Current health news
This is our brand new section containing up-to-date health stories from the selected UK newspapers and media outlets.
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 Health news stories selected by our editors |
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09/05/2008 - Abortion: the battle lines are drawn (The Independent) A study of the survival rates of premature babies has provided a vital boost to pro-choice campaigners, ahead of one of the most significant parliamentary debates on abortion for a generation. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
09/05/2008 - Caveman fad diet (NHS Choices) 'Eat like a caveman for a healthy heart', is the headline in The Daily Telegraph today. It and several other newspapers report on a new study which claims that a 'paleolithic'... Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
09/05/2008 - Children's peers are best people to warn of smoking dangers (The Independent) The most important health warning that parents can give their children - don't smoke - is best delivered by their friends, researchers have found. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
09/05/2008 - Diphtheria fear after child dies (The Scotsman) A CHILD in London has died from suspected diphtheria ' the first such fatality in Britain for 14 years. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 09/05/2008 - Europeans get drunk 'to have sex' (BBC) Some teenagers and young adults get high on drink and drugs to improve their sex lives, research suggests. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 09/05/2008 - Half city's youth 'take cocaine' (BBC) More than 50% of young people in Liverpool admit to having taken cocaine, a new report claims. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 09/05/2008 - HIV funding priority shift call (BBC) Funding for HIV prevention is being wasted on strategies which have little impact, say US researchers. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 09/05/2008 - Promises made over NHS overhaul (BBC) Ministers have sought to allay fears over the forthcoming overhaul of the NHS in England. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
09/05/2008 - Warning over malaria dangers (The Scotsman) AN Edinburgh pharmacist has warned sunseekers to take malaria health advice more seriously before heading abroad. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
08/05/2008 - Adults with autism to be audited (BBC) For the first time the government is to calculate the number of adults with autism in England. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
08/05/2008 - Cannabis crackdown 'makes little difference' (The Scotsman) RESTORING cannabis to its former class B status will make "very little difference" to levels of consumption, one of Scotland's leading drug experts has warned. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
08/05/2008 - Confusion over official advice on healthy diet (The Independent) Most people are increasing their chances of developing heart disease, cancer and other chronic conditions later in life by failing to eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, r... Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
08/05/2008 - Deadly virus threatens China's children (The Independent) Chinese health authorities are grappling with a virus that has killed 28 children and is set to claim more lives, with reports of a preliminary cover-up of the highly contagious disease echoing the Sars epidemic of 2003. PUK Comment: This appears to be due to a rare but more serious form of Hand Foot and Mouth disease caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71). In the UK, Hand Foot and Mouth disease is normally a short, mild, illness. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
08/05/2008 - Doctors to be consulted on easier abortions plan (The Independent) Abortions could be carried out in family planning clinics, GP-run polyclinics and cottage hospitals after the Government claimed that pilot schemes designed to make access to terminations easier for women had been successful. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 08/05/2008 - Jab urged after diphtheria death (BBC) Infectious disease experts have warned parents to check their children are vaccinated after suspected death from diphtheria. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
08/05/2008 - Obesity increases Alzheimer's risk (The Scotsman) OBESITY can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease by up to 80 per cent, researchers say. PUK Comment: there have been a number of recent scientific studies linking general and abdominal obesity with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease in later life. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
08/05/2008 - Scotland's Alcohol Shame: Hungover middle-class parents who leave children to fend for themselves (The Scotsman) PARENTS are damaging their children through their alcohol use without realising they are doing it, experts believe. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 08/05/2008 - Stillbirth rate not coming down (BBC) Stillbirth rates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are not decreasing, according to a report. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 08/05/2008 - Trial tests lung cancer screening (BBC) PUK Comment: A trial where COPD Patients are to be screened for early signs of lung cancer and offered treatment. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
08/05/2008 - Weight link to dementia (NHS Choices) A 'behind the headlines' assessment of the recent news story that 'Obesity doubles the risk of Alzheimer's'. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 07/05/2008 - Alcohol 'main staff welfare risk' (BBC) Most employers questioned in a survey believe alcohol is the biggest threat to workers' well-being. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 07/05/2008 - Care home ratings 'may mislead' (BBC) New star ratings for care homes in England have been criticised for giving a misleading impression. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
07/05/2008 - Experts target women as middle-class drinkers face health threat (The Scotsman) WOMEN who overindulge by consuming too much wine are to be targeted in efforts to tackle Scotland's dangerous alcohol culture, it emerged yesterday. (PUK Comment: There is an increased risk of breast cancer in regular heavy drinkers) Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
07/05/2008 - Facial symmetry and gender perception (NHS Choices) Beauty is an advert for good genes, reports The Daily Telegraph today. It says that 'research conducted across cultures and species', has found that not only are... Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 07/05/2008 - Health fears over drug services (BBC) More must be done by treatment services to stop drugs users harming themselves, a health watchdog says. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
07/05/2008 - Quitting smoking has rapid benefits (NHS Choices) 'People who give up smoking begin to improve their health almost immediately', The Guardian reported today. It goes on to report that a study looking at more than 100,000 women between... Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
07/05/2008 - Quitting smoking has rapid health benefits (NHS Choices) 'People who give up smoking begin to improve their health almost immediately', The Guardian reported today. It goes on to report that a study looking at more than 100,000 women between... Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
07/05/2008 - Reefer madness: Do the drug laws work? (The Independent) Defying the weight of medical and scientific opinion, Gordon Brown is to order tougher new laws today on cannabis possession. The Prime Minister has decided to overrule his own expert advisers and reverse the downgrading four years ago of Britain's favourite illegal drug from a class B to a class C substance, threatening cannabis smokers with five-year prison terms. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 07/05/2008 - Treatment 'slashes baby HIV risk' (BBC) Effective action almost eradicates the risk that a pregnant woman with HIV will pass it to her child, research concludes. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
07/05/2008 - Ventilator superbug resistant to antibiotics (The Scotsman) HOSPITALS face a dangerous new superbug threat in the form of a drug-resistant microbe that clings to catheters and ventilation tubes. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 06/05/2008 - Baby bottle chemical label call (BBC) Parents need more information about a controversial chemical found in plastic baby bottles, a childbirth charity says. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
06/05/2008 - Breastfed babies 'are more intelligent' (NHS Choices) A 'behing dht headlines' assessment of the recent news story that breast-fed babies grow into more intelligent children, with IQs up to eight points higher than those who are bottle fed. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
06/05/2008 - Breastfed children have higher IQs, say scientists (The Scotsman) FOR years, health workers have argued breast is best and claimed that breastfeeding your child can help guard against childhood diseases and allergies. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 06/05/2008 - Breastfeeding 'helps to boost IQ' (BBC) A major study adds to growing evidence suggesting breastfeeding boosts a child's intelligence. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
06/05/2008 - Call to end 'lottery' of asthma treatment (The Scotsman) CAMPAIGNERS are calling for a national asthma strategy for Scotland, saying treatment for sufferers across the country is a "lottery". Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
06/05/2008 - Drink Nation: Scotland's alcohol abuse costs £2.25bn a year (The Scotsman) ALCOHOL abuse is costing Scotland more than £2.25 billion a year ' double the previous estimate ' The Scotsman can reveal. But that massive figure is still considered to be a Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
06/05/2008 - Early diet may keep Alzheimer's risk at arms length (The Scotsman) LEGGY women and lanky men not only have a height advantage, they are less likely to develop Alzheimer's, a study suggests. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
06/05/2008 - Fears over children on anti-pyschotic drugs (The Scotsman) THE number of children being treated with anti-psychotic drugs has risen sharply, according to a new study. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 06/05/2008 - Firm 'misled' over malaria drug (BBC) Cosmetics chain Neal's Yard stops selling a homeopathic drug after watchdogs said customers were being misled that it could treat malaria. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
06/05/2008 - GPs lose right to dispense drugs in shake-up of rural health services (The Independent) Up to three million NHS patients could lose the right to obtain prescription drugs from their GP under proposals to boost the development of rural pharmacies in Britain. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 06/05/2008 - NHS staff dub e-records 'clunky' (BBC) The initial experience of electronic patient records is of "clunky" and "immature" technology, a study finds. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 06/05/2008 - Painkiller may cut dementia risk (BBC) Long-term use of ibuprofen may reduce the risk of getting Alzheimer's disease, a large US study reports. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 06/05/2008 - 'Seven genetic types of ME' found (BBC) Geneticists identify a biological basis for seven different subtypes of chronic fatigue syndrome. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 06/05/2008 - Variation in child asthma care (BBC) There is an eight-fold difference in children admitted to some hospitals for asthma attacks, a charity warns. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
05/05/2008 - Doctors warn of 'cowboy clinics' if laser therapy is deregulated (The Independent) Doctors specialising in cosmetic treatments are warning of a growing problem of "cowboy clinics" using lasers without proper training or controls and endangering patients. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
05/05/2008 - Tan binges put young at risk (The Scotsman) YOUNG people are risking their lives by indulging in "binge tanning", Cancer Research UK warned today. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 04/05/2008 - Fat cell numbers 'set for life' (BBC) No amount of dieting will alter the number of fat-hoarding cells in our bodies, research has suggested. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 04/05/2008 - Health tourist checks 'not done' (BBC) Around a third of hospitals in England and Wales are ignoring government advice to charge foreign visitors for NHS treatment. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
04/05/2008 - Safety fears rise over unlicensed 'flab jab' (The Independent) It's been hailed as the new Botox, but a drug that promises to "melt fat" is not safe as a quick-fix beauty treatment. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
03/05/2008 - 'Extreme Atkins' diet can treat epilepsy in children (The Independent) Doctors have confirmed that a special high-fat diet can help children seriously afflicted with epilepsy. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 02/05/2008 - Delusions 'haunt' sick children (BBC) One in three children admitted to intensive care will have powerful hallucinations, say British researchers. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
02/05/2008 - Drug resistant TB on rise in UK (NHS Choices) 'Cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis are on the rise', the Daily Mail reported today. The Guardian also says that a study published in the British Medical Journal has found that cases of drug resistant... Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 02/05/2008 - Drug resistant TB 'rising in UK' (BBC) Drug resistant tuberculosis is posing a growing threat in the UK, say experts. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 02/05/2008 - 'No early menopause' through IVF (BBC) One of the first studies into the long-term health effects of IVF finds it does not lead to an early menopause. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
02/05/2008 - Number of children rushed to hospital high on drugs soars (The Scotsman) GROWING numbers of children are being admitted to hospitals in the Lothians after taking drugs. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
02/05/2008 - Pioneering cell surgery lined up for city diabetes sufferers (The Scotsman) A PIONEERING Edinburgh surgeon is planning to carry out life-saving operations on diabetics in the Capital. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
02/05/2008 - Research into peanut allergy treatments (NHS Choices) A 'behind the headlines' assessment of the recent news story that a cure for peanut allergy will be 'available by 2013'. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
02/05/2008 - Tanning firm backs move to ban under-18s (The Scotsman) A SPRAY-tanning firm has backed the Scottish Government's proposed law to stop under-18s using sunbeds in Scotland. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 01/05/2008 - Alzheimer's drugs appeal victory (BBC) The Appeal Court rules NHS advisors should have been more transparent over how it it made decisions over Alzheimer's drugs. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
01/05/2008 - Aspirin and breast cancer (NHS Choices) A 'behind the headlines' assessment of the recent news story that an aspirin a day helps reduce breast cancer risk. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
01/05/2008 - Asthma risk low in leafy suburbs (NHS Choices) A 'behind the headlines' assessment of the recent news story that children who live in streets lined with trees are less likely to suffer from asthma. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
01/05/2008 - Children in leafy suburbs 'less prone to asthma' (The Independent) Children who live in streets lined with trees are less likely to develop asthma, researchers have found. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 01/05/2008 - Heart disease warning for women (BBC) Fears are raised that obesity may be affecting the fall in heart disease death rates in women aged under 50. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
 01/05/2008 - Keyboards 'dirtier than a toilet' (BBC) Some computer keyboards harbour more harmful bacteria than a toilet seat, research suggests. Discuss this >> OR Read background >> |
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