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BBC Health News


Cheap dysentery drug 'promising'

Sun, 20 May 2012 18:26:49 GMT

A cheap drug, which is already prescribed for arthritis, could fight amoebic dysentery, according to researchers in the US.

'Debt deterring would-be doctors'

Sat, 19 May 2012 12:12:52 GMT

The prospect of high student debt and increased pension contributions could discourage young people from entering medicine, a senior doctor warns.

Dieting 'safe for pregnant women'

Fri, 18 May 2012 01:36:38 GMT

Dieting in pregnancy is safe and does not carry risks for the baby, a review of research has suggested.

NHS hospital food 'will improve'

Sun, 20 May 2012 10:51:28 GMT

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley insists the quality of hospital food in England will improve, after criticism of the nutritional value of meals currently offered.

Kids' cardiac service criticised

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:25:37 GMT

An independent panel says cardiac services at Glasgow's Sick Children's Hospital "may be unsafe if critical staffing problems are not addressed".

Father wants 'donation' lessons

Fri, 18 May 2012 01:37:16 GMT

A father who lost his son to leukaemia is calling for schools and colleges to make a lesson on donating stem cells, blood and organs part of the curriculum.

Parent classes 'not nanny state'

Fri, 18 May 2012 10:44:07 GMT

Prime Minister David Cameron defends free parenting classes in England, denying they are the policy of a "nanny state".

Statins 'benefit healthy people'

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:34:17 GMT

Thousands of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented if the cholesterol-lowering drugs, statins, were more widely prescribed, research suggests.

UK retains strict animal test law

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:23:22 GMT

The UK says it will retain stricter animal testing standards than required by a new European Union Directive.

Dementia patient 'had 106 carers'

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:19:10 GMT

A woman claims her husband, who had dementia, was given 106 different carers in a single year.

Oldest living kidney donor at 83

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:34:32 GMT

An 83-year-old man becomes the oldest person in the UK to donate a kidney while still alive, the NHS Blood and Transplant service says.

Robotic arm controlled by thought

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:05:51 GMT

Two patients who are paralysed from the neck down are able to control a robotic arm using their thoughts.

Old films to aid memory recovery

Thu, 17 May 2012 01:35:59 GMT

Old home movies are being used to help trigger the forgotten past of people with dementia and other memory loss.

Baby's quick birth in bathroom

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:34:03 GMT

A young couple deliver their baby at home in Wakefield after a labour lasting just eight minutes.

Why we should talk more about death

Fri, 18 May 2012 02:43:27 GMT

Why doctors should talk more about death

VIDEO: Jamie: 'I've given up on politics'

Sat, 19 May 2012 15:39:41 GMT

TV chef Jamie Oliver says he has given up on trying to change governments' attitudes to healthy eating, as he visits New York in a bid to tackle obesity there.

VIDEO: UK's oldest living kidney donor

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:30:16 GMT

Nicholas Crace, the 83-year-old who has become the oldest person in the UK to donate a kidney while still being alive, told BBC Breakfast why he decided to donate so late in life.

VIDEO: 'I felt trapped' in female body

Fri, 18 May 2012 06:34:49 GMT

Music producer Thomas Dolby describes how one of his latest songs, Simone, was inspired by his son, Harper, who was born a girl but changed genders.

VIDEO: Statins 'could benefit healthy people'

Thu, 17 May 2012 18:04:46 GMT

Thousands of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented if the cholesterol-lowering drugs, statins, were more widely prescribed, research suggests.

VIDEO: Thoughts used to control robotic arm

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:59:10 GMT

Two patients in the United States who are paralysed from the neck down have been able to control a robotic arm using their thoughts.

AUDIO: Should workers be tested for drugs?

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:19:33 GMT

BBC Radio 5 live's Victoria Derbyshire got reaction to the Metropolitan Police chief's suggestion that all workers should be screened.

VIDEO: Ban chips on school menus, says Reid

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:51:58 GMT

Big businesses should sponsor compulsory school meals, and packed lunches should be banned, says the former cage fighter and Celebrity Big Brother winner Alex Reid.

AUDIO: Should junk food be taxed?

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:50:30 GMT

BBC Radio 5 live's Tony Livesey discussed whether junk food should be taxed to help tackle obesity

Concussion risk for rugby players

Sat, 19 May 2012 01:04:21 GMT

Do repeated concussions lead to brain damage?

How village life can help the elderly

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:31:48 GMT

How retirement complexes could help tackle social care crisis

'Champions' raise diabetes awareness

Fri, 18 May 2012 16:28:45 GMT

How ethinic minorities are being informed about diabetes

Making dramatic impact on health

Thu, 17 May 2012 16:43:59 GMT

How dancers are making a dramatic impact on dementia

Patients 'skip' cholesterol drugs

Thu, 17 May 2012 06:14:50 GMT

Why some people ignore blood pressure problems

Epilepsy children in surgery plan

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:51:44 GMT

Helping children who do not respond to drugs

Boy battled cancer twice in year

Sun, 13 May 2012 00:39:25 GMT

The genetic disorder that caused cancer twice