http://feed.informer.com/digests/ED7PUG2EPD/feeder Health News Respective post owners and feed distributors Thu, 23 Jul 2015 11:17:27 +0000 Feed Informer http://feed.informer.com/ https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c3e2e0e1dv3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:e83920a1-1319-3f5a-f5f4-40b0b53de41f Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:34:58 +0000 The national group was set up to help tackle loneliness, after a man died from suicide. https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cn0p0gk12nro?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:13d2db97-bb2c-52eb-45c9-47f247721a87 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:12:09 +0000 A quarter of all babies in England are now delivered by emergency caesarean operations, BBC analysis shows - marking a significant rise over the last five years. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/05/ebola-mineral-mining-smartphones-congo Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:eb634e99-dfda-5ae5-b0cc-fb93cb7df3aa Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:00:30 +0000 <p>As demand for cobalt, gold and other minerals grows, mining is accelerating deforestation in the Congo basin – and increasing the risk of deadly Ebola outbreaks</p><p>For decades after the discovery of Ebolavirus in 1976, outbreaks of the disease were relatively small and contained, affecting a few hundred people at most.</p><p>Not any more. In recent years, outbreaks of Ebola have been much larger, affecting thousands and even tens of thousands of people across multiple countries. The 2014 outbreak of Ebola in West Africa infected <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/outbreaks/index.html">over 28,000 people</a> in 10 countries on three continents<strong>.</strong> The current eruption, which began in early May and shows no signs of abating, has caused <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html">363 confirmed cases</a> in Democratic Republic of the Congo and has crossed into Uganda.</p><p><a href="https://soniashah.com/">Sonia Shah</a> is the author of five books including Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond, and writes the newsletter <a href="http://crosspollinations.substack.com">Cross Pollinations</a> on Substack</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/05/ebola-mineral-mining-smartphones-congo">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jun/05/experience-sat-under-oak-tree-every-day-year-cured-burnout Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:b5274d27-e614-ba25-b9a0-2195091f3960 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 04:00:25 +0000 <p>After a period of burnout, I realised that nature knows what you need, and is always ready to offer it – you just have to be quiet enough to receive it</p><p>In 2022 I moved to Clevedon, near Bristol. As soon as I saw the oak tree behind my flat, I&nbsp;started sitting under it. It’s not in some beautiful, remote place – it’s on an urban hill surrounded by grassland – but as a&nbsp;solitary tree on the side of a hill, it&nbsp;drew my attention.<strong> </strong></p><p>I was burned out. For 10 years, I&nbsp;had run a nonprofit tackling plastic pollution. We had got the government to ban plastic cutlery and polystyrene takeaway packaging, and supermarkets to ban plastic cotton buds. They were major achievements, but it was hard work and I was exhausted. I was transitioning away from activism, and only working three days a week.<strong> </strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jun/05/experience-sat-under-oak-tree-every-day-year-cured-burnout">Continue reading...</a> https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqxpxjrqd1po?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:f404c411-8c9f-f60c-cc85-d5413e9a5ccd Thu, 04 Jun 2026 23:41:16 +0000 The shift marks a significant rise over the last five years, but experts say there is no single, clear explanation for the increase. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crrpggegwe0o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:d597c287-17d6-ac44-8d4b-2fd19bc1ddb3 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 23:29:06 +0000 Cambridge scientists say they have, for the first time, tested a vaccine designed by AI. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/05/girl-traumatised-vaginal-pessary-gp-associate-report Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:f7840cdd-9a34-213e-8c19-e16eda9fdf53 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 23:01:18 +0000 <p>Mother, who thought daughter was being examined by GP, says girl began to bleed and scream in pain after device was inserted</p><p>A five-year-old was left traumatised, bleeding and in severe pain after a physician associate wrongly prescribed her a vaginal pessary, according to a damning report by the health ombudsman.</p><p>The parliamentary and health service ombudsman said there were “multiple failures” in the care of the girl, who saw a physician associate (PA) at a GP practice in the East Midlands after complaining of itching and vaginal discharge.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/05/girl-traumatised-vaginal-pessary-gp-associate-report">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/girl-brain-damaged-at-birth-28m-nhs-payout-romford Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:9eb2232f-437a-81be-4c02-67a79bfe2332 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:38:38 +0000 <p>Mother demands overhaul of maternity care after settling case over birth at Queen’s hospital in Romford in 2019</p><p>The family of a girl left brain-damaged at birth have agreed to accept £28m in damages after the NHS trust involved admitted that its mistakes led to the tragedy.</p><p>Barking, Havering and Redbridge university hospitals NHS trust failed to monitor the baby’s heart rate while her mother was in labour or ask an obstetrician to review the case, either of which might have led to the girl being born in a healthy condition.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/girl-brain-damaged-at-birth-28m-nhs-payout-romford">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/04/the-guardian-view-on-nhs-records-patients-are-not-raw-material-for-big-tech Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:0af2908d-f345-4ca9-61b8-004a2c80ce87 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:54:58 +0000 <p>Ministers should end Palantir’s contract before medical confidentiality is sacrificed to Silicon Valley’s appetite for public data</p><p>Alarm bells ought to have rung when it emerged last month that Palantir engineers could gain “<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britains-nhs-grant-palantir-contractors-unlimited-access-patient-data-ft-reports-2026-05-11/">unlimited access</a>” to identifiable NHS patient data. Such sensitive medical information was only supposed to be available either to someone involved in a patient’s care or with the patient’s informed consent. NHS England’s new position appears to have changed that, extending access to private companies because it may make data processing easier. Convenience is not a basis for undermining medical confidentiality.</p><p>Nicola Byrne, the government’s national data guardian, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/national-data-guardian-statement-on-nhs-federated-data-platform-data-access-in-response-to-the-not-with-my-nhs-data-campaign">clearly thought</a> the NHS had broken its promise that its £330m deal with Palantir would see “identifiable patient information … limited to NHS staff with a legitimate need”. Patients tell doctors things they may tell no one else. If they think that sensitive details can be disclosed to US tech corporations, trust will suffer – and patients will say less when the truth matters most.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/04/the-guardian-view-on-nhs-records-patients-are-not-raw-material-for-big-tech">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/why-is-andy-burnham-talking-about-fixing-englands-social-care-system Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:06357902-c625-39ba-9c17-1860c7719fc8 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:41:06 +0000 <p>Prospective MP and potential Labour leader has said tackling the issue is a priority. But why is the system in crisis and what can be done about it?</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/04/i-wouldnt-flinch-burnham-on-social-care-markets-brexit-and-the-prospect-of-a-general-election">‘I wouldn’t flinch’: Burnham on social care, markets, Brexit – and the prospect of a general election</a></p></li></ul><p>Andy Burnham has signalled he would overhaul England’s social care system this year if he became prime minister, the biggest indication yet of what his main priorities would be.</p><p>Work is already under way on updating the social care system under Keir Starmer, but Burnham has suggested he would seek more radical and urgent change.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/why-is-andy-burnham-talking-about-fixing-englands-social-care-system">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/reassurance-for-bladder-cancer-patients Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:e8c751a5-0b8d-0932-5494-1062e18711c2 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:59:31 +0000 <p><strong>Gail Cartmail </strong>offers a positive outlook to those facing life-changing bladder surgery, based on her own experience</p><p>The report of treatment being trialled that could potentially spare bladder cancer patients life-changing surgery is welcome news (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/02/drug-bladder-cancer-life-changing-surgery-durvalumab">Doctors hail drug that spares bladder cancer patients ‘life-changing’ surgery, 2 June</a>). Yet readers currently facing surgery that includes removing their bladder are likely to be concerned about the here and now.</p><p>Like Tracey Emin, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2020. Life requires some planning. For example, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/apr/20/england-left-with-toilet-deserts-as-public-facilities-decline-by-14-in-a-decade">paucity of public toilets </a>means mapping alternatives, as bladder bags have much less capacity than a natural bladder. I always carry a spare kit, however; following the advice and guidance of stoma nurse specialists, it is possible to avoid leaks. The <a href="https://urostomyassociation.org.uk/">Urostomy Association</a><strong> </strong>is&nbsp;a mine of useful information.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/reassurance-for-bladder-cancer-patients">Continue reading...</a> https://www.bbc.com/videos/cx2192e87z5o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:0ed5be81-a598-3b79-266a-cf12b34b6940 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:19:26 +0000 Could the parasite also impact human behaviour? Made in partnership with UKRI. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/04/vaccine-studies-rfk-jr Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:a81b6bbf-9fcd-9ff8-97c0-92d223e14c40 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:00:06 +0000 <p>Scientists praise moves to investigate, retract or remove controversial studies. The authors stand by their work</p><p>Three scientific papers that raised questions about vaccine safety and were used by the Trump administration to justify <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/16/judge-blocks-rfk-jr-vaccine-policy-changes">controversial changes to US vaccine policies</a> have over the last two months been removed, retracted or placed under investigation by the journals that published them.</p><p>In some cases, the actions occurred years after scientists first raised alarms about the studies’ scientific merits.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/04/vaccine-studies-rfk-jr">Continue reading...</a> https://www.bbc.com/videos/cvgz229ll4po?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:202d5ccd-d4f5-769c-eff4-83402fef5ce9 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:35:39 +0000 A young man from Darwen who lost his father realised he needed support so decided to start a walking group https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/jun/04/ive-lost-my-butt-how-rapid-weight-loss-can-leave-you-with-less-muscle-and-more-fat Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:a9610d5e-5224-5f3a-c5ea-9ff728f47e8e Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:19:39 +0000 <p>GLP-1 drugs such as Mounjaro are helping millions of people rapidly lose weight. But the changes happening inside the body go far beyond the number on the scale.</p><p>Neelam Tailor investigates the growing debate around the possible risks of rapid weight loss from jabs and yo-yo dieting, which include loss of lean mass and consequences in older age. Experts say the debate isn’t just about weight-loss drugs, but about how modern dieting culture has shaped our bodies for decades</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/jun/04/ive-lost-my-butt-how-rapid-weight-loss-can-leave-you-with-less-muscle-and-more-fat">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jun/04/the-race-to-combat-ebola-what-vaccines-and-treatments-are-being-developed-and-how-long-will-it-take Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:0c11c305-4684-ccba-f3db-fd93647b79fb Thu, 04 Jun 2026 08:00:29 +0000 <p>With the Bundibugyo strain of the disease spreading across the DRC and Uganda, scientists and researchers are trying to find rapid solutions</p><p>There is no vaccine or treatment available for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola that is spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, but this week three vaccine developers were awarded $60m (£45m) in emergency funding as the race to halt the outbreak ramps up.</p><p>Security issues in the affected region of the DRC, where conflict has displaced tens of thousands, have made it challenging to set up trials to test drugs. Militias operate in the area and some Ebola treatment centres <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/24/suspected-ebola-cases-congo-health-workers-attacks">have been attacked</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jun/04/the-race-to-combat-ebola-what-vaccines-and-treatments-are-being-developed-and-how-long-will-it-take">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/nhs-to-tackle-antisemitism-after-report-finds-jewish-staff-and-patients-routinely-ostracised Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:7a480535-6a68-2b25-2a45-5d123f6e7ccc Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:11:35 +0000 <p>Government-ordered review reveals ‘routine ostracism’ of Jewish staff and patients in health service</p><p>The NHS is taking action to tackle antisemitism after a government-ordered report found that Jewish patients and staff face “routine ostracism” in the service.</p><p>Anti-Jewish hatred in the NHS means some patients hide their identity and staff “suffer in silence”, a review by Lord Mann, the government’s adviser on antisemitism, has found.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/nhs-to-tackle-antisemitism-after-report-finds-jewish-staff-and-patients-routinely-ostracised">Continue reading...</a> https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3d2grdep8mo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:9d033113-0c6a-8fe6-c512-aea217048d8b Thu, 04 Jun 2026 04:55:43 +0000 How a new scheme for young people leaving care is tackling what was once a cliff-edge for this vulnerable group. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7p8n9g2klo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:bcec006c-dfca-006a-09e8-27bd92945051 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 23:42:35 +0000 As scientists edge closer to new treatments for hair loss, Victoria Derbyshire examines what such breakthroughs could mean for women. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8p57y35lzo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:7dcf29fa-0927-206c-08bc-59e0f37a1520 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 23:34:59 +0000 Women taking the drug tell the BBC it has given them their lives back. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/hospitals-nhs-trusts-england-empathy-patient-outcomes-staff-wellbeing Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:76fc240f-e3c6-57e8-3431-2fa72aec07fd Wed, 03 Jun 2026 23:01:19 +0000 <p>Research suggests NHS trusts with higher empathy ratings also benefit financially and have improved staff wellbeing</p><p>Patients and staff fare better at hospitals that rank highly on empathy, research suggests, with institutions also benefiting financially by spending less on agency staff, locums and consultants.</p><p>The finding comes from the first study to rate NHS trusts in England according to an empathy score that is drawn from information on the organisation’s culture, leadership behaviour and practitioner empathy, among other factors.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/hospitals-nhs-trusts-england-empathy-patient-outcomes-staff-wellbeing">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/elahere-ovarian-cancer-drug-nhs-england Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:ba1d53e4-6196-5662-9181-270b4ee2c167 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 23:01:19 +0000 <p>Elahere is first new drug for chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer to be approved by NHS for 20 years</p><p>Hundreds of women with hard-to-treat ovarian cancer can now be offered a new life-prolonging treatment, after NHS England approved its introduction. It is the first new drug for resistant ovarian cancer to be approved for more than 20 years.</p><p>Ovarian is the 18th most common type of cancer globally, affecting <a href="https://www.wcrf.org/preventing-cancer/cancer-statistics/ovarian-cancer-statistics/">more than 300,000 women</a> a year. <a href="https://ovarian.org.uk/ovarian-cancer/ovarian-cancer-diagnosis/">More than three-quarters</a> of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, making it harder to treat.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/elahere-ovarian-cancer-drug-nhs-england">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jun/03/drc-ebola-outbreak-could-have-begun-as-early-as-january-who-chief-says Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:eea1b09d-c72b-10da-0619-3acf9af7547e Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:29:55 +0000 <p>Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the virus ‘had a big head start’ but that the response was catching up</p><p>The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could have begun as early as January, the head of the World Health Organization said, giving the virus “a big head start”.</p><p>Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said the response was being hindered by blanket travel restrictions and highlighted high levels of community mistrust and low levels of contact tracing as key concerns.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jun/03/drc-ebola-outbreak-could-have-begun-as-early-as-january-who-chief-says">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/03/ultra-processed-foods-big-tobacco Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:a99c715b-6b2d-10da-dce9-4c8802a6b514 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:26:31 +0000 <p>New issue of the American Journal of Public Health focuses on parallels between marketing for cigarettes and UPFs</p><p>The <a href="https://ajph.aphapublications.org/ultraprocessedfoodssection">new issue</a> of the American Journal of Public Health focuses on ultra-processed foods, and reveals that big tobacco companies used strategies that helped them sell cigarettes to sell ultra-processed food products, including Lunchables, geared toward children.</p><p>The parallels between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and cigarettes include not only how UPF products were formulated and marketed to drive excess consumption, but also the growing body of evidence linking UPFs to a variety of health risks. For UPFs, these include <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2025/spotlight-upfs-nih-explores-link-between-ultra-processed-foods-and-heart-disease">cardiovascular diseases</a>, <a href="https://www.aicr.org/resources/blog/ultra-processed-foods-and-cancer-whats-the-connection/">certain cancers</a> and cognitive health decline.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/03/ultra-processed-foods-big-tobacco">Continue reading...</a> https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cglprny0jnro?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:fd0a0873-a35c-43ca-610c-83222a5db919 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:08:49 +0000 New cases of genital herpes are increasing in England, bucking an overall fall in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the latest data shows. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r2lekenlpo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:475c04b4-0d46-9140-f309-f96488e8ac5f Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:52:33 +0000 Regular weight training can help you keep fit and strengthen muscles to live longer, research suggests. https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/ce3p97gpygvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:4d64e1f9-7431-5edc-d6f0-251c532759ad Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:46:39 +0000 There are plans to move some maternity services to the Royal Liverpool - which could affect around 130 high-risk births each year https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/03/federal-workers-ptsd-like-symptoms-trump-firings Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:c50ab2b5-d805-aff1-6ecf-b4dbb4e143e0 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:00:19 +0000 <p>In survey of more than 300 fired probationary employees, 95% reported continuing mental health effects</p><p>US federal workers laid off by the Trump administration said they are experiencing mental health effects, including PTSD-like symptoms, from losing their jobs, according to a new <a href="https://www.27unihted.org/probationaryhome">survey</a>.</p><p>More than 300 fired probationary employees were surveyed, with 95% reporting ongoing mental health effects, according to 27UNIHTED, a network of former National Institute of Health (NIH) employees. Nearly half said they are experiencing PTSD-like symptoms, and a quarter are taking new medications to manage symptoms.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/03/federal-workers-ptsd-like-symptoms-trump-firings">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jun/03/orlando-swayne-neurologist-stroke-head-injury-recovery-doctor-interview Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:3724df23-6279-0c9f-1c5d-de4d6284c50f Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:00:48 +0000 <p>The neurologist Orlando Swayne doesn’t suggest everyone can recover. But he does argue that early, targeted and intense therapy can sometimes bring about life-changing improvements – and we have a moral obligation to provide it</p><p>Claire was in bad shape. She had been brought to the ward on a stretcher and hoisted on to a bed where she lay curled up in a ball. She was unable to speak, her eyes flat and face expressionless. While she could move her right arm a little, her left arm and both legs were immobile.</p><p>Life had changed dramatically for Claire, a mother of three in her late 30s, many months earlier, when she collapsed while on a night out with friends. A weakness in an artery at the base of her brain had ruptured, spilling blood around her frontal lobe. She was taken to hospital, where surgeons removed two side plate-sized pieces of bone from her skull to relieve the pressure on her brain. She spent months in intensive care.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jun/03/orlando-swayne-neurologist-stroke-head-injury-recovery-doctor-interview">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/03/thousands-more-uk-black-men-to-be-invited-for-prostate-cancer-screening Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:e1db7a0d-2bd2-9d31-e6ff-83e87ba6609d Wed, 03 Jun 2026 05:00:43 +0000 <p>Health secretary announces expansion of Transform trial but does not back population-wide testing</p><p>Thousands more black men will be invited to take part in a prostate cancer screening trial as the health secretary insisted he was “following the science” in not backing population-wide testing.</p><p>James Murray accepted a recommendation from the UK national screening committee (UKNSC) that will result in only a few thousand high-risk men with a gene mutation being screened for the disease.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/03/thousands-more-uk-black-men-to-be-invited-for-prostate-cancer-screening">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/03/gps-in-england-too-overloaded-to-help-older-people-at-risk-of-falling-say-mps Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:4baa7323-5619-edc4-0e3d-a0ad7802b61a Tue, 02 Jun 2026 23:01:35 +0000 <p>NHS bosses giving evidence to public accounts committee admit current position is unacceptable</p><p>GPs in England are so “overloaded” that they cannot help older people who are at risk of falling in what NHS bosses accept is an unacceptable failure of care, the House of Commons’ public accounts committee has said.</p><p>Pressure on GPs’ time has intensified as a result of the government’s decision to give patients online access to their services, according to a report by the influential cross-party group of MPs.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/03/gps-in-england-too-overloaded-to-help-older-people-at-risk-of-falling-say-mps">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/02/weight-loss-drugs-could-help-prevent-knee-replacements Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:df167be6-92dd-9056-f412-ea8e37e479fd Tue, 02 Jun 2026 22:30:34 +0000 <p>Patients with knee arthritis who took medications for at least three years at reduced risk of needing surgery</p><p>Taking weight-loss drugs for at least three years could prevent thousands of knee replacements a year, <a href="https://rapm.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/rapm-2026-107658">research</a> suggests.</p><p>Globally, more than 500 million people have osteoarthritis. Knee arthritis is the most common form, affecting about 14 million people <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5319385/">in the US</a> and more than 5 million <a href="https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/osteoarthritis/background-information/prevalence/">in the UK</a>. Many will require knee surgery. In the UK <a href="https://www.arthritis-uk.org/our-research/our-research-impact/research-achievements/procedure-for-early-osteoarthritis-to-reduce-need-for-knee-replacement/">more than 120,000 knee replacements</a> are carried out every year.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/02/weight-loss-drugs-could-help-prevent-knee-replacements">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/02/drug-bladder-cancer-life-changing-surgery-durvalumab Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:1abdce1f-8b8c-5e41-8ee0-191a15cc23e9 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:00:27 +0000 <p>Durvalumab shows promising results in trial led by London-based Institute of Cancer Research</p><p>Doctors are hailing a drug that spares bladder cancer patients “life-changing” surgery and stops tumours coming back.</p><p>Bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the world. Advanced or aggressive forms are often treated with surgery to remove the entire bladder, with patients left having to find alternative ways to pass urine for the rest of their life.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/02/drug-bladder-cancer-life-changing-surgery-durvalumab">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/02/south-west-water-fined-185m-over-parasite-outbreak-in-devon Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:5d6d4213-ffb6-8b94-8e71-974406e079b1 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:29:18 +0000 <p>Utility company pleaded guilty to criminal offence of supplying water unfit for humans</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/02/residents-brixham-water-contamination-incident-south-west-water-devon">‘My son is still suffering’: the ill effects of water contamination in ‘Brixham incident’</a></p></li></ul><p>A utility company has been fined £1.85m for supplying water unfit for human consumption after a parasite outbreak made hundreds of people sick and forced thousands of households to boil their water.</p><p>South West Water (SWW) <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/04/south-west-water-admits-criminal-offence-over-devon-parasite-outbreak">pleaded guilty</a> to the criminal offence relating to a cryptosporidiosis outbreak in Brixham, Devon, in the spring and summer of 2024.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/02/south-west-water-fined-185m-over-parasite-outbreak-in-devon">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/02/residents-brixham-water-contamination-incident-south-west-water-devon Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:92e0820c-bebb-34c4-02cc-0acc5d669880 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:09:23 +0000 <p>Physical and psychological impacts of a tap water parasite outbreak continue to be felt in south Devon</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/02/south-west-water-fined-185m-over-parasite-outbreak-in-devon">South West Water fined £1.85m over parasite outbreak in Devon</a></p></li></ul><p>Most of the tourists milling around the busy fishing harbour or visiting Agatha Christie’s riverside holiday retreat have probably forgotten what South West Water euphemistically calls <a href="https://www.southwestwater.co.uk/household/help-support/in-your-area/service-updates/brixham-incident">the “Brixham incident”</a>.</p><p>But for residents at the centre of the “incident” – a parasite outbreak that caused perhaps hundreds of people in south Devon to fall ill after they drank contaminated water – the physical and psychological impacts are still keenly felt.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/02/residents-brixham-water-contamination-incident-south-west-water-devon">Continue reading...</a> https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2plvp341jo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:036e118f-1e83-b543-c73b-188c9b5861ae Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:36:53 +0000 One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g91jrl349o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:4909a0ad-8651-1f1b-adf6-3a693e536046 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:52:06 +0000 Experts are trying to find the best way to screen for prostate cancer, since blood tests alone are not accurate enough for most men. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/02/doctors-midterm-election-trump-policies-health Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:2523d5f7-0703-8740-8a24-4582ac3f39e7 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:23 +0000 <p>Medical professionals are entering the political arena as funding cuts, layoffs and RFK Jr’s vaccine skepticism spur them to action</p><p>When <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/13/abdul-el-sayed-democrat-senate-candidate-michigan">Abdul El-Sayed</a> walked into Detroit’s health department in 2015, he found about 85 employees crammed into the back of a municipal parking building. The city had recently gone bankrupt and the 185-year-old institution was placed under state emergency management. His job was to rebuild it from practically nothing.</p><p>Within a year and a half, El-Sayed, who has a medical degree and PhD in public health, said he <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2016/05/03/detroit-health-director/">expanded</a> the department to 220 staff members, opened a new headquarters and launched efforts that still define his reputation: free glasses for low-income schoolchildren; a legal fight that forced an energy company to invest $10m to improve air quality; lead testing in every school, daycare and Head Start facility in the city; and a peer mentor program for newly pregnant moms to address a surge in infant and maternal mortality.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/02/doctors-midterm-election-trump-policies-health">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/02/weight-loss-drugs-cut-cancer-risk-studies Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:0f01958d-2a26-aa8f-fd95-45fe14903a41 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:00:23 +0000 <p>Three studies add to evidence that jabs could be part of cancer-fighting toolkit to cut risk of developing or dying from disease</p><p>Weight-loss drugs can cut the risk of developing or dying from cancer by 30%, doctors have said.</p><p>Millions of people already use the drugs to treat obesity. Now a series of studies presented at the world’s largest oncology conference suggest the drugs could play a role in preventing and treating cancer.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/02/weight-loss-drugs-cut-cancer-risk-studies">Continue reading...</a> https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgzxqq24k9o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:c2335103-172f-9747-f76f-65ccfe446476 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 11:27:23 +0000 STIs are particularly common among young people, with health experts saying testing for them is vital. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002x8nb?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:74596692-1aa0-ca4e-5e31-d034a36ed94f Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:00:00 +0000 Emma Barnett exposes the devastating reality of endometriosis and its toll on women. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bbctwo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:6df8c574-e2d6-c8f7-fc1e-053c2d5324e7 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:00:00 +0000 Emma Barnett exposes the devastating reality of endometriosis and its toll on women. https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cqlpn09kzrko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:d6dece2f-f9ae-354a-c73b-08958b13d3a4 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:40:19 +0000 Emma Barnett shares her life-long struggle with endometriosis – a disease affecting one in ten women of reproductive age, which causes excruciating, often debilitating, pain. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/01/cancer-good-bad-ugly-breakthroughs-optimism Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:d5090172-00db-b32d-9582-294edb47b7ff Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:19:30 +0000 <p>It’s natural to focus on breakthroughs, but there are many challenges in Britain and around the world. There is no magic bullet, but there’s room for optimism</p><p>Cancer causes nearly <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer">one in six deaths worldwide every year</a>, some 10 million all told. That is a stunning number, but it also masks the reality that some cancers are more deadly than others. We have become remarkably good at detecting and treating <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/melanoma-skin-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates-for-melanoma-skin-cancer-by-stage.html">melanoma</a> and <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates.html">prostate cancer</a>, for example, and today five-year survival rates for those cancers are well over 90% in most rich countries. Others, such as pancreatic cancer, are more difficult. In the UK, just <a href="https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/pancreatic-cancer/survival">over one in 20 people</a> with pancreatic cancer are still alive five years after diagnosis.</p><p>That is why a new drug for pancreatic cancer, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/31/daily-pill-daraxonrasib-double-survival-time-pancreatic-pancreas-cancer-clinical-trial">called daraxonrasib</a> and announced at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (Asco) annual meeting in Chicago at the weekend, has been met with such jubilation. The drug – taken as a pill once a day – doubled the survival time of those enrolled in a 500-person trial, with fewer side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy. The drug works by shutting down a protein, Kras, that causes cancer cells to grow and divide. One longtime cancer researcher reported that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/31/daily-pill-daraxonrasib-double-survival-time-pancreatic-pancreas-cancer-clinical-trial">she cried reading</a> the results. With so few effective treatments for this cancer available, the drug is likely to be a real game-changer.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/01/cancer-good-bad-ugly-breakthroughs-optimism">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/01/cancer-smart-drug-cells-invisibility-cloak-shrink-tumours-trial Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:8115181f-4004-19a7-0581-dec90c0bd420 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:00:23 +0000 <p>Experimental tablet produces encouraging results in patients with world’s most common forms of disease</p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/01/cancer-patient-hope-after-smart-drug-trial-success">‘I was getting ready to say goodbye’: patient’s hope after smart drug success</a></p><p>A smart drug that stops cancer cells “hiding” from treatment can shrink tumours by at least 30% in six of the world’s most common forms of the disease, early trial results show.</p><p>While immunotherapy treatments have improved survival rates for many patients, their effectiveness can stall or fail when tumour cells hide and then spread.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/01/cancer-smart-drug-cells-invisibility-cloak-shrink-tumours-trial">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/01/cancer-patient-hope-after-smart-drug-trial-success Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:73a245d0-1c14-0503-8359-3c499605667b Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:00:23 +0000 <p>Pat Brogan preparing to walk his daughter down the aisle after trial of treatment designed to stop disease from hiding</p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/01/cancer-drug-cells-invisibility-cloak-shrink-tumours-trial">Smart drug that strips cancer cells of ‘invisibility cloak’ can shrink tumours by 30%, trial shows</a></p><p>One of the first patients to benefit from a pioneering smart drug that appears to melt away the “invisibility cloak” that can shield cancer cells from treatment is Pat Brogan, from Cowdenbeath, Scotland.</p><p>The 68-year-old, whose tumours have shrunk by almost a third, is preparing to walk his daughter down the aisle this month and holiday in Spain with his wife, Linda – milestones he once feared he would never reach.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/01/cancer-patient-hope-after-smart-drug-trial-success">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jun/01/add-leaf-blowers-to-the-list-of-antisocial-garden-tools Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:61a7fc38-670a-69e8-c7db-33f4a2584fbf Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:44:56 +0000 <p><strong>Miranda Fagandini </strong>says the noise made by these devices is dreadful and can be life-altering</p><p>On reading the latest column in your long-running series (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/27/lawnmower-hum-why-the-sound-of-the-summer-could-cost-you-5000">Lawnmower hum: why the sound of the summer could cost you £5,000, 27 May</a>), I noticed that the writer didn’t include the curse of the leaf&nbsp;blower in their list of antisocial&nbsp;garden tools.</p><p>The noise is dreadful and can be life-altering. We bought one which turned out to be so loud that it has caused permanent hearing loss and&nbsp;hyperacusis (sensitivity to loud&nbsp;noise) in my left ear.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jun/01/add-leaf-blowers-to-the-list-of-antisocial-garden-tools">Continue reading...</a> https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/02/doctors-opinion-wellness-influencers-social-media Society: Health | theguardian.com urn:uuid:4d485b25-6e8e-a8e2-3011-76432b2477e0 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:00:24 +0000 <p>To be a cancer specialist is to see the worst of harm caused by social media. Yet I have never changed a patient’s mind with outrage</p><p>“And so, of course, I have completely stopped eating red meat.”</p><p>The “of course” is galling, especially since we have been using precious bags of blood to top up my patient’s haemoglobin.</p><p>Ranjana Srivastava is an Australian oncologist, award-winning author and Fulbright scholar. Her latest book is Every Word Matters: Writing to Engage the Public</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/02/doctors-opinion-wellness-influencers-social-media">Continue reading...</a> https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8pw93929wo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:5e037ef1-95aa-04ec-9e56-fc21d7e947e0 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 14:30:39 +0000 IAVI, Moderna and the University of Oxford are all working on new vaccines. https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c4g8142vg49o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss BBC News - Health urn:uuid:20c96b3f-c0ee-6378-e97f-2f58e60ac107 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:33:52 +0000 Amy Bamford turned to social media to seek advice about her hernia.