Cost of methadone prescriptions up by 84 per cent in five years (The Scotsman 05/07/2009) THE cost of prescribing methadone to drug addicts has soared by 84 per cent over the last five years, it has emerged. Accordi...(see more)

Compensation hopes of asbestos-linked cancer campaigners dashed by ruling (The Scotsman 05/07/2009) The Department for Work and Pensions has accepted the findings of an expert review into pleural plaques, a lung condition tha...(see more)

Britons 'ignoring advice on swine flu' (The Scotsman 05/07/2009) THREE-quarters of the British public appear unconcerned about the swine flu pandemic and two-thirds have failed to take actio...(see more)

Medical Practice (view all news in this section)

Health Trends (view all news in this section)

New Zealand confirms H1N1 deaths (World health - EU Monitor 04/07/2009) New Zealand has had its first fatalities linked to the H1N1 flu, with three deaths in the last week, the Ministry of Health s...(see more)

Scots take 'sun-fry' cancer risk (BBC 03/07/2009) Scots have an unhealthy approach to sunbathing and the highest risk of contracting skin cancer in the UK, researchers have wa...(see more)

Obesity on the rise in half of US states (Telegraph 02/07/2009) Obesity rates continued to climb in the past year with 23 US states reporting that their adult residents are fatter now than ...(see more)

Latest Developments (view all news in this section)

Breakthrough portable dialysis machine hits UK (Daily Express 02/07/2009) A DIALYSIS machine as small as a sewing machine has been launched at a UK hospital for the first time. The portable device, w...(see more)

Universal embryo test 'very near' (BBC 30/06/2009) A gene mapping test that can test embryos for almost any inherited disease could be available in the UK within a year, say re...(see more)

Preventing falls (BBC 29/06/2009) The hi-tech chair that talks to elderly patients is fitted with a pressure pad device which is activated when the patient tri...(see more)

Ongoing Research (view all news in this section)

Images of cancer cells in motion help in search for treatment (The Scotsman 04/07/2009) DRAMATIC images showing how cancer cells move around the body are helping scientists to investigate new ways of stopping the ...(see more)

Losing a loved one in middle age can treble risk of developing dementia (The Scotsman 03/07/2009) MIDDLE-AGED people who live alone may have double the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease in later life compa...(see more)

Sound waves offer prostate hope (BBC 02/07/2009) An experimental therapy using sound waves may offer people with early stage prostate cancer an alternative treatment option, ...(see more)

Life and Living (view all news in this section)

Majority 'do not exercise enough' (BBC 05/07/2009) Nearly two thirds of UK adults risk their health through insufficient exercise, a survey shows. The Chartered Society of Phys...(see more)

Tennis players given back injury warning (The Scotsman 04/07/2009) PEOPLE inspired by Wimbledon who feel compelled to pick up a tennis racket have been warned about the long-term impact it cou...(see more)

Doctors call for ban on drink ads to tackle alcohol abuse (The Scotsman 03/07/2009) ALCOHOL advertising should be banned as part of efforts to tackle problem drinking, doctors said yesterday. The British Medic...(see more)

Relationships (view all news in this section)

'I'd like to contact my birth mother but will it just upset everyone?' (Telegraph 29/06/2009) In Lifeclass this week Lesley Garner advises a reader on whether or not she should get in touch with her birth family....(see more)

Is there any hope for a marriage in which the husband has a secret friendship with another woman? (Telegraph 22/06/2009) In Lifeclass this week Lesley Garner ponders the future of various marriages in which the husband enjoys an intense secret re...(see more)

Pillowtalk: Graham Norton (Telegraph 28/05/2009) The problem of the flirtatious sister and the new boyfriend / Could my husband be a secret alcoholic? He's been out of work f...(see more)

Healthy Eating (view all news in this section)

Vegetarians 'avoid more cancers' (BBC 30/06/2009) Vegetarians are generally less likely than meat eaters to develop cancer but this does not apply to all forms of the disease,...(see more)

Why junk food really is addictive (Telegraph 28/06/2009) Ice cream and chocolate bars are addictive because the mix of ingredients in them activates our "bliss point" according to ...(see more)

Salads 'rival Big Macs for fat' (BBC 25/06/2009) Pre-packed salads are often not the healthier option, with some supermarket items higher in calories and fat than a Big Mac a...(see more)

Case Histories (view all news in this section)

How a tooth let me see my wife for the first time (Daily Express 04/07/2009) A BLIND man saw his wife for the first time after a tooth was transplanted into his eye to restore his sight. Martin Jones wa...(see more)

Magic bullet is my weapon (Daily Express 30/06/2009) PROSTATE cancer sufferer John Marshall is under no illusion that a powerful new radioactive drug is adding years to his life....(see more)

My stammer was cured in four days (Daily Express 30/06/2009) MY STAMMER began for no apparent reason when I was eight. A year later I started speech therapy sessions to try to overcome ...(see more)

Commentary (view all news in this section)

Inside Medicine (BBC 05/07/2009) A lipidologist talks about his work. We carry out more detailed investigations of lipoproteins to define precisely what lipid...(see more)

Chief doctor warns public not to buy Tamiflu on the internet (The Scotsman 04/07/2009) THE public should avoid panic-buying "counterfeit" anti-swine flu drugs online, the UK government's chief medical officer has...(see more)

Damages claims 'hitting' NHS care (BBC 30/06/2009) Escalating fees from no win, no fee solicitors are hitting NHS patient care, the BBC has been told. Steve Walker, chief of th...(see more)

Put mouse in box to stop scrolling - remove from box to restart it

Latest featured video

The Ryvita Challenge

Fern Britton presents a web video on the Ryvita 14 day summer fit challenge, which is a healthy eating plan to help women kick start their way to a healthier lifestyle.

See more on videos...

Product of the Month

alli 60mg hard capsule - 42

Patient UK Pharmacy Price £27.69

Great news for adults with a BMI of 28+ who want to lose weight and who understand the importance of sensible eating

Book of the Month

The Prostate Care Cookbook

by Margaret Rayman, Kay Gibbons, Kay Dilley

Scientists have found that eating the right foods can make all the difference

Featured Sites:
Accident Claim | Hair Loss | health insurance | Accident Claims

Hot Topics / Events

Sunshine / Prickly Heat

See resources for travel health, sun health and prickly heat.

Hay Fever

See our resources to help you cope with the hay fever season.

Swine (H1N1) Flu

Health Events

July 5th - 12th
National Transplant Week
August 1st - 7th
World Breastfeeding Week
August 5th
Playday - the annual celebration of children's right to play
August 24th - 30th
Gut Week

Nearly 800 patient information leaflets on health, disease and related topics

Nearly 800 information leaflets on specific drugs and medicines

Details of 1800+ UK patient support organisations, self help groups, health and disease information providers etc

Over 1000 pages of links to UK websites on health, disease and related topics. Each website listed has been selected and reviewed by a GP

Hundreds of links to UK websites with short online videos related to health, disease and lifestyle

Get information on how to go about finding a specific medical professional or institution e.g. a doctor, a hospital, a dentist etc

View our document detailing sources of information and help for carers

Find our what choices are available to you when your GP refers you to a specialist

View and/or join in discussion about health, lifestyle and disease in our interactive forum.
Note: this will open in a new window

We currently have over 140 poems and stories about medical conditions

Health Matters is an innovative book about lifestyle, disease risks, diseases and treatments

PatientPlus is an extension to Patient UK, covering a wide range of medical subjects in more detail. We currently have over 2200 of these articles

We currently have links to some 1400 clinical guidelines, which aim to help health professionals and patients make the best decisions about treatment or care for a particular condition or situation

Evidence based medicine addresses the question ... "What is the evidence we have to justify the treatments used in clinical practice?"
Find out more about it here

This page lists details of (and links to) online medical textbooks and journals

This page lists details of (and links to) online medical images, pictures and atlases

Find out what Medline® is and how it differs from PubMed®

Go to our online pharmacy where you can buy over-the-counter products for home delivery
Note: this will open in a new window

View an A-Z list of products which are available in our pharmacy

We currently have nearly 500 recommended books on health, lifestyle and disease

Have a look in our medical bookshop, where you can buy books for home delivery

Have a look in our medical equipment shop, where you can buy products for home delivery

Find out what Emis Access is, who it's available to and how to become involved

Find out how to book an appointment online with your GP or Practice Nurse, or how to order your repeat prescriptions online. Only applicable if your GP surgery uses EMIS Access (many do)

Find out how to view your medical record online. Only applicable if your GP surgery uses EMIS Access (many do)

This will take you to the EMIS Access status page where you can see the system's current state-of-play.
Note: this will open in a new window

Read frequently asked questions on the Emis Access service