BBC News

Taking a common kind of painkiller is linked to an increased risk of heart failure, a study focusing on elderly people suggests.

NHS trusts in England paid out more than £1.4bn in medical negligence claims last year, up from £583m in 2008.

A 10th of children have a "monkey-like" immune system that stops them developing Aids, researchers say.

The widow of a Falklands war veteran has won a High Court bid to keep frozen embryos that they created.

Nursing homes are closing at the rate of one per week in England, due mainly to a shortage of nurses, official figures suggest.

One in five bowel cancer patients diagnosed in an emergency had "red flag" symptoms that should have been picked up earlier, says a study in the British Journal of Cancer.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has won a High Court fight with junior doctors in England over a new contract.

Adolescents with spots tend to stay looking youthful for longer, new research suggests.

The world's first baby has been born using a new "three person" fertility technique, heralding a new era in medicine, say experts.

As many as three million "ghost" patients registered with GP practices in England should be removed from doctors' lists, latest figures suggest.

The World Health Organisation says 92% of the planet's population is breathing polluted air outdoors, contributing to three million deaths a year.

The results of the world's largest ever survey on rest show that two-thirds of us would like more of it.

The Welsh NHS needs to tackle a number of "shortfalls" in the care being provided for sick and premature newborn babies, an annual audit says.

Inmates claim it was easier to get drugs than clothes or bed sheets at a "substandard" prison, according to a watchdog report.

The results of the world’s largest survey on rest suggest that to feel truly rested, we need to get away from other people.

A simple mix of honey and water might be a useful weapon against urine infections in hospital patients, according to researchers.

A scientist has developed a new type of alcohol which he claims will not damage the liver or leave you with a hangover.

The government's watchdog issues a warning to students about the dangers of taking cognitive enhancers or "smart drugs".

A family home is fumigated due to an infestation of "deadly spiders" that arrived in a bunch of shop-bought bananas.

Lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking, poor diet and lack of exercise are costing the NHS in England as much as £11bn a year.

One in three people check their phone in the middle of the night and admit their overuse is causing rows with partners, according to a report by Deloitte.

More services in Wales to help diagnose osteoporosis could save the NHS £4.5m a year, a charity claims.

GP Mark Spencer explains why he is overseeing an ambitious year-long project in Fleetwood, Lancashire, aimed at improving the health of people in his town.

The make up of the bacteria found in human faeces may influence levels of dangerous fat in our bodies, say researchers from King's College London.

Health problems related to the way we live are costing the NHS in England alone around £11bn each year.

Women's mental health needs are "not being considered" despite rising rates of suicide, campaigners warn.

Junior doctors in England suspend a series of five-day strikes over the next three months, the British Medical Association announces, following concerns over patient safety,

Thousands of protesters march in Dublin and 20 other world cities to press their demand for a referendum to repeal Ireland's abortion laws.

More than 40% of children in England did not see a dentist last year, NHS statistics show - a figure the British Dental Association says is embarrassing.

Venom collected from two species of Irish spiders has potential medicinal properties, say university researchers.

A family whose daughter spent four years in a vegetative state say it should be easier to withdraw nutrition from such patients.

Google has ambitious plans for using medical records and appears to also be bidding to create a truly digitised NHS.

Most women workers have experienced period pain that affects their ability to work, a survey suggests.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife want to tackle all diseases by the end if the century. Just how feasible is this aim?

The percentage of under-twos in England receiving most routine vaccinations is down slightly for the third year in a row, NHS figures show.

Medical correspondent Fergus Walsh demonstrates what can happen if a button battery gets lodged in a child's throat, after a warning from surgeons over the dangers.

IVF rates in England have fallen to a 12-year low, says a fertility charity.

Tens of thousands of operations were cancelled by English hospitals last year but not officially counted, figures seen by the BBC suggest.

The NHS should get a £5bn-a-year "Brexit bonus", former Conservative Health Secretary Andrew Lansley says.

Lots of people take glucosamine to help them with pains in their joints, but is there hard evidence that it improves things?

Universities are struggling to cope with rising demand for mental health services for students, says a think-tank report.

Thousands of post-menopausal women with breast cancer are missing out on cheap drugs that could prevent their disease spreading, research suggests.

Facebook's founder and his wife aim to cure, prevent or manage all diseases by the end of the century.

Neglect by one of England's largest mental health trusts contributed to the death of a boy, a coroner rules.

Face-down physical restraint continues in mental health wards in England, despite the government and the NHS saying it should stop.

The 193 countries of the United Nations have agreed a landmark declaration to rid the world of drug-resistant infections or superbugs.

Some hospital appointments and surgery at Leeds hospitals are postponed because of a "significant" IT problem.

Professor Canavero says he's a year away from transplanting a head onto a totally different body and has lots of volunteers from the UK who want it done.

A gene from an almost indestructible microscopic creature could provide "radiation shield" for human cells, scientists find.

Wearing an activity device that counts how many steps you have taken does not appear to improve the chances of losing weight, research suggests.