Wes Streeting’s health bill brings back ‘democratic control’ of the NHS in England – but what does it mean?

repic/Shutterstock.com Most NHS patients never think about who has legal responsibility for the health service. They notice waiting times, whether local services disappear and whether they can get treatment when they need it. But Wes Streeting’s new health bill changes who has the ultimate power to make those decisions, and may make the NHS far […]

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Megacolon: when constipation becomes something more serious

9dream studio/Shutterstock The colon is about one and a half metres long and plays a vital role in moving waste through the body. In rare cases, it can become so stretched that it begins to lose its ability to work properly, like an elastic band that has lost its spring. This is known as megacolon. […]

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How gaps in education, work and welfare support can push neurodivergent people into homelessness

Jonathan Tallon/Shutterstock Homelessness in the UK is reaching critical levels, with more than 380,000 people estimated to be without a home in England alone as of late 2025. There is also a growing recognition that neurodivergent people are over-represented among homeless populations. But much of this comes from anecdotal reports from service providers or localised […]

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How gaps in education, work and welfare support can push neurodivergent into homelessness

Jonathan Tallon/Shutterstock Homelessness in the UK is reaching critical levels, with more than 380,000 people estimated to be without a home in England alone as of late 2025. There is also a growing recognition that neurodivergent people are over-represented among homeless populations. But much of this comes from anecdotal reports from service providers or localised […]

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World’s first AI-designed vaccine explained

Sooksaard/Shutterstock.com Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed what they describe as a fundamentally new type of vaccine using artificial intelligence (AI). The vaccine’s key component was designed entirely by AI and has now been tested in people for the first time. The goal is ambitious: a single vaccine that works not just against […]

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Why the electric SUV boom is a problem for climate, health and equity

Fahroni/Shutterstock Governments and car manufacturers sell electric cars as the future of green transport. But a less visible trend is challenging this story: many electric cars are getting bigger. The International Energy Agency recently reported that larger models, including sports utility vehicles (SUVs), are taking up a major share of electric car markets. In China, […]

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AI could revolutionise concussion care in sport – but risks remain

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping medicine, from diagnosing disease to accelerating drug discovery. Its influence is also reaching the world of sport. In a recent editorial, we looked at how AI could transform how researchers, doctors and sporting organisations detect, monitor and manage concussion, which is one of the most challenging health issues facing […]

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Hay fever, antihistamines and the evidence on dementia risk

Billion Photos/Shutterstock For millions of people around the world, pollen season means weeks of sneezing, itchy eyes and a blocked or runny nose. The timing varies depending on where you live and which plants are in flower, but grass pollen is one of the most common triggers. Hay fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, […]

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The extraordinary physiological challenges facing amputee John McFall in space

The UK Space Agency has announced an agreement with Vast – a US commercial space company – that could send British astronaut John McFall into orbit as early as 2027. If the mission goes ahead, he would become the first person with a physical disability to live and work in space. McFall, who lost his […]

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Victorians called burnout ‘overwork’ – and they cured it by holidaying in France

The Beach at Trouville by Claude Monet (1870). The National Gallery, London Burnout feels like a thoroughly modern concept – one borne from our age of global digital communication and long office hours. But the Victorians also had an idea of burnout, one they termed “overwork”. The Victorian doctor, C.H.F. Routh, for example, published On […]

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