Nearly a third with long Covid have had symptoms for two years, figures suggest

A total of 2.1 million people – around one in 30 – currently have symptoms.

London hospital ‘opens critical care surge ward to cope with demand’

It comes as A&Es face worst ever winter crisis with record waits for treatment

Covid: New XBB.1.5 variant will drive next wave of virus in UK, experts warn

The subvariant could put further pressure on the NHS already struggling amid backlogs and strikes

What are the Covid rules currently in force in the UK?

Present guidance means public no longer required to enter quarantine but doing so still advisable for safety of others

‘Please get the flu jab’ urges Londoner, 26, hospitalised in intensive care after virus led to pneumonia

Olly Browning’s warning comes as flu patients in London hospitals rose elevenfold in the space of a month

Cold and flu medicine warning issued by pharmacy chiefs

Leaders warned that ‘the very basic’ supplies were in shortage

TV doctor Hilary Jones blasts Government over ‘at risk of collapse’ NHS

The GP said the health service is in crisis and warned it could be ‘finished’ if the Government does not act

What financial support is available to breast cancer sufferers?

Help is out there for those battling disease and cost of living concerns together

Crisis-hit NHS ‘can’t keep up’ with too few staff to treat patients safely, warn senior MPs

Demand for healthcare has gone ‘through the roof,’ warns Tory health committee chair Steve Brine

Drill bits and scalpels among record number of surgical tools left inside patients

One woman ‘lost hope’ after part of a surgical blade was left inside her following an operation to remove her ovaries

Robotic therapy helps keep father’s dream alive to walk daughters down the aisle

Luke Louden, 32, suffered a broken neck and back, alongside multiple serious leg injuries, in a serious car crash in August 2020.

Covid: People urged to wear masks and stay at home if unwell as pressure on NHS mounts

Public face coverings have not been mandatory in UK for months – and remain that way, stresses No 10

UK breast cancer patients undergo proton beam therapy in world-first trial on NHS

Researchers hope targeted treatment could reduce risk of future heart problems in certain patients

Trial to see if precision proton beam therapy can benefit breast cancer patients

It is hoped the move could benefit a small number of patients who may have complications from traditional radiotherpay treatment.

London ambulance crews will only wait 45 minutes at A&Es if patient is stable, leaked letter says

Ambulance crews in London with patients who are stable will only wait 45 minutes at A&E units, according to a leaked letter.

Scientific study identifies how men with prostate cancer can live longer

Report says that for the first time ever that men with advanced prostate cancer are able to produce an acute elevation in anti-cancer molecules

What is XBB Covid? The new Omicron variant that has led to surge in cases

New Covid variants are sparking fresh health concerns as Omicron relatives XBB and XBB.1.5 have seen a surge in cases in countries worldwide.

What is colon cancer? ‘Silent killer’ that afflicted Kirstie Alley and Pele

Second-deadliest form of cancer in UK can sometimes develop without symptoms

Number of children needing help for serious mental health problems soars

NHS data shows rise to more than a million referrals last year

Record number of cancer patients treated in 2022 as waiting list grows

More than 320,000 people received cancer care in the 12 months from November 2021

New Covid subvariant XBB.1.5 is ‘wakeup call’ for UK and behind one in 25 cases

Experts warned that the new subvariant is likely to be the dominant strain

Pensioner says ‘do not resuscitate’ order was signed without his permission after hospital seizure

Pat Burke, 82, was visiting the QEQM hospital in Margate, Kent, for a routine check-up on his pacemaker when he had a seizure in the waiting room

Covid could help to cure cancer, new research reveals

Jab led to reduction in risk of cancer coming back or death in patients with stage three and four melanoma

Staying hydrated slows ageing and halves risk of dying young, study shows

Adults who drink around two litres water a day develop fewer life threatening illnesses such as heart and lung disease

NHS pressure ‘unbearable’, medics warn Rishi Sunak as PM told to take action

Royal College of Emergency Medicine chief warns government may attempt to ‘discredit’ figures suggesting up to 500 deaths a week from delays in care

‘Neglected’ patients resorting to DIY medicine due to lack of GP appointments

Survey finds more than a quarter of adults unable to see a local GP face-to-face

Covid: How news of ‘mystery illness’ in Wuhan first broke three years ago

Experts suspected a link to city’s seafood market

‘Unacceptable’: Warning over plunging dementia diagnosis rates as targets missed for two years

Exclusive: Diagnosis rates have fallen across England during the pandemic, with new figures revealing a postcode lottery for patients

Strep A cases in your area as infections in England rise 20 per cent

Scarlet fever and Strep A infections continue to rise as health officials warn parents to be vigilant

Winter set to be worst ever for A&E waits as NHS ‘pressurised like never before’

A number of NHS trusts have declared ‘critical incidents’, meaning they cannot function as usual due to extraordinary pressure.

World Health Organisation urges China to strengthen its Covid response as cases surge

It comes as UK government announces travel restrictions for passengers from China

Hundreds of thousands of diabetes patients now using ‘life-changing’ gadgets

NHS England said that just more than 200,000 patients are now using non-invasive glucose monitoring devices.

Covid: Travellers from China to need negative test to enter UK in government U-turn

France also imposes restrictions as cases soar in Beijing

NHS staff on annual leave urged to help health board facing ‘extreme pressure’

NHS Grampian officials have said they are under an ‘extreme level of pressure’.

Covid: UK under pressure to introduce tests for arrivals from China as cases rise

The USA and Italy are among several nations to impose restrictions around travellers arriving from China

Covid: UK under pressure to introduce tests for arrivals from China as cases rise

The USA and Italy are among several nations to impose restrictions around travellers arriving from China

Flu and Covid ‘twindemic’ hits NHS amid spike in hospital admissions

The sharp increase has been across both general hospital and critical care beds – those for the sickest patients

London Ambulance Service expecting 45% more calls than normal on New Year’s Eve

Paramedics urge Londoners to celebrate the New Year safely as service faces unprecedented demand

Robot prostate surgeons help London hospital set world record

Aquablation technique used to treat ten patients with enlarged prostates in single day

Man with terminal cancer cured after taking new drug

Welder from Greater Manchester said he ‘wouldn’t be here’ without the trial

London hospitals see elevenfold rise in flu patients as pressure on NHS grows

Experts have warned that low immunity in the population has made Britain vulnerable to bad flu season

Ambulance handover delays remain high with one in five waiting over an hour

Some 37% of handovers last week were delayed by at least 30 minutes.

Flu surge continues with number of hospital patients up 79%

The sharp increase has been across both general hospital and critical care beds – those for the sickest patients.

Ambulance handover delays remain high with one in five waiting over an hour

Some 37% of handovers last week were delayed by at least 30 minutes.

Strep A: At least 30 children in UK killed by bacterial infection since September

Twenty-five children have died from the infection this season

Strep A: At least 30 children in UK killed by bacterial infection since September

There has been 122 deaths across all age groups in the last four months in England

At least 30 children dead in the UK from invasive Strep A disease

The UK Health Security Agency said infections remain rare and the majority of cases continue to be in the over-45s

Seven-year-old Elliott’s fundraiser to thank hospital staff who cared for him

Elliott Evans spent almost two weeks in Morriston Hospital after banging his head while playing in a park in Swansea.

Man with terminal cancer cleared of disease thanks to UK drug trial

Only around 1,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with bile duct cancer each year.

South Western Ambulance Service declares critical incident

The service cited ‘unprecedented pressure’ following the Christmas break.

Strep A: Two more children die of infection bringing UK total to 26

Two children aged under 10 in Scotland have died with Strep A infection since October 3, bringing the UK total to 26.

Two children under 10 die with Strep A in Scotland

Public Health Scotland has published the latest figures.

BBC helpline sees decrease in demand from viewers

BBC Action Line received more than 850,000 calls and online visits in 2022.