In the news

Serious, funny, sad, or encouraging. No matter what the news of the day, there's always something health-related to get us talking!

Here we investigate a current topic, and pull it apart to uncover a wide range of thoughts, opinions, comments, and more, which it encourages. Remember-anything goes, so get debating!"

• When did care homes stop caring?
• On the back of the Panorama investigation, Joanna Lowy asks why instances of care home abuse seem to be so common.
• OAPs: Old age potheads: An investigation
• A new study has revealed an increasing rate of drug abuse in the elderly. But what exactly is going on? Joanna Lowy and Ana-maria Gheorghiu investigate!
• Living to 100: Is a letter from the Queen worth it?
• Recent statistics have revealed that one in three babies born this year will live to see 100. But is this good or bad news? Joanna Lowy investigates!
• The death of modern medicine
• Could the conested practice of homeopathy be the cure to the antibiotic crisis? Joanna Lowy investigates!
• Why are Brits not as healthy as they think?
• Some research has revealed that the majority of us consider ourselves healthy despite failing to meet the governments exercise and dietary recommendations. What's going on?
• Welcome to Dementiaville. Population 150. Views?
• News last week broke about a £17m 50s style village being set up for those with dementia. But just how beneficial would this be? Joanna Lowy investigates!
• How far does a cosmetic surgery advertising ban have to go to be effective?
• Following news that the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) is campaigning for a cosmetic surgery advertising ban, Joanna Lowy asks: is this enough?
• ‘Just a daily dose of aspirin helps the chance of death, go down’ ; True or false?
• Should we be incorporating aspirin into our daily routine? Joanna Lowy investigates.
• Why do celebrities break the law?
• Following Antony Worrall Thompson's shoplifting disgrace last week, Joanna Lowy asks why famous people break the law, and get away with it.
• Why are nurses afraid to blow the whistle?
• Reports that nurses are reluctant to blow the whistle on inappropriate practices within the NHS are rife, with the latest study revealing startling results. But why is this?
• Keeping healthy in the classroom
• We take a look at all the health-risks faced by teachers and what can be done to protect them.
• Pancreatic Cancer: The silent one
• As we reach the middle of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Joanna Lowy asks why we don't know much about it.
• How preventable is mouth cancer?
• As Mouth Cancer Action month begins, we ask: just how much action can we take?
• Should cosmetic surgery be taxed?
• George Osborne last week announced that cosmetic surgery is to be taxed. But is this the right decision? Joanna Lowy investigates!
• An app a day
• With new apps claiming to cure us medically emerging all the time, just how much should we rely on them? Joanna Lowy investigates!
• Alive and kickin'
• Fresh on the heels of Older People's Day, we find out why it is so important to keep active later on in life.
• Ginga ninja
• With the largest European sperm bank this week rejecting ginger donors, Joanna Lowy asks once and for all: why are redheads given such a hard time?
• Back to Free Schools
• The summer holidays are over and the new school year has begun. But for some pupils it’s no longer a case of ‘Back to School’ as they make their way into one of 24 ‘Free Schools’; a controversial initiative which is being furiously discussed in the media on a daily basis.
• When Smartphones make us stupid
• We blamed them for last week's unprecedented riots, but just how much do Smartphones affect our intelligence? Joanna Lowy investigates!
• Nigel Crisp on the current NHS reforms
• Nigel Crisp held the title of NHS Chief Executive between 2000-2006. He’s just written a book, ‘24 hours to save the NHS’, in which he tells the inside story of the NHS, charts the impacts of the last reforms, and serves as a benchmark for the current discussions and proposed changes. Here he chats exclusively to NHS Online to share his own unique perspective of the reforms.
• Dying for fame
• The jokes, the tears, the 'I told you sos'; it seems everyone wants a piece of Amy Winehouse's death. But just what can we learn from her untimely demise?
• Dis-abling hate speech
• Mother of two autistic daughters and disability rights campaigner, Nicky Clark, has launched a new campaign to include the disabled in the UK's hate-speech legislation. But why is the treatment of the disabled always so far behind everything else? Joanna Lowy investigates!
• Poor health
• According to recent news, poor people are more likely to die from cancer than those better-off. But why is this happening, and what can the NHS do to change this? Joanna Lowy investigates.
• Super-lamb
• Can animals really save your life? Joanna Lowy investigates.
• Hacking away at the NHS
• The NHS was last week subject to a hacking incident which left parts of their security system compromised. But who's to blame? NHS Online investigates!