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National News
Nurses should be allowed to give abortion pills to women in early pregnancy without the consent of doctors, Britain's largest abortion provider said yesterday. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) says a poll published today reveals that nearly two-thirds of the public believe women should not have to continue with pregnancies if they want an abortion.
NHS hospitals would be allowed to recruit celebrities to advertise their services under a code of practice proposed yesterday by the Department of Health. Ministers think it would be acceptable for trusts in England to use pop stars or footballers to promote the merits of a hospital as it competes for NHS patients.
He who prays fervently courts danger - neurological danger. This stark fact has only recently been reported to the public, in a study published by five neurologists at Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel in Germany. But fear not - the risk for any particular individual is low. In the recorded history of the world, the physicians try to assure us, this is probably the very first case.
A single dose of a new male contraceptive pill promises 'instant' protection from pregnancy - and no lasting effects. Is this the future of contraception, asks James Randerson
It's long been accepted as the most accurate indication of good health, but now the efficiency of the body mass index is being questioned. Peta Bee reports
When Victoria Summerley suddenly lost her sight, she was terrified. But she found her condition was far from rare
Was I born with this heart condition or has it developed? Why did I collapse while working out at the gym?
What's the best way to treat headaches, veruccas, acne or heartburn? Now you can find out, from a website that gives you access to the latest research. Jeremy Laurance reports
A mother of two who has spent two years in a coma has started chuckling at her children’s jokes. It was the first sound Andrea Brushneen, 31, had made since suffering severe head injuries in a car crash.
THE gender agenda raises its head in the public sector more frequently than it should — and it is usually women who come off worse.
MIDDLE England is revolting. On the mean streets of Haywards Heath, Banbury and Ludlow, respectable people are venting their spleens. And the cause of their anger? The NHS, or rather cuts to the NHS.
AH, human rights law, what trouble you can cause. This week the damage is a fracture in the adult care sector after a High Court ruling that placing temporary work bans on people accused of elder abuse without a hearing was incompatible with the Human Rights Act.
Work at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London could mean the end to heart transplant rejection, says Roger Highfield
A month on, desperate letters about fathers who have been denied access to their children continue to pour in to Lesley Garner
Professor Roger Corder charts the history of the cocoa bean and the benefits gained from it
He's uncorked the beneficial effects of wine. Now, Professor Roger Corder reveals how delicious seasonal fare – chocolate, cranberries, nuts and spices – can lead to a longer life
Few know it, but one in three mothers-to-be carries a bug which could leave their baby brain damaged - or even kill them. A £10 test, offered widely abroad, could prevent such misery. Tragically, Katie Taylor found out too late
A hospital superbug killed Cheryl Baker's mother-in-law. Now she's fighting to clean up the filthy wards
Mike Sherratt was facing the dismal prospect of losing an eye. A mole by the inside corner had turned cancerous and was going to have to be cut out.
A clot-grabber that removes blockages after strokes can restore blood flow in up to seven out of ten patients. And unlike drugs, the device can be used several hours after a stroke to remove the clot and reduce its damaging effects.
It's the body that decides which drugs are allowed on the NHS. But in this blistering attack, a leading GP argues the organisation set up to improve care is obsessed by costs, discriminates against the elderly - and ultimately is killing patients:
A woman with a damaged knee has become the first Briton to have a revolutionary 'grow your own' cartilage transplant that offers hope for thousands for injured sports enthusiasts.
Most parents do not know whether their son or daughter is sexually active and are happy to leave the whole question of sex education to teachers, a poll has revealed.
Teenagers who smoke are priming their brains for future addictions to alcohol and other drugs, alarming new research shows.
An NHS clinic in Glasgow has been named as the best in the UK at treating obesity and weight problems by the National Obesity Forum.
Sitting up straight is not the best position for office workers, a study has suggested.
A training system has been developed for doctors who grew up playing computer games like PlayStation.
National blood centres in 14 locations across England could be affected by a strike involving hundreds of staff over Christmas, a union has warned.
Three people have been sent to a specialist clinic for radiological tests following the death of Russian former spy Alexander Litvinenko.
International News
Adolescents with a history of getting arrested are significantly more likely to become infected with HIV, says a study in Drug And Alcohol Dependence (Nov). Brown University researchers who examined the records of young people aged 15 to 21 found that the correlation was strong, no matter how trivial the reason for their arrest. They say that youths’ arrests should be used as an opportunity to educate them about HIV risks.
There are no half measures for heavy smokers wanting to minimise the risk that their habit will lead to their early death, research suggests.
Cheshire and Merseyside News
THE future of Liverpool’s blood centre is hanging in the balance, trade union officials warned last night.
MERSEYSIDE’S largest hospital trust has called in an MRSA hit squad after regional health bosses branded it one of the worst in the North West for the spread of the bug.
THE AGED population in Cheshire is set to increase by more than a third by 2021.
Cumbria and Lancashire News
CHANGES to Cumbria’s mental health services will be the focus of a public meeting in Barrow next week.
CUMBRIA’S new rescue helicopter was dedicated yesterday in memory of an air ambulance doctor killed on a mountain climb this year.
SIX children a week go to casualty at East Lancashire hospitals after being attacked by bullies, it has been revealed.
AIR Ambulance chiefs are warning businesses not to be duped by the false claims of a publishing company.
Greater Manchester News
AN MP is demanding that security is stepped up at a hospital from which a rapist is on the run.
Pilgrims going on the annual Hajj are being reminded that to ensure their their meningitis vaccine is up-to-date.
CHILDREN and pregnant women are to be given free fresh fruit and vegetables from today.
