Behind the Headlines

QA articles

Health services 'failing gay and bisexual men'

30 Apr 2012
two men cooking The NHS is “failing gay and bisexual men”, The Guardian has reported. The newspaper said that the NHS has to confront some “serious issues” in the way it looks after the health of gay and bisexual men.
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Baby obesity research: no need to panic

03 Apr 2012
Pregnant woman holding stomach Babies are to be “treated in the womb for obesity”, according to the Daily Mail. The newspaper said that overweight mothers-to-be will be given a diabetes pill “to cut the risk of having a fat child”.
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Viaspan organ transplant fluid contamination risk

02 Apr 2012
surgery “Transplant organ fluid 'contaminated',” BBC News reported today, saying that bacteria could have come into contact with the product viaspan. Viaspan is a liquid used in the transportation of donor organs prior to transplant. Tests have found bacteria in the solution used to test and monitor the sterility of viaspan.
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Aspirin: cancer-fighting benefits uncertain

22 Mar 2012
bottle of tablets “Taking a low dose of aspirin every day can prevent and possibly even treat cancer,” BBC News today reported. The painkiller is already taken by thousands to cut their risk of heart attacks and strokes, but new, widely reported research has suggested it may have a role in fighting cancer that this study used.
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Metal hip patients 'need annual checks'

13 Mar 2012
Older couple holding hands Patients with a common type of metal hip implant should have annual health checks for as long as they have the implant, according to the UK body for regulating medical devices.
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Better data needed on knee replacement

06 Mar 2012
The effectiveness of knee replacement surgery was in the news today, when the BBC and Independent reported that more evidence was needed on the long-term safety of knee implants.
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Help get medicines right, patients urged

12 Jul 2011
packet of tablets Patients whose care switches between doctors, hospitals and other care providers run the risk of getting the wrong medicine or the wrong dose of medicine, according to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. The society has launched...
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New gonorrhoea strain resists drugs

12 Jul 2011
Test Tubes Doctors have found a new ‘superbug’ form of gonorrhoea’ that is resistant to a range of antibiotics, it has been announced. Several newspapers have reported on the first case of the strain, which was recently...
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Elderly 'need alcohol and drug support'

23 Jun 2011
empty beer glass Medical experts have called for new approaches to tackle substance abuse in older adults, several newspapers have reported. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, many middle-aged and elderly adults have problems...
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Teen drinking linked to parents' habits

17 Jun 2011
pouring beer A survey has revealed that “children who see their parents drunk are twice as likely to regularly get drunk themselves,” reported BBC News. Several newspapers also covered this news story.
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