Behind the Headlines

Ruling on doctor in MMR scare

Friday Jan 29 2010

The doctor who sparked the MMR controversy was “dishonest, irresponsible and showed callous disregard for the distress and pain” of children ...

Slimming pill suspended over safety fears

Friday Jan 22 2010

A slimming pill should be withdrawn because it can “lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes”, The Times and other newspapers reported. It said that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended...

Womb transplant 'years away'

Thursday Oct 22 2009

Widespread coverage has been given to reports that the first human womb transplant could take place within two years. Most newspapers said that research presented at an American...

1 comment about ‘Womb transplant 'years away'’:

Food poisoning bug in chicken

Wednesday Oct 7 2009

A government food survey released yesterday has found that most raw chicken sold in the UK contains campylobacter, a bacterium that can cause food poisoning. The survey...

1 comment about ‘Food poisoning bug in chicken’:

HPV vaccine in the clear

Friday Oct 2 2009

A pathologist has confirmed that the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine did not cause the death of Natalie Morton, the schoolgirl from Coventry.

4 comments about ‘HPV vaccine in the clear’:

Facts about E. coli

Monday Sep 14 2009

Over the weekend several news sources have reported on an outbreak of E. coli infection in children in the UK. The outbreak has been linked to a children’s farm in Surrey and all infected children are under 10. According to BBC News...

'Common painkiller is addictive'

Friday Sep 4 2009

Several news sources have today reported that codeine-based pain killers sold over the counter can “cause addiction within three days”, and that new rules will change the way they will be made available. These changes include...

2 comments about ‘'Common painkiller is addictive'’:

Folic acid pregnancy warning

Thursday Sep 3 2009

Experts have called for “wider folic acid use” according to BBC News, which reported that women of childbearing age have been urged by the Scottish Spina Bifida Association to take folic acid supplements even if...

1 comment about ‘Folic acid pregnancy warning’:

Liver cancer on the rise

Thursday Aug 20 2009

Several newspapers reported today that cases of liver cancer have tripled. The Mirror article on liver cancer said that alcohol is to blame, as well as obesity and the blood infection hepatitis C...

People don't know signs of cancer

Monday Aug 17 2009

Today, several papers and news sources have reported on the widespread lack of cancer knowledge in the UK. The Daily Telegraph says that one in seven of us cannot identify...