - Health

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

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 14:58:18 GMT

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

First place in British Isles set to approve right to die

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:02:21 GMT

Laws in the Isle of Man to let terminally ill adults end their own lives are in the last stages of debate.

Inside Health

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT

James Gallagher and the panel consider if an assisted death can guarantee a peaceful end.

Covid inquiry told top NHS doctor was terrified

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 17:34:34 GMT

Sir Stephen Powis says points-based tool was drawn up should need to prioritise patients have arisen.

Plan for GPs to keep millions out of hospital

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 09:48:37 GMT

GPs will work more closely with specialists to support patients closer to home, the government says.

Baby slings unsafe for hands-free feeding, charities warn

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 16:12:49 GMT

Parenting charities, including the NCT, have updated their advice saying slings and carriers are unsafe for feeding.

Covid was like a daily terror attack, doctor tells inquiry

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 14:06:37 GMT

Covid inquiry hears harrowing testimony from ex-adviser in emergency preparedness at NHS England.

Inside Health

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT

James Gallagher and the panel discuss the safeguarding implications of the proposed bill

'I fear I'll be dead before I get justice for my son'

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 09:56:44 GMT

Tony Summers' son Paul was diagnosed with HIV and Hepatitis C and died in 2008 aged 44.

The joy of a visit when you have dementia

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 08:54:27 GMT

Visiting a friend or relative with dementia can help reinforce relationships and bring joy.

Charity's wellness sessions take to the road

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 13:26:58 GMT

The iCan organisation's van is offering support to "hard-to-reach" people in parts of Cumbria.

Wellbeing strategy aims to increase life expectancy

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 12:20:04 GMT

A public consultation on the project by Epsom and Ewell Borough Council will run until 16 May.

Baby deaths trust claimed £2m 'good care' payments

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 06:19:57 GMT

An NHS trust criticised over a baby's death claimed money for providing good care, the BBC can reveal.

Prescription charges frozen in England

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:53:54 GMT

The charge for a single item will remain at £9.90 in 2025-26, the government has announced.

Inside Health

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT

James explores the science of a sweet tooth and then gets tips on how to brush like a pro.

NHS needs better plan around weight loss jabs, warn experts

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 07:27:18 GMT

Experts call for an urgent review of obesity treatment services amid booming demand for weight loss jabs.

How will weight-loss drugs change our relationship with food?

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 03:10:13 GMT

The rise of these treatments has major implications for how we think about obesity, says James Gallagher.

Michelle Mone-linked PPE firm evidence to be heard in private

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:16 GMT

Covid inquiry says hearings into the firm, led by Michelle Mone's husband, must be held in closed session.

Fertility patients sold unproven add-ons, HFEA says

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 10:25:25 GMT

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

'My peanut allergy nearly killed me - now I eat them every day for breakfast'

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 23:03:24 GMT

Just a few years ago, Chris Brookes-Smith could have died from eating peanuts - but taking part in a clinical trial has changed his life.

NHS hours from PPE running out in Covid - Hancock

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 16:58:34 GMT

Former health secretary tells inquiry some healthcare settings did run out - "and it was awful".

'My long Covid turned out to be terminal cancer'

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 10:39:19 GMT

Olivia Knowles noticed something "wasn't quite correct" while competing in an ironman competition.

Covid inquiry rejects clinicians’ anonymity plea

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 00:11:07 GMT

The UK Health Security Agency argued naming the junior officials could put them at risk of abuse.

How does the Covid inquiry work?

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 09:58:17 GMT

The inquiry has heard from politicians, civil servants, public health experts and bereaved families.

The junior doctors' strikes may be over. But is trouble ahead?

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 00:43:02 GMT

The end of the pay dispute sounded too good to be true. And now some are wondering if it might be.

Male workers should be able to carry out mammograms, experts say

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 08:13:22 GMT

The Society of Radiographers says allowing men to do mammograms would reduce staff shortages.

Mone accuses Covid inquiry of 'cover-up'

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 19:10:36 GMT

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

Covid inquiry told Treasury blocked NHS bed request

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 18:06:48 GMT

NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard says the decision, in July 2020, was very disappointing.

How are the vaping rules changing?

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 17:06:32 GMT

Marketing rules will be stricter, nicotine vapes will be taxed and disposable vapes will be banned.

Free sauna has become a 'real community hub'

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 09:56:37 GMT

The free-to-use sauna in Margate is built in the style of a 19th Century bathing machine.

High-grade masks evidence weak, Covid inquiry told

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 11:39:28 GMT

UKHSA's Prof Susan Hopkins said respirator masks may have worked no better than thin surgical masks.

Michael Gove denies trying to circumvent Dyson ventilator checks

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 12:29:20 GMT

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

Is the system letting down people who were harmed by Covid vaccines?

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 05:48:59 GMT

People affected by rare blood clots say they feel they have been airbrushed out of the pandemic.

Families failed by Covid jabs tell inquiry of pain

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 18:39:40 GMT

They said there was no support after the death and harm suffered by their loved ones.

Are my braids doing more harm than good?

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:03:42 GMT

Research suggests the synthetic hair used for braiding could be bad for you - but will that stop women using it?

Assisted dying bill: What is in proposed law?

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 15:30:26 GMT

The proposed law would allow some terminally ill adults to end their own lives. But there are requirements.

WHO agrees legally binding pandemic treaty

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 12:40:46 GMT

The agreement is designed to ensure more cooperation between nations in the event of another pandemic.

Hancock criticises 'wholly naive' Covid inquiry

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 17:14:53 GMT

The former health secretary was giving evidence about medical equipment deals during the pandemic.

What is assisted dying and how could the law change?

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 10:17:24 GMT

MPs backed a proposal to let terminally ill people in England and Wales choose to end their life.

Generation K: The disturbing rise of ketamine abuse among young people

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 06:00:36 GMT

Increasing numbers of young people are using the drug, experts say. The health impacts can be catastrophic.

What goes on inside toddlers' brains?

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:13:02 GMT

A unique study is tracking the development of hundreds of babies whose parents have also been studied since birth.

Doctor 'betrayed' over son's death at her hospital

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 17:31:46 GMT

Deborah Burns says she is unable to return to work at the hospital after the death of her son, William Hewes.

California man invites BBC to witness his death as MPs debate assisted dying

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 21:10:48 GMT

Wayne Hawkins believes terminally ill people should be able to die when they choose, but others in the state disagree.

New device gives female patients more dignity

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 14:17:36 GMT

A urinary bottle initially designed for men has been adapted to work for women in hospital.

Labour's plan for benefits throws up a bigger dilemma

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 06:06:29 GMT

The debate has sparked a wider dilemma about the broader purpose of welfare

How many of us will end up being diagnosed with ADHD?

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 00:36:40 GMT

Experts suggest that the number of people with ADHD is actually going to remain steady.

Premenstrual disorder hits relationships - study

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 05:10:14 GMT

PMDD sufferers expressed a lower sense of intimacy, researchers at Durham University say.

Woman's eyesight saved by cutting-edge test after mystery infection

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 23:06:31 GMT

After years of suffering, a cutting-edge test diagnosed Ellie Irwin with a rare bacterial infection.

Wrestling for wellbeing... at church

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 16:09:06 GMT

Songs of Praise visits a church's wrestling club which helps its members' mental health.

Are weight-loss injections the answer to obesity?

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 00:52:45 GMT

The appeal is clear - but should we be turning to appetite-suppressing injections?

'I could live 30 years but plan to die': How assisted dying law is dividing Canadians

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 01:24:38 GMT

BBC News reports on assisted dying in Canada, where some say it's now easier to choose to die than get support to live

Living well with dementia

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 08:53:51 GMT

Why living with dementia can still mean living well.

Woman 'keeled over in agony' from endometriosis

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 05:19:28 GMT

Bekki Thomas is calling for more research into the condition.

We were not treated as parents, Covid inquiry told

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 14:11:38 GMT

Mum of premature twins says rigid restrictions on birthing wards during Covid were traumatic.

Woman contacted by stranger on DNA site - and the truth about her birth unravelled

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 00:20:36 GMT

An NHS trust has paid compensation after a woman, now in her 70s, discovered she had been swapped at birth.

Inside Health

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 10:00:00 GMT

In the first of our mini-series we discuss who could get an assisted death under the rules

Nurses bore the brunt of Covid, ex-chief nurse says

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:58:13 GMT

Dame Ruth May tells the Covid inquiry nurses struggled with low staffing levels and difficulties accessing protective equipment.

Doctors back total ban on smacking children in England

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 11:15:51 GMT

Smacking is legal in some cases in England and Northern Ireland, but is banned in Scotland and Wales.

NHS trust admits failures led to teenager's death

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 05:21:49 GMT

Staff were tasked with giving one-to-one care to Elise Sebastian, an inquest hears.

Fake £4m Xanax drug gang boss jailed

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:35:28 GMT

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

Covid inquiry told of trust do-not-resuscitate rule

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:54:11 GMT

Patients' families were “horrified but not surprised” when told the blanket policy had been in place.

Why we might never know the truth about ultra-processed foods

Sat, 27 Jul 2024 23:33:23 GMT

Experts can’t agree how exactly they affect us and it’s not clear that science will give us an answer.

GPs and sports centre join forces

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 06:01:57 GMT

A group of GP practices join up with a sports centre operator to open a new healthcare service.

North Scotland among highest rates of Huntington's

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 07:59:26 GMT

The statistics are five times higher than the world figure, a University of Aberdeen study says.

'Dancing is so important for our wellbeing'

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 16:04:34 GMT

DJ Annie Mac explains why she set up club nights that don't go on all night.

'Why I want an IVF baby to screen out gene that made me go blind'

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 00:04:43 GMT

Blind influencer Lucy Edwards on choosing IVF which will screen out the gene that made her who she is.

King sends heartfelt message to fellow cancer patients

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 17:00:03 GMT

King Charles gives a personal message to others facing the anxiety of a cancer diagnosis.

Ultra-processed foods may be linked to early death

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:47:47 GMT

UPFs, such as crisps, biscuits, ice cream, hot dogs and fizzy drinks, are increasingly common in diets worldwide.

Doctors in two end-of-life cases can be named

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 13:22:54 GMT

Those involved in caring for Isaiah Haastrup and Zainab Abbasi can be named, the Supreme Court rules.

Large UK-wide pandemic preparedness tests planned this year

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 16:36:01 GMT

The stress test will involve thousands of people to help the UK prepare for potential future threats.

Covid ambulance crews faced 'crucial PPE delays'

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 14:39:04 GMT

Crews say they faced crucial delays trying to save dying patients because of the time it took to put on equipment.

Milkshakes and lattes could be covered by sugar tax

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 08:09:02 GMT

The tax would be applied to manufacturers of milk-based drinks and dairy-based substitutes, under the plans.

Warning tax rises could force care homes to close

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 13:50:35 GMT

Social care providers say the sector is in "unprecedented danger" without more funding.

How close were hospitals to collapse in Covid?

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 00:06:04 GMT

The Covid inquiry restarts its live hearings this week, after senior staff in the NHS revealed just how close some hospitals were to collapse

'My first cervical screening was over before I knew it'

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 01:06:51 GMT

The BBC speaks to six people about their first cervical screening, and what they wish they'd known beforehand.

Disposable vape use falling in UK ahead of ban

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 06:23:05 GMT

The number of people vaping in the UK has stalled, while disposable vape usage has fallen, a study suggests.

Why men are so unhealthy - and what can be done

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 00:40:30 GMT

Men are more likely to die prematurely than women - and worse at seeking care when they need it.

'I didn't know I was pregnant until I gave birth'

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 06:07:21 GMT

Bryony had no pregnancy symptoms when she went into labour at the beauty salon she worked at.