Health

Greater control is needed over the "free-for-all" of expensive IVF add-ons, according to one Welsh MP. Alex Davies-Jones wants increased regulations due to "vulnerable people being preyed upon". The expensive…

A new pregnancy screening tool cuts the risk of baby loss among women from black, Asian and ethnic minority background to the same level as white women, research suggests. The app calculates a woman's individual risk of…

More people die in the UK from serious lung disease than anywhere else in Western Europe, new analysis suggests. New charity Asthma and Lung UK (ALUK) found that 500,000 people died from pneumonia, asthma and other…

The legal restrictions that ruled our lives for two long years are gone in England and on their way out across the UK. We've moved from being "under the thumb" of Covid to "living with" the virus. However, the pandemic is…

Not getting enough sleep can lead to a vicious circle of over-eating and further sleep deprivation, but it may be possible to create a virtuous circle - where healthy eating actually improves your sleep. Tania Whalen finds it…

"We don't know the long-term side effects of Covid vaccines." That's a claim that's still common to see shared online. But a year is actually considered "long term" when it comes to vaccine safety. This week marks…

Around 4.7 million Covid vaccine doses - 4% of the total - ended up as wastage in England by the end of October 2021, a government report reveals. AstraZeneca shots made up 1.9m. The National Audit Office (NAO),…

A hair salon in Sheffield has created a specialised room to help autistic children get their hair cut in a less challenging environment. Kathy Chisholm added toys and sensory equipment to the salon after she realised the difficulties…

Hundreds of people identified as contacts following a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in a Carmarthenshire village are yet to attend a screening, health officials have said. Public Health Wales (PHW) said 31 cases of active TB had…

A six-month extension has been applied to a temporary policy that allows women to take medical abortion pills at home. The measure was initially introduced when Covid hit, so that women would not have to visit a clinic and,…

New data from a scientific "accident" has suggested that life may actually flash before our eyes as we die. A team of scientists set out to measure the brainwaves of an 87-year-old patient who had developed epilepsy. But…

Scotland's NHS faces major staff recruitment and retention challenges as it emerges from the Covid pandemic, according to a spending watchdog. Audit Scotland said the health service remains on an emergency footing as patient…

People in Wales could receive Covid boosters and flu jabs at the same time this autumn, Welsh government has said. Health boards have been asked to look into co-administering the jabs, which the deputy chief medical officer…

Sickle cell patients have begun receiving the first new treatment for the blood disorder in over 20 years. The inherited condition can cause severe pain and organ failure, often requiring hospital admissions. Crizanlizumab…

All remaining legal Covid restrictions have been removed in England, nearly two years after the first rules were introduced. It means people are no longer legally required to self-isolate if they test positive for Covid -…

Next month, a report will be published into one of the biggest scandals in the history of the NHS, the failures of maternity care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. The BBC's Michael Buchanan who helped uncover the…

A taskforce has been set up to tackle disparities in maternity care experienced by women belonging to ethnic minorities and those living in deprived areas. Black women are 40% more likely to miscarry than white, studies…

Despite a backlog of routine operations, NHS hospitals are being advised to delay elective surgical procedures by at least seven weeks if a patient has just had Omicron. UK experts say it is a precaution since the first…

An extra blood test on suspected heart-attack patients could determine if they are at high risk of dying in the next three years, researchers say. The test, for the C-reactive protein (CRP), helps detect inflammation and is…

The government has announced the end of all legal Covid restrictions in England, and Scotland has taken similar steps. Here are some of your questions on the changes: Questions and answers Testing and…

Scotland's legal Covid-19 restrictions, including the wearing of face coverings, will end on 21 March. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said people would still be advised to wear masks in shops and on public transport.…

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has insisted the time is right to end all Covid restrictions and free mass testing in England. All rules including the legal duty to self-isolate will end this week - and free tests will stop for…

Passengers will no longer be required to wear masks on London's buses, trains and trams, mayor Sadiq Khan has said. It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the end of all legal Covid restrictions from Thursday.…

Nicola Sturgeon is to unveil the Scottish government's plans for managing the Covid-19 pandemic in a "much less restrictive" way in future. The first minister will present a new "strategic framework" to MSPs in a Holyrood…

The Queen has cancelled her virtual engagements for Tuesday as she is still experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms from Covid, royal officials have said. A statement from Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old monarch "will…

Almost all remaining Covid-19 restrictions in the Republic of Ireland are set to end from Monday. At a cabinet meeting the three government parties backed a plan to end measures including mandatory mask wearing in most…

A mother has spoken of the moment she saw her two-year-old daughter's heart rate reach 280 beats per minute before she was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition. Evelyn, from Mountsorrel in Leicestershire, has Brugada syndrome - a…

Boris Johnson has told MPs about his plans to scrap all remaining Covid legal restrictions in England. This will start with ending the need to self-isolate after a positive test from Thursday and will also see an end to routine contact…

England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty has urged people to continue to self-isolate if they test positive for the coronavirus in the coming weeks. From Thursday, people with a positive test will no longer need to self-isolate under…

An additional booster dose will be offered to all adults over-75 and the most vulnerable over-12s in the UK this spring. The UK's vaccines advisers said an extra dose would help top up their protection against severe…