Health

The number of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for treatment rose to more than half a million in November, according to the latest figures released by NHS England. There were, however, fewer patients waiting longer than four hours in A&E departments across England in December compared with the same period last year. But there…

Universal Credit was meant to simplify and streamline the existing benefits system but it has been running into trouble for several years. Some claimants have even been forced into destitution. Today the Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd decided to dramatically scale back the next stage of the roll out: from 3 million benefit claimants…

As many as 150,000 women, who served during the 1960s and ’70s, were forced to leave if they married or couldn’t cope with army life, according to the Women’s Royal Army Corps Association. Many now feel totally forgotten and are struggling with debts and mental health issues.  

When the first cases of HIV broke out in the early eighties it was deemed a death sentence. Today life expectancy can be the same as the general population, and those on effective treatment can’t pass on the virus through sex. But the stigma remains, and older people can be particularly vulnerable. The Terrence Higgins…

When people talk about a “liquid lunch” they don’t normally mean a sachet of powder mixed with water. But that’s what’s being prescribed by NHS England for thousands of patients who have Type 2 diabetes in the hope of reversing their condition. Nine out of ten people with diabetes in the UK have Type 2,…

Sajid Javid has promised £17 millon as part of an early intervention youth fund to help tackle knife crime problem.

British Airways cabin crew have told an inquest into the death of a teenager who suffered an allergic reaction after eating a Pret a Manger sandwich that landing the plane took priority over fetching a defibrillator. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who was 15, collapsed on a flight from London to Nice, and went into cardiac arrest. But the…

Almost 3,000 people died in what’s been called the worst scandal in the history of the NHS. It all happened in the 1970s and 80s, when patients were given blood contaminated with HIV or Hepatitis C. Despite allegations of a cover-up, it’s taken until now for a public inquiry to begin. The opening day heard…

20-month-old Kayden Urmston-Bancroft suffered cardiac arrest three days after being admitted to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital for an operation in 2016. The coroner found he died of natural causes, contributed to by neglect.

There’s talk now of a ban in England on selling energy drinks to under 18s, with the government starting a consultation.

Two disabled women were told to turn up for an appointment to assess their benefits. But when they arrived, they say they could not access the building as there were no wheelchair ramps.

Black people in the UK are more likely to develop dementia than other ethnic groups but they’re much less likely to be diagnosed

A new trial is underway to test whether stem cell transplants could put an end to Crohn’s disease. 115,000 people in this country alone have the chronic condition – an inflammation of the gut which can be painful, exhausting and require major surgery. Anja Popp went to find out more and meet one person who…

Hundreds of people could be saved every year, according to ministers, by a new law on organ donation. It’ll make everyone in England a donor unless they explicitly opt out. The government is bringing in the new system after a consultation showed the vast majority of people approve of organ donation – but only a…

Relatives of people in a permanent vegetative state will no longer have to seek legal permission to end their care, the Supreme Court has ruled. When families and doctors agree it’s in the best interests of the patient, medical staff will be able to remove feeding tubes without applying to the Court of Protection. The…