BBC News - Health

BBC News - Health

Why DR Congo is confident it will halt Ebola

Fri, 25 May 2018 13:59:52 GMT

Despite its vast size and dilapidated health system, DR Congo says it can contain the deadly Ebola virus.

High levels of screen time linked to cancer and heart disease

Wed, 23 May 2018 23:51:23 GMT

Researchers in Glasgow analysed the amount of time 390,000 people spent looking at TV and computer screens.

Is UK biggest exporter of legal cannabis?

Wed, 23 May 2018 01:42:32 GMT

The families of two children are seeking medical cannabis to help stop their seizures.

London Ambulance Service taken out of special measures

Wed, 23 May 2018 00:21:36 GMT

A watchdog says "innovative changes" helped boost London Ambulance Service's performance.

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo: Patients 'taken to church'

Wed, 23 May 2018 15:53:23 GMT

Two of the three patients who were taken from the treatment centre for prayers have died.

Are we using too much Calpol?

Tue, 22 May 2018 23:22:51 GMT

Thousands of litres are sold in the UK every year but do we use it at the right times?

Missing microbes 'cause' childhood cancer

Mon, 21 May 2018 18:50:53 GMT

Early exposure to microbes may help protect children against a type of leukaemia, says a UK scientist.

Exercising regularly 'can keep heart and arteries young'

Mon, 21 May 2018 03:53:23 GMT

Four to five sessions a week are needed to stop the main arteries to the heart from furring up.

Mum helps stop daughter being bullied for birthmark

Wed, 23 May 2018 12:44:23 GMT

Sophie Parker shares her story of being bullied for having a birthmark on her face.

BBC presenter Rachael Bland reveals 'incurable' cancer

Mon, 21 May 2018 15:00:40 GMT

Cancer blogger Rachael Bland says she is now a 'lab rat', as her hopes rest on clinical trials.

£13.4m claw back over NHS Wales waiting time failures

Tue, 22 May 2018 18:45:25 GMT

Three health boards fail to qualify for a share of £50m extra cash for improving waiting times.

Bank holiday warning over gardening and DIY accidents

Thu, 24 May 2018 00:24:03 GMT

Surgeons say this time of year can bring a spike in accidents with gardening and DIY equipment.

GPs call for more help to tackle 'epidemic of loneliness'

Wed, 23 May 2018 05:09:02 GMT

Doctors in Northern Ireland say loneliness has become a "public health epidemic".

Dementia-friendly lunches served at Norwich restaurant

Tue, 22 May 2018 09:20:45 GMT

A restaurant aims to give diners with dementia and their carers the "best possible time".

Iran mushroom poisoning: More than 800 sick from deadly fungi

Mon, 21 May 2018 13:21:08 GMT

At least 11 die and 800 fall ill after eating the deadly fungi in the west of the country.

What do people want to happen at life's end?

Thu, 17 May 2018 22:40:16 GMT

A hospice charity wants people to talk more about dying and bereavement.

Why NHS costs just keep going up

Fri, 25 May 2018 05:19:22 GMT

Economists warn the NHS will need an extra 4% a year - £2,000 per UK household - for the next 15 years.

Artificial intelligence can be weapon in cancer fight, PM to say

Sun, 20 May 2018 21:36:53 GMT

Smart technologies can sift through data to help the NHS spot diseases quicker, the PM is to say.

Are we eating at the wrong time for our body clocks?

Sat, 19 May 2018 23:25:54 GMT

Is when we eat clashing with our circadian rhythms and could changing our mealtime habits boost our health?

Why Ebola keeps coming back

Sun, 13 May 2018 23:42:11 GMT

It is unrealistic to think Ebola will ever be eradicated, but it is now easier to prevent a crisis.

Drug addicts in Scotland 'waiting up to six months' for treatment

Mon, 21 May 2018 23:01:22 GMT

Experts say more people with drug and alcohol problems should be fast-tracked for treatment.

Ebola outbreak: Experimental vaccinations begin in DR Congo

Mon, 21 May 2018 14:05:02 GMT

Some 4,000 vaccines are being used to try to stop an outbreak that has killed at least 26 people.

Lini Puthussery: India's 'hero' nurse who died battling Nipah virus

Tue, 22 May 2018 11:58:18 GMT

Lini Puthussery is among 10 people who died in the viral outbreak in India's southern Kerala state.

Toddlers to help dementia patients in Conwy restore memories

Wed, 23 May 2018 00:38:36 GMT

Toddlers spend time with dementia patients in Colwyn Bay to test the potential for restoring memory.

Tax rises needed 'to prevent NHS misery'

Thu, 24 May 2018 11:27:25 GMT

Influential economists argue an extra £2,000 per UK household is needed over the next 15 years.

Doctors explain Michael Jackson's impossible dance move

Tue, 22 May 2018 03:52:59 GMT

Spine experts reveal the improbable dynamics of the "Smooth Criminal" lean.

Mental Health Awareness Week: 'My camera helped me beat anxiety'

Sat, 19 May 2018 23:07:21 GMT

A photographer's portraits of strangers helped him to overcome his mental health problems.

'I took 57 painkillers a day to get high'

Thu, 24 May 2018 23:31:41 GMT

Cheap and easy to obtain, the painkiller Tramadol has millions of Egyptians hooked on getting high.

BBC presenter on finding out her cancer is incurable

Fri, 25 May 2018 13:01:00 GMT

5 live's Rachael Bland says she got the call from her doctor when she was on a day out with her son.

Small NHS funding rise would be 'disastrous'

Thu, 24 May 2018 10:08:58 GMT

Health committee chair Sarah Wollaston says rise of 3% will 'not be high enough'

'Not just for naughty boys': The rise in adult ADHD pills

Tue, 08 May 2018 02:46:56 GMT

More than 1.6 million prescriptions for ADHD medication were dispensed last year - double 10 years ago.

NHS: How much does it spend on the private sector?

Tue, 08 May 2018 15:41:29 GMT

NHS spending on the private sector was just over £9bn last year.

Cancer patient feels 'privileged to be alive' after NHS trial treatment

Thu, 24 May 2018 23:40:19 GMT

Taking part in clinical trials can bring enormous benefits, but few people are signing up

An egg a day to keep the doctor away?

Tue, 22 May 2018 00:28:43 GMT

A study in China suggests a daily egg may reduce the risk of a stroke

Blitz on sweet treats sees slow start

Tue, 22 May 2018 14:32:16 GMT

The sugar hit in puddings, biscuits and chocolate remains high despite a crackdown.

Campaigners in court over NHS policy

Wed, 23 May 2018 06:39:01 GMT

The group - backed by Prof Stephen Hawking before his death - is challenging creation of new health management bodies.

Collapsed carrot? Pathetic potato? Tips to keep food fresh beyond 'best before' date

Thu, 24 May 2018 05:24:29 GMT

Five tricks to help perishables last longer than their recommended 'best before' date.

Pepe's story: How I survived Spanish flu

Sun, 20 May 2018 23:14:56 GMT

José Ameal is believed to be the oldest Spanish survivor of the pandemic which followed World War I.

Water resistant sunscreen claims ‘meaningless’, says Which?

Thu, 24 May 2018 00:03:17 GMT

The creams work much less well after they have been worn in the sea, warns consumer group Which?.

Are sweeteners healthier than sugar?

Tue, 22 May 2018 23:46:48 GMT

Artificial sweeteners offer a sweet taste without the calories, but are they healthy?

Singapore's measures to reduce short-sightedness

Thu, 17 May 2018 17:42:11 GMT

As global rates of short-sightedness - or myopia - increase around the world, Singapore is hoping to buck the trend with three simple but innovative solutions.

Mum wants postnatal depression awareness after dad's suicide

Thu, 17 May 2018 16:17:24 GMT

Vicky Clayton cannot give her son the thing he wants most in the world - his dad.

The little girl who can't enjoy the summer

Fri, 18 May 2018 11:58:54 GMT

Seven-year-old Harper Mitchell Hyslop has rare lung condition which makes it difficult to be in any heat.

Hundreds of ambulance staff work days lost due to abuse

Tue, 22 May 2018 09:31:26 GMT

There have been 2,278 reported incidents of abuse on ambulance staff since 2012/2013, figures show.

Smoking ban plan for Welsh playgrounds

Fri, 25 May 2018 09:11:55 GMT

A strengthening of laws to ban smoking in public places in Wales is being put forward.

Patients lose hip replacement court case

Mon, 21 May 2018 10:51:16 GMT

Judge finds disputed metal-on-metal hip replacement "not defective" in group action at High Court.

Check the key targets in your area

Thu, 10 May 2018 16:46:18 GMT

Use our tracker to check whether your local services are meeting strict waiting-time targets for cancer, routine operations and A&E.

Malaria genetics: study shows how disease became deadly

Tue, 22 May 2018 00:20:37 GMT

A genetic study reveals the secrets of how malaria evolved to be a killer of humans.

Period power brings free sanitary towels to school

Mon, 21 May 2018 08:16:53 GMT

A group of teenagers at a school where free sanitary products are available tackle the stigma around periods.

Breast screen error 'could have been spotted earlier'

Fri, 25 May 2018 08:02:41 GMT

A leading cancer expert says the problems date back to 2005, but no one was properly checking the data.

‘My hip replacement left me in constant pain'

Mon, 21 May 2018 11:28:44 GMT

More than 300 people have taken the manufacturers of allegedly faulty hip replacements to the High Court.

Comfort box gives Norfolk cancer patients a 'little lift'

Sat, 19 May 2018 23:26:49 GMT

The kindness in a box that is making a huge difference to women undergoing chemotherapy.