Health

“We are sorry we could not save you,” said Charlie Gard’s parents today, as they ended their legal battle over treatment for their terminally-ill baby son. Chris Gard and Connie Yates said letting their son go was the hardest thing they’d ever had to do, but they hoped his life would not be in vain.

An inquiry is to be held into the contaminated blood scandal that left at least 2,400 people dead. Theresa May said it would establish the causes of what she said was an “appalling injustice” that led to thousands of NHS patients given blood products infected with HIV and hepatitis C in the 70s and 80s.

Labour MP Diana Johnson, who has long campaigned for an inquiry into the blood contamination scandal, and Andy Evans, who was infected with HIV after being given contaminated blood when he was just five, discuss Theresa May’s announcement of an inquiry. He says full compensation would make survivors’ lives easier.

Dr Clare Gerada, former head of the Royal College of GPs, says the Charlie Gard case has been turned into a media circus. Pro-life campaigner Catherine Glenn Foster says Charlie’s parents just want the best for him and are “giving hope to the world”.

The parents of the terminally ill baby Charlie Gard are being given until Thursday to set out new evidence which they believe will make a High Court judge look again at their case. The couple want to take the child to the United States for experimental treatment, interrupting today’s court hearing and telling the judge:…

In a separate development on Northern Ireland’s strict abortion rules – an appeal court has ruled that it should be left to the Stormont Assembly to decide – not judges.

The healthcare costs for retired British pensioners who return to the UK after Brexit could double to £1bn if the reciprocal EU scheme ends.

A breast cancer surgeon who lied to patients and carried out unnecessary operations has been jailed for 15 years.

With soaring costs and huge pressure on dwindling funds, it’s become clear that something needs to be done about social care. The other parties are promising billions of pounds in new spending. But after the Conservatives’ great idea backfired within a few days, where does this leave their plans for a social care shake-up?

It was a few short lines in the Tory manifesto: an end to universal free school lunches for the first three years of primary school. But to TV chef Jamie Oliver those lunches represent a decade of campaigning for healthier kids.

The Conservative manifesto’s planned reforms for social care funding would see thousands more having to contribute to the cost of their care – but they will not have to pay during their lifetime.

This programme has discovered that the lack of suitable mental health services in the community means that in the space of the last five years there’s been more than a 100 per cent increase in the number of mentally ill children going to A&E to get help.

Joining us now from Norwich is Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb – former Health Minister under the Coalition government.  In Liverpool is Labour’s Luciana Berger – President of the party’s campaign for mental health.  And from Shoreham, Sussex, Conservative Tim Loughton, Children and Families Minister from 2010 to 2012.

Scientists who’ve been testing samples of the synthetic drug spice, following an epidemic of use in Manchester, say those taking it are playing “Russian roulette”.

Demand for hospital beds are at an all-time high – the same goes for waits in A&E. Depressing figures, after a tough winter: waiting times over the target the highest since records began, a record rise in days lost because patients can’t be discharged.