13/04/2012HPA urges parents to vaccinate children against whooping coughA rise in whooping cough cases has prompted a warning from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to parents to ensure their vaccinations are up to date. Surges in the number of whooping cough cases are seen...
13/04/2012Government considers plain cigarette packaging as lung cancer cases rise in womenThe government is considering plans to strip all branding from cigarette packs sold in England, as recent figures show that lung cancer cases continue to rise in UK women. According to figures from Cancer...
12/04/2012Hospitals discharging patients at night to free up bedsThe medical director of the NHS has promised an investigation into hundreds of thousands of patients being sent home from hospital in the middle of the night to free up beds. The Times newspaper submitted...
12/04/2012A fifth of adolescents experience auditory hallucinationsA psychiatric study has shown that a fifth of children aged 11 to 13 hear voices in their head. Researchers in Ireland have found that hearing voices, known as auditory hallucinations, can affect...
12/04/2012Disrupted sleep patterns can increase risk of diabetes and obesityA new study has reinforced the idea that disrupted sleep patterns can increase the risk of diabetes and obesity. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the U.S hosted 21 healthy participants in a...
11/04/2012Specialised ambulances can improve diagnosis and treatment for stroke patientsA small trial in Germany has shown that using specialised ambulances could improve the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients. When a suspected stroke victim arrives at hospital, they are given a...
11/04/2012Physiotherapists in Nottingham no longer allowed to touch patientsPatients referred to physiotherapists for NHS treatment in Nottingham will no longer receive hands-on treatment, but will be directed to websites where they learn exercises for themselves. The Principia...
10/04/2012Pilot programme to scan all UK babies for rare inherited diseasesThe UK baby screening programme is to be extended to include another five rare inherited conditions, as part of a government pilot scheme. Currently every baby born in the UK is tested for five illnesses,...
10/04/2012Simple eye test could diagnose heart diseaseA simple eye test could identify heart disease within seconds, saving thousands of patients from invasive and lengthy diagnostic procedures. Experts at the University of Edinburgh are recruiting more than...
10/04/2012Obese mothers more likely to have children with autismObese mothers are more likely to have children with autism or other developmental problems, according to a new study. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with...