BBC News

BBC News - Health

Our skin is falling off and no-one can tell us why

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:06:18 GMT

People sharing pictures and accounts on socials of red, inflamed skin have triggered the first UK research into TSW.

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.

Are UK students at risk of more deadly meningitis outbreaks?

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:15:07 GMT

The worst seems to be over, but questions remain about why this happened and whether it could happen again.

Disruption expected as six-day doctors' strike begins

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:33:02 GMT

The NHS is advising patients in England to only use emergency services when necessary but attend any confirmed appointments.

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

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:22:02 GMT

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

Men's group hopes to ease strain on NHS services

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:25:00 GMT

"I want to tackle loneliness and we feel like this group can do that," the organisation's founder says.

'You feel forgotten' - the reality for boxers after the fights stop

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:03:29 GMT

Retired boxer Stephen Smith shares how boxers can struggle to "fill the void" after hanging up their gloves.

Women in Northern Ireland welcome introduction of miscarriage leave

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:17:40 GMT

Northern Ireland has become the first part of the UK where a woman and her partner are entitled to two weeks of paid leave if they experience a miscarriage at any stage of pregnancy.

Review finds 250 patients need repeat bone scans

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:46:42 GMT

Review finds care for some patients was "below the level that would have been expected".

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.

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.

Fewer heat-related deaths in 2025 despite warmest summer

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:08:13 GMT

Summer 2025 was the warmest UK summer on record, with four heatwaves, a top temperature of nearly 38C and a mean temperature of 16.1C

Inside Health

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

James Gallagher is joined by experts to answer key questions on the meningitis outbreak.

Meningitis outbreak passes peak, says health agency

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:31:17 GMT

"We could still see cases continuing to come in, we need to keep an eye on those, the UKHSA says.

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

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:40:19 GMT

Resident doctors in England are striking between 7 and 13 April, the 15th walkout in a long-running dispute.

'We will end up with an NHS without doctors'

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:42:41 GMT

Dr Melissa Ryan, who works at Lincoln County Hospital, is among the doctors striking over pay.

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.

My daughter has childhood dementia and may not live past 16

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:18:45 GMT

Diagnosed just before her fourth birthday, Sophia, now 15, can no longer speak and cannot walk unaided.

Jersey's wellbeing score is below UK and France

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 08:58:57 GMT

Jersey's wellbeing score is below UK and France in survey of data from 41 countries.

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.

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.

'Two weeks will make such a difference': UK first as NI brings in miscarriage leave

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:10:03 GMT

Northern Ireland becomes first part of UK to bring in legal entitlement for parents affected by miscarriage at any stage of a pregnancy to have paid leave.

Inside Health

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT

James Gallagher finds out how a hot flush feels - and delves into a new treatment.

AR tech prepares patients for endometriosis surgery

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 06:59:29 GMT

The images are used in consultations to show what happens to the womb, ovaries and fallopian tubes.

'I nearly broke trying to help my partner with addiction issues'

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:02:39 GMT

Claire Harkin believes the experiences of people who are supporting loved ones with an addiction can be overlooked.

NHS dentistry is rotting. Will the plan to fix it work?

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:26:40 GMT

As patients struggle to find NHS dentists, Labour has a plan but not everybody is convinced it will work

Women in Northern Ireland welcome introduction of miscarriage leave

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:17:40 GMT

Northern Ireland has become the first part of the UK where a woman and her partner are entitled to two weeks of paid leave if they experience a miscarriage at any stage of pregnancy.

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.

Pupil art sessions 'bring joy' to hospice

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 16:06:55 GMT

The Hospice in the Weald in Pembury runs the sessions for people with life-limiting conditions.

Newly qualified paramedics told to apply for jobs abroad due to hire freeze

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:20:15 GMT

The Welsh Ambulance Service said newly qualified paramedics would not be offered roles this year due to "financial and operational issues".

Cuba's mothers-to-be prepare to give birth in a country plunged into darkness

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 05:58:19 GMT

Two pregnant women tell the BBC's Will Grant of their hopes and fears as their nation is mired in crisis.

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?

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.

Inside Health

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

James Gallagher examines the outbreak of bacterial meningitis in Kent.

Strike reduces A&E unit to minor injuries service

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:49:08 GMT

Resident doctors across England are striking for six days as part of an ongoing pay dispute.

'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.

Why the benefit used by more than 8 million people may not be fit for the future

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 23:09:50 GMT

Can Universal Credit and the work and benefits system more generally reshape itself to meet a new reality?

Our daughter battled Meningitis B despite being vaccinated in 'very rare' case

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 06:04:08 GMT

After Noa-Rose became critically ill, the four-year-old spent two weeks fighting for her life.

Inside Health

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

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

'Something wasn't right': Wrong sperm given to UK families by IVF clinics in northern Cyprus

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:54:51 GMT

Families of seven children believe the wrong sperm or egg donors were used in their IVF treatment.

What is vegan collagen?

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:22:54 GMT

What's the latest on Collagen?

Resident doctors 'want pay we think we're worth'

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:35:34 GMT

A West Midlands union committee co-chair says a narrative doctors are really well paid is not true.

Sewing group helping women in period poverty

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 05:14:33 GMT

Debi Angell says the kits they make help women and girls who can not afford period products.

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.

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.

'I shampooed with raw egg to try and get pregnant'

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:39:13 GMT

Tired of health misinformation on social media, Barbora Gray is fighting back by sharing facts.

3D heart to let surgeons practise baby's vital heart operation

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:31:43 GMT

A 3D model of a baby’s heart will help doctors prepare for open heart surgery.

The man who wants to bring human composting to the UK

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 05:25:38 GMT

Human composting is when a body placed in a sealed vessel containing organic matter turns into soil.

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?

'I froze my eggs because I was born without a womb'

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:46:01 GMT

Betty Mukherjee talks to Naga Munchetty about living with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome.

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

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:09:46 GMT

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

Is screen time always bad and how do I manage it?

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:52:41 GMT

How do you manage screen time, does it have a bad impact and what steps can you take to mitigate the problem?

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.

Screen time for under-fives should be limited to one hour a day, parents told

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 18:15:51 GMT

New government guidance also suggests children under-two should not be watching screens alone.

Prince William praises £20m milestone for Bowelbabe fund

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:53:47 GMT

The Bowelbabe fund, set up by Dame Deborah James in 2022, helps to support Cancer Research UK.

Hospital waited two days before raising alarm about meningitis outbreak

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:56:47 GMT

Experts say the wait was indefensible and possibly delayed identification of the outbreak.

'Having coeliac disease aged 9 means I'm normal with a tiny twist'

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 07:07:33 GMT

Nine-year-old Eliza's mum says she was relieved when her daughter was diagnosed with the disease.

How dads are bonding over learning to braid hair

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:50:20 GMT

Social club the Secret Life of Dads aims to provide a safe space for dads to bond with each other, and to learn skills to help them at home.

Cancer patient furious as strike delays appointment

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:17:33 GMT

Stuart Sims says he feels let down after a cardiology appointment was cancelled due to the action.

'Would I have made it to 60 if my cancer symptoms weren't detected?'

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:53:15 GMT

Marie McGrath was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the start of 2026

UK's transplant system was world-leading - now it lags behind other Western nations

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 06:00:07 GMT

The UK has failed to keep pace with the rest of the world. Can it regain its status, and how?

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.

Doctors lose new jobs package as strike to go ahead

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 23:29:39 GMT

The offer of 1,000 more training posts has been withdrawn after the union refused to scrap the planned six-day strike.

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.

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.

Weight-loss jabs will be offered on NHS for people at risk of further heart attacks

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 23:01:43 GMT

More than a million people in England will start being offered the anti-obesity jab for better heart health and to avoid strokes.

Streeting praises response to meningitis outbreak

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 18:59:17 GMT

Wes Streeting praises the "Herculean efforts" to protect people from the Kent meningitis outbreak.

What is vegan collagen?

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:22:54 GMT

What's the latest on Collagen?

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.

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.

Our son loved the outdoors - invisible illness means he now can't walk or talk

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:11:52 GMT

Tomos is one of thousands with ME in Wales, with services described as “a desert” for those most affected.