BBC News

Scientists in the United States are studying lemurs to see if a better understanding of hibernation could help with some serious medical conditions in humans.

The future of adult social care services in England "looks bleak", despite government attempts to protect budgets, a think tank warns.

A coroner has warned teenagers and young people about the dangers of taking a diet pill which contains the banned substance DNP.

Northern Ireland's lifetime ban on gay men donating blood should be lifted if a government advisory group says it is safe, the health minister says.

Five ways women can lose weight and prevent obesity

The head of an NHS body that failed to investigate the unexpected deaths of more than 1,000 people has apologised.

A man with HIV who "recklessly" infected two women with the virus is jailed for five years.

A report warning that obesity is the biggest threat to women's health is "nonsense", a size acceptance campaigner claims.

Obesity is the biggest threat to women's health and must be tackled as a national priority, England's chief medical officer warns.

Children needing cancer treatment in England and Wales will be able to have their fertility preserved after a £250,000 donation creates a national service.

The Care Quality Commission, the health watchdog in England, is "not yet an effective regulator", MPs say.

The government is "profoundly shocked" by the findings of a report which said the NHS failed to investigate the unexpected deaths of more than 1,000 people, Jeremy Hunt says.

Four of the world's biggest tobacco firms begin a legal challenge to the government's new packaging rules, due to come into force in May.

A leading research group says the NHS will struggle this winter unless there are more beds in care homes.

Vulnerable patients are getting stuck in hospital in England as delays discharging people hit record levels, figures show.

Hospitals are under more pressure than ever. But why? And why is winter so difficult?

Patients who are well enough to leave hospital are sometimes unable to because of a lack of support being available in the community.

One woman’s recovery from a pregnancy nightmare

Being unhappy or stressed will not put you at a greater risk of dying, according to the UK's Million Women Study.

The NHS has failed to investigate the unexpected deaths of more than 1,000 people since 2011, according to a report obtained by BBC News.

Two new NHS proton beam therapy facilities could offer treatment to 1,500 cancer patients a year when they open in the next few years.

Mexican authorities approve the use of the world's first vaccine against dengue fever, a deadly mosquito-borne disease.

Vital care services for older and disabled people in England remain at risk - despite government attempts to protect the sector, care leaders say.

The proportion of life spent in good health is increasing in England, even as life expectancy continues to rise, a study suggests.

Vital care services for older and disabled people in England are still at risk - despite government attempts to protect the sector, care leaders say.

One of the Catholic Church's most senior prelates has said that birth control could "offer a solution" to the impacts of climate change.

The NHS is to receive a boost of more than £278m under the Welsh government's spending plans.

Surgeons are set to carry out a penis transplant trial, the first of its kind in the United States, to help wounded war veterans.

The health minister backs down on plans to ban the use e-cigarettes in all enclosed public places in Wales.

A pregnant woman who chose to delay intensive chemotherapy rather than abort her baby is told she must have the child 12 weeks early to stand the best chance of surviving.

The risk of antibiotic-resistant infections from eating undercooked meat

A hospital trust apologises for placing a "do not resuscitate" order on a patient with Down's Syndrome, and listing his learning difficulties among the reasons.

GPs should actively encourage patients to go online for booking appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions, suggests a review of NHS digital services.

At least 33 people have died in south-east Iran in the last three weeks after contracting swine flu, state media report.

Surgeons in Wales say waiting lists are "unacceptably high" and need to be a top priority for whoever wins the assembly election.

Beer gifts replace processed meat in Japan's end-of-year tradition.

A competition to guess the weight of a man's amputated leg raises nearly £1,500 for a London hospital.

GPs who prescribe fewer antibiotics have less satisfied patients, according to a new study by researchers at King's College London.

A clinic in Kenya is coming offering free pampering sessions to encourage patients to undergo routine screening.

Military action in Syria must be matched with "urgent funding" to support veterans who return with mental health problems, the charity Combat Stress says

The role of dating apps in adolescent HIV rise

Overseas visitors should be forced to pay for using some GP services as well as ambulances and A&E care, the government announces as a consultation begins.

How a suicidal man used his experience to help others

Leading doctors say the NHS must prepare for much greater use of medicines to prevent rather than just treat disease.

Julian Mason's son Ben, who has a learning disability, says the minimum wage is a hurdle to him

Cutting hospital admissions and discharging patients more quickly are among Welsh NHS plans to cope with higher winter demand.

The UK is paying less for new cancer drugs than a number of other high-income countries, according to a report in The Lancet Oncology.