Category Archives: Health

Rachel Reeves rejects calls for a ‘Buy British’ campaign amid tariffs crisis – UK politics live

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Chancellor also says fiscal rules will not be changed, saying ‘we saw what happened when the previous government lost control of the public finances’

Half of Britons (51%) think the government should impose retaliatory tariffs on imports from the US, according to polling by More in Common, a campaign group. Last week, just before the Trump tariffs were announced, YouGov published figures suggesting 71% of Britons would favour retaliatory tariffs against the US.

Yesterday YouGov also released polling suggesting that only around a third of voters think Keir Starmer and the government played a significant role in ensuring the US tariffs imposed on the UK are relatively low.

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Woman becomes first UK womb transplant recipient to give birth

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Grace Davidson gives birth to baby Amy Isabel after receiving her sister’s womb in 2023

Surgeons are hailing an “astonishing” medical breakthrough as a woman became the first in the UK to give birth after a womb transplant.

Grace Davidson, 36, who was a teenager when diagnosed with a rare condition that meant she did not have a uterus, said she and her husband, Angus, 37, had been given “the greatest gift we could ever have asked for”.

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Benefits of ADHD medication outweigh health risks, study finds

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Children taking ADHD drugs showed small increases in blood pressure and pulse rates but ‘risk-benefit ratio is reassuring’

The benefits of taking drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder outweigh the impact of increases in blood pressure and heart rate, according to a new study.

An international team of researchers led by scientists from the University of Southampton found the majority of children taking ADHD medication experienced small increases in blood pressure and pulse rates, but that the drugs had “overall small effects”. They said the study’s findings highlighted the need for “careful monitoring”.

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England’s NHS crews ‘watching patients die in back of ambulances’ due to A&E delays

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Survey says queues outside emergency departments are leading to ‘car park care’ and fatalities

Paramedics across England are watching patients die in the back of ambulances because of delays outside emergency departments, according to a survey by Unison.

The gridlock of patients in some of the country’s hospitals has led to queues of up to 20 ambulances outside casualty departments in certain areas. In a number of cases, crews have been forced to wait more than 12 hours before handing over patients.

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Gen Z and young millennials battling ‘negative wealth’ as debt burden grows

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Young people whose debts outweigh their assets are at risk of experiencing blighted earnings, and even poorer health

Gen Z and young millennials are battling a “negative wealth” problem due to growing debt burdens that limit their life chances, according to a new analysis from the Fairness Foundation.

The thinktank says negative wealth, where debts outweigh assets, is linked to lower wages and worse health in later life, and that ministers should reintroduce the Child Trust Fund to give young people a greater stake in society.

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UK woman says she was not at abortion clinic ‘to express views’ after conviction

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Livia Tossici-Bolt says she was ‘disappointed’ to be convicted of breaching Bournemouth clinic buffer zone

A woman who was given a conditional discharge after being convicted of breaching a buffer zone outside an abortion clinic in Bournemouth has claimed she was “not there to express my views”.

Livia Tossici-Bolt, an anti-abortion campaigner whose case has been cited by the US state department over “freedom of expression” concerns in the UK, told the BBC’s Today programme she was “really disappointed” with the conviction “because it’s nothing to do with protesting” and said she would “continue my fight for freedom of speech”.

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Cameraman injured after football kick; PM visits flood-hit Queensland – as it happened

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Poll points to risks in key seats for Labor

We’ve made it to a week into the election campaign. So who’s winning?

At the end of week one, it was clear that Albanese won more days than Dutton and therefore won the week. But there are still four more to go, and anything can happen in an election.

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Anti-abortion campaigner convicted of breaching buffer zone outside UK clinic

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Livia Tossici-Bolt given conditional discharge and ordered to pay £20,000 costs in case that drew US state department concern

An activist whose case had been cited by the US state department over “freedom of expression” concerns in the UK has been convicted of breaching a buffer zone outside an abortion clinic.

Livia Tossici-Bolt, an anti-abortion campaigner, went on trial at Poole magistrates court last month accused of breaching a public spaces protection order on two days in March 2023 near to a clinic in Bournemouth. On Friday she was found guilty of two charges of breaching the order.

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RPA hospital closes HIV psychiatry clinic with 200 patients after staff resignations

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Exclusive: Former staff tell Guardian Australia some HIV patients have since required acute mental health care, as hospital also loses specialist pain and eating disorder support staff

The resignation of psychiatrists from Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred hospital has led to the closure of an HIV psychiatry clinic with 200 patients, as well as a loss of specialist psychiatrist services for patients in the pain clinic and the most unwell eating disorder patients.

Minutes from a Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) and Balmain hospital medical staff council on 10 February, seen by Guardian Australia, also contain slides from a presentation about psychiatrist resignations that state “there is no HIV psychiatry clinic”.

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Healthy but lonely gen Zers drive UK gym membership to record high

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More health-conscious young people take total to 11.5m memberships, report finds, as experts cite social aspect alongside fitness

Record numbers of Britons are going to the gym, as the desire of many gen Zers to socialise while getting fit instead of drinking in the pub drives an unprecedented surge in membership, a report shows.

In all, 11.5 million people aged 16 and over– a new high – now belong to a gym in the UK, a rise of 1.6 million from 2022. It means one in six people have taken out a membership.

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Doctors urge government to fight poverty after rise in patients with Victorian diseases

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Survey finds vast majority of doctors are concerned at impact of health inequalities on their patients

Doctors have reported a rise in the number of patients with Victorian diseases such as scabies, as the Royal College of Physicians urged the government to do more to fight poverty.

The survey of 882 doctors found 89% were concerned about the impact of health inequalities on their patients, while 72% had seen more patients in the past three months with illnesses related to poor-quality housing, air pollution and access to transport.

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Australia election 2025 live: PM dines with Greg Norman as nation braces for Trump tariffs; Howard says Coalition are election underdogs

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Golfer has been used before as a diplomatic bridge to US president. Follow today’s news live

Peter Dutton is in Western Australia for his first visit to the mining state of this campaign, and has come bearing a $600m announcement for roads which are critical to mining and agriculture.

He will spend the day in WA and Perth, before it’s expected he’ll return to the east coast late tonight or early tomorrow.

All candidates were made aware that if they were not coming tonight then they would be represented by an empty chair. This notice was given in advance.

The Liberals have failed to announce a 2030 or 2035 emissions target, committing only to net zero by 2050. The fate of the climate will be determined by cumulative emissions, so this lack of short or medium term targets is deeply problematic.

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Newborns treated with antibiotics respond less well to vaccines, study shows

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An Australian study found that babies with early exposure to antibiotics had lower levels of antibodies against jabs in later infancy

Babies who are treated with antibiotics as newborns have reduced immune responses to vaccines in later infancy, likely due to changes in the gut microbiome, new research suggests.

The Australian study tracked 191 healthy babies from birth, finding that those who received antibiotics in the first few weeks of life had significantly lower levels of antibodies against multiple vaccines at seven and 15 months.

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Doctors in NSW public hospitals threaten three-day strike over pay dispute, defying ban

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State government warns industrial action could halt elective surgeries, as doctors seek pay rise of up to 30%

Thousands of doctors in public hospitals across New South Wales are threatening to strike for the first time in decades as they seek a pay rise of up to 30%, as the state government warns the action could halt elective surgeries.

Doctors have threatened a three-day walkout from public hospitals from Tuesday. It marks the latest medical industrial dispute to potentially escalate into diminished patient care, after Guardian Australia on Wednesday revealed that the mass resignation of public psychiatrists over pay and conditions has led to the closure of the HIV psychiatry clinic at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred’s hospital.

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Unregistered Sydney practitioner ‘Injector Josh’ accused of administering Botox without qualifications

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NSW Health Care Complaints Commission is investigating the man, who has been the subject of multiple complaints

An unregistered Sydney beauty practitioner who advertises unauthorised Botox injections and “butt lifts” via Instagram and Snapchat is being investigated by New South Wales health authorities.

The man, who performs injectable and invasive cosmetic procedures, goes by the name Injector Josh and uses the social media handles faisalbasim7 and injectorjosh_. He has been the subject of multiple complaints, the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) said in a public health warning on Tuesday.

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India trains thousands of medics to promote vaccine in huge push to end cervical cancer

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Vast scheme aims to counter disinformation and increase awareness in country where low HPV vaccine take-up means many die from the preventable disease

Tens of thousands of doctors across India are being trained to promote the HPV vaccine, in a push to eliminate cervical cancer in the country.

They will check with mothers attending medical appointments that they intend to vaccinate their daughters, and visit schools and community centres armed with facts and slideshows to counter vaccine disinformation.

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How a ban on food dye in West Virginia has forged an unlikely alliance

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GOP lawmakers and consumer advocates have found common ground in banning preservatives and chemicals

A West Virginia law signed this week bans synthetic dyes and preservatives in food – a first-in-the-nation consumer protection led by Republicans in the face of vociferous industry opposition.

West Virginia’s law is one of dozens of bills introduced across the country, as Republican state lawmakers get on board with one of the most powerful forces to emerge from the 2024 presidential campaign – the movement to “make America healthy again” or Maha.

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Beauty clinics in UK offering banned treatments derived from human cells

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Experts warn of serious health risks of using exosome products that are harvested from human donors

Banned biological products harvested from human cells are being used in UK beauty clinics, according to experts who warn that the luxury treatments could carry serious health risks.

Exosomes have been touted as the latest “miracle” skincare treatment, with A-list celebrities such as Kim Kardashian seeking their rejuvenating effects and cosmetic clinics offering exosome facials and microneedling for hundreds of pounds a session.

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Bird flu reinfections at US poultry farms highlight need for vaccines, experts say

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Aggressive prevention including wider changes to poultry raising needed after at least 56 US farms doubly infected

Scores of poultry operations in the US have been reinfected by bird flu since 2022, costing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal payouts, according to documents obtained by the Guardian.

The recurring outbreaks highlight the need for more aggressive prevention, including poultry vaccination and changes to how poultry is farmed, experts say.

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People doing intense exercise experience time warp, study finds

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Research suggests those who push themselves when working out perceive time to move more slowly

If your sessions at the gym seem to drag on for hours, you are in good company. People who push themselves when working out report a form of time warp, making it feel as if they have been exercising for longer than they have, researchers say.

Adults who took part in 4km cycling trials on exercise bikes perceived time to have slowed down, scientists said, with the cyclists underestimating how long they had been pedalling for by about 10%.

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