Image copyright PA A “truly tobacco-free NHS” needs to be created to help smoker patients quit their habit, health officials say. Only one in 10 hospitals enforces a smoking ban outside health service buildings, and Public Health England (PHE) wants all hospitals to offer help to quit as part of patients’ treatment. More than a […]
Image caption Wyatt flew to Mexico after being turned down for a trial on the NHS BBC journalist Caroline Wyatt has spoken of how the “brain fog began to lift” after she had pioneering treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). The former BBC defence correspondent was deemed unsuitable for an NHS trial and paid $60,000 (£48,000) […]
Maps have revealed “hotspots” of schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses in England, based on the amount of medication prescribed by GPs. The analysis by the University of East London showed North Kesteven, in Lincolnshire, had the highest rates. The lowest rate of schizophrenia prescriptions was in East Dorset. However, explaining the pattern across England is […]
Image copyright SPL The pancreas can be triggered to regenerate itself through a type of fasting diet, say US researchers. Restoring the function of the organ – which helps control blood sugar levels – reversed symptoms of diabetes in animal experiments. The study, published in the journal Cell, says the diet reboots the body. Experts […]
Image copyright Thinkstock Heterosexual women have fewer orgasms than men or lesbian or bisexual women, a study suggests. The findings came from a study of 52,600 people in the US, exploring the “orgasm gap” between the genders and different sexual orientations. The report in Archives of Sexual Behaviour revealed a “variety of behaviours couples can […]
Image copyright SPL Image caption Around 2,500 in A&E could be treated elsewhere, health bosses say A £41m plan to give everyone in Greater Manchester seven-day GP access has been approved. The GM Health and Social Care Partnership Board said the move would make 24/7 urgent primary care provision easier for patients to access. The […]
Image copyright Thinkstock Deep brain stimulation – implanting electrodes deep in the brain – could be a new way to treat severe anorexia nervosa, a Canadian study suggests. Scientists studied 16 people with severe anorexia and found the treatment helped reduce depression and anxiety and in some cases prompted weight gain. Researchers say further, larger […]
Image copyright iStock Eating loads of fruit and vegetables – 10 portions a day – may give us longer lives, say researchers. The study, by Imperial College London, calculated such eating habits could prevent 7.8 million premature deaths each year. The team also identified specific fruit and veg that reduced the risk of cancer and […]
Image copyright Thinkstock The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) has warned that Northern Ireland patients are waiting too long for surgery. The latest hospital waiting list figures show 55.3% of patients were waiting longer than 13 weeks to be admitted for inpatient or day case treatment. Meanwhile, 12% of patients waited more than 52 weeks. […]
South Korean women will be the first in the world to have an average life expectancy above 90, a study suggests. Imperial College London and the World Health Organization analysed lifespans in 35 industrialised countries. It predicted all would see people living longer in 2030 and the gap between men and women would start to […]
