GP appointments are hard to get, say third of NHS patients in England
Difficulty seeing same doctor, booking online or obtaining evening appointments casts doubt on David Cameron’s aim of 8am-8pm seven-day GP access
The battle against childhood obesity has to start in pregnancy
Britain’s childhood obesity rate is, as Jeremy Hunt calls it, a scandal, but there has not been enough recognition of how early the problem begins
Almost one in four deaths ‘avoidable with lifestyle and healthcare changes’
ONS study shows 23% of deaths in England and Wales in 2013 were amenable to treatment or could have been prevented through public health measures
Food industry ‘responsibility deal’ has little effect on health, study finds
Firms agreed to make their products healthier, for example by reducing amounts of salt, but few have done so, researchers say
The Village Effect by Susan Pinker review – the science of friendship
Being sociable can lengthen your life – but there’s a risk of making it into a self-improvement chore
So homeopathy can help cure TB? Tell that to my sick patients
When politicians call for homeopathy and other alternative treatments to get government money, they’re promoting quackery and wasting desperately-needed funds
Death by chocolate: the sugar-fueled diabetes surge in South Asia
More disposable income combined with a traditional Indian fondness for sweets and snacks are leading to an epidemic of type 2 diabetes among South Asians
Shopping vouchers ‘most effective’ way to help pregnant women stop smoking
One-fifth kicked the habit before giving birth when receiving financial incentives in a Cambridge university study, more than twice the rate using traditional services
Scientists urge action on obesity in women to cut risks to babies
Children of obese mothers may be more likely to develop heart disease, have a stroke or develop type 2 diabetes, according to major European study
Untested chemicals are everywhere, thanks to a 39-year-old US law. Will the Senate finally act?
Many chemicals that are restricted or banned in Europe remain in use – and in some cases, untested – in the US, thanks to federal regulations that haven’t been updated since 1976. A new bill to overhaul the law is expected this spring