AFPA series of “humanitarian pauses” to fighting in Gaza are due to begin on Sunday, to allow hundreds of thousands of children to be vaccinated against polio.The agreement comes after UN officials said a 10-month-old has been partially paralysed after contracting Gaza’s first recorded case of polio in 25 years.What is polio and how does it spread?Polio is a serious and highly infectious disease that largely affects children under five.It
BBC NewsClaire (L) with Tracey, who has advanced cancerFive hospices caring for terminally ill people have planned job cuts in the past two months due to financial pressures, BBC News has learned.St Giles Hospice, which runs community services and in-patient sites in the West Midlands, has started consulting staff this week on a reduction of 40 posts, including clinical roles, which could involve redundancies.The organisation representing the sector, Hospice UK,
Mother of girl who died after sip of hot chocolate calls for allergy awarenessThe mother of a teenage girl who died of an allergic reaction after drinking a Costa hot chocolate has told the BBC she lies awake at night thinking about whether she could have prevented her death.Hannah Jacobs, 13, had a severe dairy allergy and died within hours of taking a sip of the drink on 8 February
More than 130,000 people in England will be offered free workplace health checks in the next six months under a new initiative to try and prevent heart disease. From September, employees in several sectors including building and hospitality will be able to access quick assessments that will determine their risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), which can cause heart attacks and strokes.Those aged between 40 and 74 who do not
NHS EnglandGym-goers will soon see special stickers on mirrors at their local leisure centres reminding them to look out for potential signs of cancer. It is part of an NHS initiative around body awareness to get more people diagnosed early. The messaging that will appear at hundreds of Better leisure centres in the UK, advises "know what's normal for you" when it comes to your body. An unusual lump, skin
Jo Adnitt/BBCLeah was repeatedly restrained at her independent special schoolOne of Leah’s most painful memories of her former school is the time she was held down for so long by members of staff, that blood vessels burst in her face.She says restraint was used so often on her there, that she once forced a screw into her toe as a plea for help.Leah, who’s 18 and from the north of
Barrett familyEzra was taken to hospital when he developed measles at three months oldHealth officials are urging parents in England to ensure their children are up to date with any missed vaccinations before they return to school.A rise in cases of the highly spreadable measles virus, which can be very serious in some children, is feared when the new term starts.Uptake of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps
Getty ImagesAmbulance crews are wasting “significant” amounts of time being called out unnecessarily to prisons across England, the health safety watchdog has said.One NHS trust told investigators it dealt with 5,000 calls to 999 from prison staff across its region in 2023.Overall the research found that almost three in four calls from prisons did not need an ambulance response, compared with one in eight calls from the general population.The Department
BBCSylvia Vickery spent £20,000 travelling to Missouri for surgeryA woman who used her life savings to have vaginal mesh removed in the United States said she could no longer wait for surgery in Northern Ireland after passing blood and debris.Sylvia Vickery, 61, said she was "angry and sad" but had no other choice as waiting lists to be seen and treated at the Belfast Mesh Clinic were too long.One operating
The government must ban flavoured and disposable vapes, doctors say, to protect children against a growing epidemic of use in the UK. The British Medical Association says bold action is needed and vapes have no rightful place in young people’s lives. Children are being targeted with colours, branding and flavours such as bubble gum or candy floss, it says, to push a product that can lead to nicotine addiction. About
