The Guardian Health

MPs urge Labour to ditch £330m Palantir software contract with NHS

Cross-party group backs call last month from science and technology committee to look at alternative optionsA second parliamentary committee has urged Labour to scrap Palantir’s £330m contract with the NHS, increasing pressure on the next prime minister over government deals with the controversial US tech company.MPs on the health and social care select committee want the NHS to cut ties with Palantir and find a replacement for its system, which is supposed to unify and analyse huge amounts of o

health  Jul 9, 2026

The Guardian Health

As parents, we’re struggling to support our children who are not working or studying | Letters

Readers respond to a letter about the challenges facing families where their adult children are not able to lead independent lives I was moved by the letter (3 July) from a parent whose child is not in employment, education or training (Neet). As a parent of a neurodivergent late-teenager who struggles with social communication and with making relationships beyond the family, I have found the prospect of his entry into adulthood a daunting, unsettling one.As your correspondent makes clear, it’s

health  Jul 8, 2026

The Guardian Health

‘You don’t know what they’re touching’: how to properly disinfect your home after a bout of flu

Germs can stay on hard surfaces for up to two days, and a proper clean down can prevent the spread to othersMake cleaning easier with these 13 favorites for scrubbing, cleaning and tidyingSign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better thingsRecently, I suffered from a nasty bout of the flu. As I emerged from my sickness-induced haze, I made a to-do list: restock my fridge, catch up on emails and most importantly, disinfect my apartment.There’s nothing worse than

health  Jul 8, 2026

The Guardian Health

Progress against cancer not shared by poorer countries, WHO report finds

‘Persistent’ inequities found to exist in access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, annual global review says Remarkable scientific progress against cancer has changed very little for millions of patients globally, who face devastating physical, emotional and financial consequences after diagnosis, a new World Health Organization report has warned.One person in five will develop cancer, according to WHO estimates, and the disease will touch 92% of people, either through their own diag

health  Jul 8, 2026

WHO News

WHO calls for urgent action as new cancer cases are projected to nearly double by 2050

Millions of people are facing physical, emotional and financial toll of cancer, a disease that claims more than 26 000 lives every day, according to a report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO). With an estimated 20.6 million new cases and close to 10 million deaths annually, cancer remains the second leading cause of death globally, after cardiovascular disease.

health  Jul 8, 2026

The Guardian Health

My patients use ChatGPT for therapy. Now I use it too | Sarah Dargouth

I can’t blame my patients for turning to its straightforward assessments. But it has real risks – and care may require human messiness“Chat told me I should break up with him.”I instructed my face to remain therapist-neutral, but I must have smirked. The truth is, I was annoyed. We had been discussing the viability of this relationship for weeks, and in an instant AI had brought the answer. “How do you feel about it?” She said this had been her gut feeling all along. The following session, her r

health  Jul 8, 2026

The Guardian Health

The rise of blue-space therapy: how the sea is helping people deal with trauma, anxiety and addiction

‘Sea cures’ are not new but the idea that exposure to oceans, rivers and lakes can be medicine for the brain is gaining tractionWatching the waves break across the vast, roaring ocean in front of him, Dave Phillips felt out of options standing on the cliff’s edge in Cornwall several years ago. The former British army corporal had lost a number of loved ones in quick succession, and the compounding effects of untreated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his military tours had become all-c

health  Jul 8, 2026

The Guardian Health

Thousands of women could be spared painful cancer exam by new NHS AI blood test

The test, which is being trialled by two NHS trusts, could replace the transvaginal ultrasound scan in some casesThousands of women could be spared having a painful intrusive exam for suspected cancer thanks to a new AI-powered blood test being trialled by the NHS.Around 90,000 postmenopausal women a year in England are referred by their GP to be investigated for possible womb cancer because they are bleeding a lot. Continue reading...

health  Jul 7, 2026

The Guardian Health

Men’s average testosterone levels have halved in last 50 years, say scientists

Exclusive: Researchers warn of ‘major crisis in male reproductive health’ partly driven by obesity and diabetesMen’s average testosterone levels have halved over the past 50 years, according to scientists who say that society is facing a male fertility crisis.Total testosterone levels in men declined by 54% between 1972 and 2019, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in London on Tuesday. Continue reading...

health  Jul 7, 2026

The Guardian Health

Pore substitute: can AI be trusted when it comes to skincare advice?

There are more than 3,000 conditions in dermatology, experts warn – and chatbots’ recommendations can be flaky Read more in the Antiviral seriesWho among us has not, in a moment of panic or curiosity, consulted the internet in search of solutions to a medical ailment?Increasingly, people are turning to AI for health advice, and skincare is no exception. Purpose-built apps promise to identify that rash, while people are sending selfies to AI chatbots seeking “full skincare analysis” and personali

health  Jul 7, 2026

The Guardian Health

Burnham urged to ditch ‘dangerous’ UK-US NHS drug deal

Exclusive: health groups call on expected next prime minister to rip up agreement, which analysis suggests could lead to 229,000 excess deaths by 2036UK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham is being urged to scrap the controversial UK-US trade deal on medicines as health organisations and doctors’ groups warn it is “dangerous” and prioritises pharmaceutical company profits over the lives of NHS patients.Ministers have defended the agreement, signed last December, as a way of helping Britis

health  Jul 7, 2026

The Guardian Health

People keep asking me why I’m choosing to have a caesarean – here are my reasons | Sharon Gaffka

This isn’t an argument against vaginal birth, and caesareans aren’t without risk. But in the context of failing maternity services, it gives me the greatest sense of calmSharon Gaffka is a reality TV star and political activistOne thing nobody really prepares you for when you’re pregnant is how interested everyone suddenly becomes in your body. People ask if you’re planning on breastfeeding. Whether you’ll have an epidural. If you’re hoping for a water birth. Whether you’ll “try naturally”.I’ve

health  Jul 7, 2026

The Guardian Health

Air pollution linked to DNA changes in sperm, research shows

Study of more than 2,000 men identifies epigenetic changes linked to exposure to common outdoor pollutantsAir pollution appears to alter how sperm genes function, one of the largest fertility studies of its kind has found.Men exposed to common air pollutants while sperm were developing showed subtle DNA changes that affected whether genes were switched on or off, raising fresh concerns air pollution may harm male fertility. Continue reading...

health  Jul 6, 2026

The Guardian Health

Consultant doctors in England vote for NHS strikes over pay and working week

Year-long mandate for action prompts fears of fresh disruption after resident doctors recently ended disputeConsultant doctors in England have voted for strikes over the next 12 months in pursuit of higher pay and a shorter working week, prompting fears of renewed disruption in the NHS.Consultants, who earn an average of £152,000, want ministers to agree a multi-year pay deal to address what they say is the 25% fall in the value of their salaries since 2008-09. Continue reading...

health  Jul 6, 2026

The Guardian Health

How US-UK drug deal will benefit patients | Letters

Many new medicines have reached NHS patients as a result of the government’s reformed pricing arrangements, writes Richard Torbett. Plus a letter from Nick HoileThe suggestion that the US-UK pharmaceutical agreement will result in excess deaths is alarmist and relies on a heavily critiqued approach to modelling how much the NHS can spend to generate health (US-UK drug deal could result in 229,000 excess deaths in England, analysis suggests, 1 July). It is underpinned by incomplete data.In just t

health  Jul 6, 2026

The Guardian Health

Taking a walk down memory lane | Letters

Readers respond to letters about testing mental capacityRe memory tests (Letters, 1 July), my mother was taken to hospital some years ago after an infection overwhelmed her. She was confused and stressed. A doctor wanted to check her mental capacity and gave her paper and a pencil, asking that she write down a sentence with a subject, an object and a verb.I was trying to find the words to say that this was unfair, given her health. A lot of people might not even know what was meant by a subject

health  Jul 6, 2026

The Guardian Health

Wegovy weight-loss pill goes on sale on UK high street and online pharmacies

Thousands of people begin receiving their first deliveries of once-a-day medication made by Novo NordiskBusiness live – latest updatesA once-a-day Wegovy weight-loss pill has gone on sale at high street and online pharmacies in the UK, but is not yet available on the NHS.Thousands of people began receiving their first deliveries of the pill, made by the Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk, on Monday. It contains the same active GLP-1 ingredient as the Wegovy jab, semaglutide, and is similarly effectiv

health  Jul 6, 2026

The Guardian Health

NHS to rate English trusts on tackling violence and racism towards staff

Exclusive: Published league tables will rank acute, ambulance and mental health trusts on six measures The NHS will rate trusts according to how well they tackle racism, violence and sexual misconduct towards staff, the government has announced.From July, all NHS acute, ambulance and mental health trusts in England will be judged and ranked in published league tables on six main measures of wellbeing, affecting more than 1.5 million staff. Continue reading...

health  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian Health

Problems with Andy Burnham’s drive for devolution | Letters

Daughne Taylor and John Marriott respond to the prospective new prime minister’s 10-year proposal to cede more power to regions and communitiesAndy Burnham’s flagship promise to devolve power to the local level will not apply to the NHS if the current health bill passes into law in its present form (Andy Burnham to pledge ‘good growth in every postcode’ in devolution plan, 28 June). Currently, NHS foundation trusts have a statutory duty to have a council of governors. These are unpaid volunteer

health  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian Health

Majority of UK smokers wrongly believe vaping is as harmful as cigarettes, experts find

Analysis shows public understanding about vaping, which is far less harmful than smoking, has plummeted in past decadeMore than half of adult smokers in the UK wrongly believe that vaping is as harmful or more harmful than cigarettes, making them less likely to switch to vapes and quit the deadly habit, research has found.Evidence from scientific studies shows that, while vaping is not risk-free, it is far less harmful than smoking tobacco, which produces thousands of chemicals, including toxic

health  Jul 5, 2026