Health

After their 19-year-old son Matthew took his own life in 2023, Christine and Richard Lock have campaigned for earlier ADHD diagnosis and greater awareness and were invited to meet health ministers.

NHS England is creating a national register that will compare patients' genetic information against a list of 120 genes linked to increased cancer risk, and people identified as higher risk will be offered routine screening and tailored information.

A parent had samples of coloured play sand bought from Hobbycraft tested and laboratory analysis reported traces of asbestos; Hobbycraft has removed the product from sale while independent testing is carried out.

The NHS has created a national register of 120 genes linked to higher cancer risk, and patients and relatives will be able to compare their genes to it; officials say it will support earlier screening and more personalised care.

NICE has recommended talazoparib, taken alongside enzalutamide, for some men with advanced prostate cancer in England; about 2,400 people are estimated to be eligible and the treatment is available on the NHS from today.

Hartlepool Borough Council has introduced a new dementia strategy to improve timely diagnosis and local support, and council documents say the borough has the second highest dementia diagnosis rate in England at 78.5 per 100 people aged over 65.

Sophie Benge says she stopped eating sugar on the day of her biopsy in late 2023, and she credits a book by integrative oncologist Dr Nasha Winters with shaping her view that sugar and metabolic dysfunction relate to cancer.

Tessa Marshall, 28, told sixth form students she had an abortion at 15 and said the experience shaped her views on bodily autonomy and sex education. She is standing for the Senedd in May and spoke about the issue at a Cardiff school hustings.

Malawi launched a three-day cholera vaccination campaign this week in Blantyre as unusually heavy rains and regional flooding increased concerns about outbreaks; officials said the initial effort aimed to distribute about 24,000 oral doses while noting unsafe water sources in some neighborhoods.

Reports say colorectal cancer deaths have risen among people under 50, and the article notes common early signs include abdominal pain, changes in bowel movements and blood in the stool.

A PROSTaid group in Leicester meets monthly to offer peer support to men diagnosed with prostate cancer. The regional charity also funds four specialist cancer nurses across Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

CQC inspectors rated Walsall Council's adult social care as "requires improvement" and advised stronger support for autistic people and those with learning disabilities. The council says assessment delays are improving and an improvement action plan is in place.

Sun Pharmaceutical has received regulatory approval to manufacture and sell a generic version of Wegovy in India and will market the semaglutide product as Noveltreat once the semaglutide patent expires in March 2026.

The Queen's Reading Room will fund a laboratory-controlled neuroscientific study of shared reading, led by Professor Sam Wass at the University of East London in partnership with The Bentley Foundation, with results expected by World Mental Health Day in October.

The government says it will place more cancer doctors in rural and coastal hospitals by offering specialist training posts, and a national cancer plan with targets and new technologies will be published on 4 February.

The government will create more cancer doctor training places in hospitals with the greatest shortages and will publish a National Cancer Plan on February 4 that aims to speed diagnosis and broaden access to new tests.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said NHS dentistry is 'moving in the right direction' while acknowledging it remains far from his goal and called it 'shameful' if people have to pull out their own teeth due to lack of dentists.

A study published in Stem Cell Reports found that changing the gut microbiome altered intestinal stem cell activity in mice: young microbiomes restored age-related decline in tissue repair, while an age-linked bacterium reduced regenerative signalling. The article also notes growing public interest in probiotics and their promotion by well-known figures.

Emma Gannon experienced a panic attack and was diagnosed with anxiety and burnout, then spent about a year stepping back from most commitments; her memoir A Year of Nothing was published on 22 January.

Spencer and Monique Tepe were killed at their Columbus home on Dec. 30, and their infant son was likely left crying in his crib for hours before police arrived; an ex-husband has been arrested, indicted and extradited to Ohio.

A University of Bristol-led study using genetic analysis found a causal link between higher body mass index and an increased risk of vascular-related dementia, with about a quarter of the excess risk associated with high blood pressure.

The article recommends 24 skin, hair and body products—mostly under £50—to help hydrate and repair skin and hair in cold, dry winter conditions.

BBC audiences across the south of England shared mixed experiences of NHS care this winter, praising many staff while reporting problems with waits, out-of-hours care and cross-border coordination.

A real-world U.S. data analysis found many patients maintained or continued to lose weight months after stopping semaglutide or tirzepatide; the observational study has limitations and is being prepared for peer review.

A woman in Wiltshire was diagnosed with cervical cancer after attending a routine screening and was later declared cancer-free following treatment.

A Northern Ireland cancer patient says prompt diagnosis and treatment helped her recovery; Cancer Research UK warns many other patients face long waiting lists and has called for emergency measures to protect patient safety.

Jennifer Dummigan says quick diagnosis and treatment helped her reach a currently cancer-free status, while Cancer Research UK and official figures report long waits and missed targets for many cancer patients in Northern Ireland.

A mother who died alongside her eight-year-old daughter after a Huddersfield house fire had posted a video hours earlier about her distress, and an inquest heard police concluded she was responsible for the blaze; the inquest is continuing.

A defendant has been convicted at Gloucester Crown Court of assault and compulsory labour after a woman with learning difficulties was held for more than 20 years in Tewkesbury; the victim was found by police in March 2021 following concerns raised by a family member.

An unnamed woman with learning disabilities was held and made to perform unpaid domestic work in Tewkesbury for more than 25 years; Amanda Wixon was found guilty and will be sentenced in March.