BBC News

BBC News - Health

Patients harmed as Covid pandemic brought NHS close to collapse, inquiry finds

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:38:03 GMT

Third report into the pandemic says patients and staff were failed as health service only just coped.

What is the UK Covid inquiry and how does it work?

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:53:39 GMT

The third report from the inquiry into the government's handling of the pandemic says the NHS was close to collapse.

AI toys for children misread emotions and respond inappropriately, researchers warn

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:10:53 GMT

In first study of its kind, Cambridge researchers found AI toys could misread some children's emotions.

Why are fewer people donating their organs?

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 06:21:27 GMT

The number waiting for an organ is at a record high as loved ones increasingly block donations.

Relying on drugs to stop obesity would be 'societal failure', says Chris Whitty

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:00:32 GMT

England's top doctor says the drugs should be for a minority and more effort is needed to prevent obesity in the first place.

How to check whether you have bowel cancer

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:49:43 GMT

What are the main symptoms and causes of bowel cancer, and how can you reduce your risk of getting it?

Meningitis B: Your questions answered

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 19:15:09 GMT

BBC Health reporter Smitha Mundasad answers your questions on meningitis B

Patients harmed as Covid pandemic brought NHS close to collapse, inquiry finds

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:38:03 GMT

Third report into the pandemic says patients and staff were failed as health service only just coped.

NHS tracker - are hospital waiting times improving near you?

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:02:58 GMT

Use our interactive tracker to see if treatment waits are getting better at your local hospital.

Proton beam hope for asbestos cancer patients

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 17:04:41 GMT

Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer linked to asbestos, but a trial hopes to prolong patient lives.

Five questions that still need answering about the meningitis outbreak

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 09:50:45 GMT

The size and speed of the outbreak which has now affected 34 people, killing two of them, has been labelled "unprecedented".

Woman found out she had terminal brain cancer after suitcase fell on her head

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 16:53:09 GMT

Lauren Macpherson was travelling home from a festival in London when her life changed forever.

Hospital waiting lists in Wales see record drop

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:14:15 GMT

Wait times for planned care are falling but diagnostic and cancers waits are up, latest figures indicate.

Doctors' union agrees to resume talks with Streeting

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 21:03:16 GMT

But the health secretary says he will not negotiate on pay, adding that the union has lost goodwill with their five-day walkout.

Union and government to restart talks on ending doctor dispute

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 11:03:52 GMT

BMA says there is window of opportunity in coming weeks to reach a settlement after 12 strikes.

Sunbed ads spreading harmful misinformation to young people

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:05:19 GMT

Hundreds of TikTok, Instagram and Facebook ads made misleading claims about health benefits, BBC finds.

Fears of two-tier health system as more turn to private care, says watchdog

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:35:08 GMT

The patient watchdog warns of two-tier service as polling shows numbers paying for care is on the rise.

'I'm still haunted that he died alone': The last voices of the Covid inquiry

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 04:52:33 GMT

Bereaved families have the final say as the Covid inquiry completes three years of public hearings.

Inside Health

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The new wave of ME research that could bring clarity to this perplexing condition.

I spent five months in a mother and baby mental health unit - here's what I want mums to know

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 07:09:49 GMT

Sofii Lewis was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis tendencies and OCD after giving birth.

The doctor strike has ended - what comes next?

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 06:02:02 GMT

With doctors returning to work after five-day walkout, is there an opportunity for talks to re-start?

Thousands get meningitis vaccine as experts wait to see outbreak peak

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 17:40:02 GMT

The outbreak, which has killed two people, is thought to have originated at a Canterbury nightclub.

Dentists return £900m for not seeing NHS patients

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:12:08 GMT

Sum represents £1 out of every £7 they have been given by NHS as dentists opt to chase private work.

Stay at home advice questioned and rules too tough - key findings from Covid report

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:00:23 GMT

An NHS close to collapse, patients failed and NHS staff put at risk - what you need to know.

What is chickenpox and who can get an NHS vaccine?

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:31:12 GMT

The standard NHS childhood vaccination programme will include chickenpox from 2 January 2026.

'My son can now enjoy life': Children with severe form of epilepsy helped by new drug

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 22:06:19 GMT

Families say the groundbreaking medicine is transforming the lives of children with Dravet syndrome.

Woman with rare blood feels 'honoured' to donate

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:22:13 GMT

A woman whose blood is so rare that it is frozen for up to three decades feels "very special".

Covid inquiry chair defends £200m cost and four-year process on final day

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:04:55 GMT

Baroness Heather Hallett said completing the hearings in under four years was an achievement but critics have questioned its cost.

Mother given wrong antibiotics died from sepsis

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:11:12 GMT

Bank cashier Aleisha Rochester died two weeks after undergoing a routine procedure to remove an abscess.

Alternative to HRT for menopausal hot flushes now on NHS

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:54:56 GMT

The non-hormonal daily pill could benefit 500,000 women for whom HRT is not suitable.

NHS England pauses new prescriptions of cross-sex hormones for under-18s

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:39:36 GMT

The health service said young people who already receive the drugs will continue to do so.

Hundreds of GPs tell BBC they have never refused a fit note for mental health concerns

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:21:42 GMT

The number of fit notes issued has been rising, with more than 11.2m approved in England last year.

Women with endometriosis face 'systemic misogyny'

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 06:17:12 GMT

Women share their experiences of living with endometriosis so the condition can be better understood.

Why has this meningitis outbreak spread so fast?

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:34:33 GMT

There have been 20 cases since the weekend in one small area of Kent - but this isn't the normal pattern, so what could have happened?

Maternity inquiry chair named in government U-turn

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:51:37 GMT

Donna Ockenden is appointed to lead the maternity services inquiry at Leeds hospitals.

Inside Health

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

James visits Hackney, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country.

'My daughter died in her sleep, with no warning'

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:35:42 GMT

Jo-Ann Burns says her daughter Nicola wasn't told about Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.

Police probe breast cancer treatment allegations

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:22:14 GMT

The inquiry is being held over concerns of poor care at the County Durham and Darlington trust.

Prostate cancer screening: What you need to know

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:47:11 GMT

Everything you need to know about the decision on who should be screened for prostate cancer.

Stay at home advice questioned and rules too tough - key findings from Covid report

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:00:23 GMT

An NHS close to collapse, patients failed and NHS staff put at risk - what you need to know.

Could weight-loss jabs be behind rising gallbladder removals?

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:03:39 GMT

Last year, there was a 15% annual increase in the operations and surgeons want more research.

Why is MenB vaccine not given to teenagers in UK and should they be offered it?

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:06:50 GMT

Students and older teens are not routinely vaccinated against the meningitis strain behind the Kent outbreak.

Endometriosis study aims for safer diagnosis

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:18:24 GMT

Researchers in Worcestershire are using electrodes as a non-invasive diagnosis tool.

Couple to re-start trek around Britain's coastline

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:26:52 GMT

After having to halt their first attempt due to an injury, the couple are ready to set off again.

Woman with 'agonising' condition to 'give back'

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 06:14:01 GMT

The Worcester woman says she wants endometriosis patients to be "met with a little extra comfort".

'I feel so grateful to be alive,' Kent University meningitis survivor says

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:31:06 GMT

Annabelle Mackay, 21, has spoken to the BBC about her experience surviving meningitis.

Charity hopes new HQ can bring people together

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:12:24 GMT

Health Connections is to renovate six floors of its new base as spaces for people to come together.

Better NHS care might have saved 58 babies, BBC finds

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:47:55 GMT

There are growing calls for a statutory public inquiry into maternity services in Oxford.

Sleep, exercise, hydrate - do we really need to stick to recommended daily doses?

Sat, 26 Jul 2025 00:08:06 GMT

As a study casts doubt on the daily steps maxim, we take a look at some other health benchmarks we’re often told to strive for.

The teenage caffeine pouch trend troubling US experts

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:06:06 GMT

Some social media influencers are pushing products to young gym-goers and students, health experts warn.

Sculpting jaws, giving scores: Inside the world of looksmaxxing

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:01:21 GMT

Growing numbers of young men are going to great lengths to achieve what they see as the perfect face.

Mental health chat encouraged at coffee mornings

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:48:39 GMT

Three coffee mornings are being held in Wolverhampton as part of a national mental health event.

Lab-grown food pipe offers new hope for young patients

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:41:40 GMT

UK scientists have grown fully functioning food pipes and successfully transplanted them into mini pigs, paving the way for human trials.

What are the symptoms of meningitis and how is it spread?

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:54:53 GMT

Two people have died following an "unpredecented" outbreak of meningitis in Kent.

Inside Health

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

James investigates penis fillers, where hyaluronic acid is injected to increase girth.

Why are resident doctors striking and how much are they paid?

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 08:06:44 GMT

Resident doctors in England are striking between 17 and 22 December, the 14th walkout since 2023.

What does 'quiet resilience' look like?

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:10:03 GMT

Kimberley Wilson talks to psychologist and therapist Dr Sula Windgassen on how to build "quiet" or "flexible" resilience.

Inside Health

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

James Gallagher examines the outbreak of bacterial meningitis in Kent.

I went to bed with a sore ear, meningitis put me in a coma

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:03:32 GMT

Mark McNamee did not know he had meningitis until he woke up in hospital after being in an induced coma.

'People with ADHD are good in a crisis'

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:29:37 GMT

'People with ADHD are great in a crisis'

'I have four months left to preserve my fertility'

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 13:40:15 GMT

Iona Hall is freezing her eggs after surgery for endometriosis left her reserves "critically low".