Women across England will be able to get the morning-after pill for free from pharmacies from later this year, the government has said. Emergency contraception is already free of charge from most GPs and sexual health clinics. But ministers say getting it in pharmacies is a “postcode lottery” – with some councils funding free prescriptions, … Read more
London’s Heathrow Airport was closed for all of Friday, shutting down one of the world’s busiest airports and causing worldwide travel disruptions after it lost power because of a fire nearby. The closure disrupts an important travel hub for Britain, Europe and the world. Daily, an average of more than 220,000 passengers traveled through the … Read more
Although Bronze was only diagnosed as autistic in 2021, the news did not come as a huge surprise to her. “It was something I always knew about in a way,” she says. “My mum had spoken about it from a very young age and noticed things in me.” At school her condition manifested itself in … Read more
Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images Richard Meddings, a former banker, is the chair of NHS England The chair of NHS England has said he does not disagree with the abolishing of the organisation – although he warns that the buck will now stop with ministers. “There will no longer be a separate vehicle that can … Read more
Michael Buchanan Social affairs correspondent Getty Images After Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement this week that NHS England (NHSE) is to be disbanded, the BBC looks at whether the changes present a new opportunity to improve patient safety within the NHS. A hospital chief executive once described NHSE as “the biggest kiss up, kick … Read more
Hugh Pym and Ian Atkinson BBC News Institute of Cancer Research Abiraterone tablets can help stop prostate cancer spreading A cancer charity has said it is “angry and frustrated” that ministers and health officials have not approved the provision of a life-extending prostate cancer drug through the NHS in England. The drug, abiraterone, has been … Read more
Becky Morton Political reporter Starmer announces he is abolishing NHS England NHS England will be abolished and brought under “democratic control” in an attempt to cut bureaucracy and duplication, Sir Keir Starmer has announced. The organisation, which oversees the country’s health service, will be brought into the Department of Health, and the PM said the … Read more
Nick Triggle Health correspondent Helen Catt Political correspondent PA Media The government has announced NHS England will be abolished to “cut bureaucracy” and reform how the National Health Service is run. The changes will not impact anyone’s access to the NHS – it will still be free at the point of use and cover all … Read more
Getty Images The biggest quango in the world is to be scrapped. That is how the government unveiled the move to bring NHS England, which runs much of the health service in the country, back under the control of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). With more than 14,000 staff, it is around … Read more
Philippa Roxby and Elena Bailey Health reporters Getty Images The first daily pill for treating endometriosis symptoms has been approved for use on the NHS in England – but only for patients who have tried all other options. Endometriosis affects 1.5 million women in the UK, causing pain and extreme tiredness as a result of … Read more