Health news list

Scientists say they have found a new genetic basis for why some people develop a dangerously enlarged heart.

Having a Caesarean does not raise the risk of a stillbirth in a subsequent pregnancy, a study has found.

A clampdown on NHS spending has resulted in a 1.7bn surplus, Department of Health figures show.

A woman with multiple sclerosis will ask the High Court to clarify the law on suicide.

China sends medics to offer reverse sterilisation operations to parents who lost their only child in the quake.

China sends medics to offer reverse sterilisation operations to parents who lost their only child in the quake.

Measuring nicotine content in toenail clippings can help predict a woman's heart disease risk, say researchers.

Members of the biggest health union have voted to accept the government's pay deal for the NHS.

Members of the biggest health union have voted to accept the government's pay deal for the NHS.

England's swimming pools could be free by the time of the London 2012 Olympics, the government is signalling.

Nightclub staff are given NHS guidance on when to summon help for someone who may have taken drugs.

The government is due to find out the result of a key ballot of NHS workers on a proposed 8% pay rise over three years.

Teenagers may need a booster dose of meningitis C vaccine, say researchers who found immunity can fall.

Teenagers may need a booster dose of meningitis C vaccine, say researchers who found immunity can fall.

Brain injured children whose temperature is brought below normal to prevent swelling may be more likely to suffer harm.

Over 800,000 fewer people are now seeing an NHS dentist than before government reforms, figures show.

"Super-surgeries" may not result in better services for patients, an independent think tank argues.

A regular tipple cuts the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by up to half, research suggests.

Claims that many rectal cancer patients receive an "inappropriate" operation are rejected by surgeons.

An injection of stem cells has been used to cure mice with a normally fatal nervous system condition.

A drug which allows multiple sclerosis patients to walk more quickly has passed the next step in its testing.

A drug which allows multiple sclerosis patients to walk more quickly has passed the next step in its testing.

Plans to allow private firms to run struggling NHS hospitals and trusts in England are expected to be outlined later.

A chemical derived from red wine could one day help keep the heart "genetically young", claim researchers.

The care given to many patients having heart bypass surgery may be flawed, according to an expert report.

Nurses are calling on Chancellor Alastair Darling to compensate them for the soaring cost of petrol.

Some types of antibacterial wipes used by hospital staff to rid surfaces of bacteria could be helping to spread it, claims research.

A couple with two young sons discover they are expecting quadruplets, despite "not trying" for a baby.

Physiotherapists have become the latest group of health workers to reject the

government's three-year pay offer.

A man whose son died is told he cannot have his vasectomy reversed because he still has a daughter.

Too many parents fail to supervise the way their children brush their teeth, a survey finds.

Many NHS consultants doubt the merits of a new generation of polyclinics, a survey suggests.

A legal battle over compensation for asbestos victims is due to start in the High Court.

A watchdog says chats with care home staff can help dementia patients but warns not enough talking is done.

Three quarters of parents are critical of the meals served to their children in hospital cancer wards, a survey suggests.

Parents will be told how much their children can safely drink as part of ministers' new alcohol strategy.

Millions of people with HIV/Aids in the world's poorer countries still fail to get drugs which could save their lives.

Hygiene routines face a shake-up at one of Wales' leading hospitals after an undercover BBC investigation.

Parents in England are to receive advice on how much alcohol to give their children, as ministers tackle teenage drinking.

People who choose not to talk about traumatic experiences often fare better than those who do.

Scientists claim they have found gene variants which influence whether we walk upright or on all fours.

Tests used in pregnancy only pick up half of potential chromosomal abnormalities, Italian research warns.

Charities and opposition MPs are critical of ministers' proposals to tackle underage drinking in England.

A terminally-ill man from Milton Keynes collects 5,000 after beating the odds against his survival.

The body's immune system could be harnessed to fight Alzheimer's disease, research suggests.

Cigarette vending machines and packet logos could be banned in England, under an anti-smoking drive.

Cigarette vending machines and packet logos could be banned in England, under an anti-smoking drive.

A woman in Australia has given birth to a healthy girl after a rare full-term ectopic pregnancy.

In the 1950s the Chancellor Harold Macmillan put the financial benefits of cigarettes over the nation's health, records show.

A first-time mother died at a hospital maternity unit because of neglect, a coroner has ruled.