The Guardian Health

‘Horrific’ maternity care failings at Nottingham NHS trust prompt calls for public inquiry

Report uncovers biggest childbirth scandal in NHS history in which 520 mothers and babies suffered ‘potentially avoidable’ harm or diedHorrific failings led to 520 mothers and babies in Nottingham suffering harm or dying, sparking calls for a public inquiry into maternity care across England.In all, 444 women and 76 newborn babies suffered “potentially avoidable” outcomes, a damning three-year long review of the biggest childbirth scandal in NHS history concluded.A “bullying and toxic culture” p

health  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

Ockenden report: victims' families say babies treated with ‘absence of dignity’ – video

Jack Hawkins, whose baby Harriet died at the Nottingham NHS trust, spoke to the media on Wednesday on behalf of bereaved families after the release of Donna Ockenden's findings into the NHS’s biggest maternity scandal. Details revealed that more than 500 mothers and babies suffered potentially avoidable harm or died due to 'deeply embedded systemic failures' at a 'toxic' hospital trustMore than 500 mothers and babies died or were harmed at ‘toxic’ Nottingham NHS trust, report findsNottingham mat

health  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

‘Cruel’ care and ‘toxic’ culture: shocking findings in maternity report - The Latest

A shocking report into the biggest ever maternity care scandal in the NHS has revealed more than 500 mothers and babies died or were harmed as a result of inadequate care in Nottingham. The review, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, found there was a dismissive attitude to women’s concerns, failures in maternity care, staff shortages, a toxic culture and racism at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS trust. Lucy Hough speaks to UK health and inequalities correspondent Tobi Thomas. Continue rea

health  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

We must be prepared for deadly heatwaves to get worse | Letter

Readers react to the brutal heat conditions affecting Britain and Europe Last summer, I wrote to you warning of the growing threat that extreme heat poses to both patients and the NHS, that the demand for healthcare would rise as temperatures climbed, that our hospitals were ill-equipped to cope and that investment in resilience was urgently needed (Letters, 21 July 2025).A year on, the UK is set for another record-breaking heatwave, yet little has changed. The UK Health Security Agency has also

health  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

Hundreds of mothers and babies died or harmed at ‘toxic’ hospital trust – The Latest

A shocking report into the biggest ever maternity care scandal in the NHS has revealed more than 500 mothers and babies died or were harmed as a result of inadequate care in Nottingham. The review, led by the senior midwife Donna Ockenden, found there had been a dismissive attitude to women’s concerns, failures in maternity care, staff shortages, a toxic culture and racism at Nottingham University hospitals NHS trust. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s UK health and inequalities correspondent T

health  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

Want to continue living at home as you age? Here’s what to consider

Safety concerns, caregiving needs, and, of course, finances all come into play when considering aging-in-place at homeMy mom is the model boomer. At 77 years old, she runs her interior design business, organizes a book club, plays pickleball and dominates in mahjong. She is the picture of health; good luck matching the pace on her 5 mile walks. As is the trend for her generation, mom and her 83-year-old husband have chosen to continue living right where they are at home.Circumstances led her to

health  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

Senators alarmed at Trump administration website Moms.gov promoting anti-abortion facilities

Administration claims website is resource for ‘new and expecting mothers’ but group of senators says it raises ‘profound’ health and safety concernsA group of 11 senators have sent a letter to Donald Trump and Robert F Kennedy urging them to remove a federal website and “cease using federal resources to direct people to anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers”.On Mother’s Day this year, the US Department of Health and Human Services launched Moms.gov, a resource they claim is for “new and expecti

health  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

Farm workers at high risk amid screwworm outbreak in US south-west

Those who work with animals are at greater risk for infection, but face challenges in accessing healthcareAgricultural workers are among the highest risk group for human infection during the screwworm outbreak in the American south, yet they frequently face challenges in accessing public health – an ongoing concern amid zoonotic spillovers such as H5N1 bird flu.Screwworm has been detected in goats and sheep in three Texas counties in recent days, bringing the total to 16 known cases among animal

health  Jun 24, 2026

WHO News

655 million people still living without electricity underscore urgent need to deliver on universal energy access target

At a time when energy security and affordability have risen to the top of the development agenda, 655 million people globally still lack access to electricity, and two billion use polluting fuels and technologies for cooking putting their health and well-being at risk.

health  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

‘Smaller doses of exercise are a miracle cure’: 14 expert tips to protect your joints

Life is much easier if you look after your hips, knees, elbows and shoulders – especially as you get older. Rheumatologists and orthopaedic surgeons explain how to work out, what to eat and how to talk to your doctorOur bodies are incredible machines, but we can take the mechanics for granted until something goes wrong. How can we maintain healthy joints throughout life and avoid surgery? Here, rheumatologists and orthopaedic surgeons give their tips … Continue reading...

health  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

Nottingham maternity care scandal review: what are the key findings?

Review of 2,500 cases between 2012 and 2015 finds ‘systemic’ and ‘deep-rooted’ failures, a bullying culture and racismMore than 500 mothers and babies died or were harmed at ‘toxic’ Nottingham NHS trust, report finds‘Truly horrific’: the stories of five people affectedA review into the NHS’s biggest ever maternity care scandal has been published. Led by Donna Ockenden, an independent senior midwife, the review examined 2,500 cases involving mothers and babies dying or being seriously injured, or

health  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

Ockenden report live: largest maternity review in NHS history to be published

Senior midwife Donna Ockenden investigated stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths, and babies or mothers who suffered brain damage and other injuries‘Truly horrific’: five stories from the NHS maternity scandalSpeaking ahead of the publication of the report, Labour MP Michelle Welsh said it was “pure luck” that her own baby had survived birth.“When it comes to luck, as to whether your baby survives or not, then that is a true indication of a system that is truly, truly failing,” the MP for Sh

health  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

As temperatures soar in baking Britain, how are workers coping in the heat?

Extreme weather is affecting people in areas from schools and care homes to construction sites – with workers urging leaders to take problem seriouslyEurope heatwave live – latest updatesWith temperatures in the UK approaching record levels for June, people are being advised to avoid exercise and unnecessary travel. So how do you work in this heat?We look at how various sectors of the economy are coping with unprecedented temperatures, and how working practices will have to adapt to increasingly

health  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

Most IVF ‘add-on’ treatments have no effect on fertility or remain unproven, study says

Review shows majority of procedures offered alongside standard IVF not backed by reliable evidence Most IVF “add-on” treatments sold to people hoping to boost their chances of having children are not backed by reliable evidence, fail to boost fertility and may be a complete waste of money, the largest study of its kind has concluded.There has been a surge in extra procedures, medicines or techniques offered to patients in addition to standard IVF with bold claims they will increase the probabili

health  Jun 23, 2026

The Guardian Health

How worried should we be about bird flu? – podcast

Having wiped out millions of birds worldwide and devastated wildlife populations around the globe, Australia has watched as the H5N1 strain of bird flu crept ever closer.And now it’s here, on the last continent to be hit. Birds have been discovered on beaches in Western Australia and tested positive for the virus.Reged Ahmad speaks to Graham Readfearn about how governments and wildlife experts alike are anxiously waiting to see if this is just the beginningRead more: Continue reading...

health  Jun 23, 2026

The Guardian Health

‘I’d pause then carry on’: Peter Marinker, star of Krapp’s Last Tape, on performing with Alzheimer’s

The 84-year-old actor has spent decades bringing Samuel Beckett’s plays to life. Does his recent diagnosis give him new insights into playing ‘sad clown’ Krapp in a drama about age and the battlefield of memory?What a lot of Krapp. Pardon my French but Samuel Beckett’s haunting 1958 masterpiece about regret and isolation is having a moment. Stephen Rea recently took Krapp’s Last Tape on an international tour, Gary Oldman returned to the stage after decades away to deliver the tragicomic one-man

health  Jun 23, 2026

The Guardian Health

New Trump book’s authors detail how they pried loose White House secrets: ‘We nearly killed ourselves’

Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, the reporters behind Regime Change, were up against an administration that is ‘very good at keeping secrets’They cracked the White House situation room, unearthing secrets from the heart of a secretive administration. But the reporters behind Regime Change, a blockbuster new book on Donald Trump’s second term, ran up against a wall when reporting on one issue surrounding the 80-year-old US president: his fitness for office.“His health has always been a very spe

health  Jun 23, 2026

WHO News

WHO urges scale up of newborn screening to improve early detection and care of birth defects

The World Health Organization (WHO) today calls on countries to expand newborn screening for birth defects, highlighting how early detection and treatment can save lives and reduce lifelong disability for millions of children.A new WHO report, Strengthening capacity for newborn screening, diagnosis and management of birth defects, identifies newborn screening as an important opportunity to accelerate progress in child survival.Many conditions can be successfully treated if identified early after

health  Jun 23, 2026

The Guardian Health

Can I get sick from bird flu? What are the symptoms, and are chicken and eggs safe to eat?

As the deadly H5N1 virus makes landfall in Australia, experts hope strong biosecurity will protect poultry and dairy cattleBrown skuas and giant petrels rarely make landfall. When they were found in WA, scientists feared ‘bad news’ for wildlife‘A genuine wildlife emergency’: everything you need to know about the arrival of H5 bird flu in AustraliaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia was the only continent free of H5N1 bird flu until last week, when a brown skua wi

health  Jun 23, 2026

The Guardian Health

How to start strength training in midlife, according to female trainers 40 and over

Experts share a few tools, from dumbbells to resistance bands to cooling towels, to help women get strongerSign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better thingsUnfortunately, muscle mass peaks long before wisdom does. After age 40, we lose about 3% to 8% of it per decade, and after 50 the losses accelerate. Known as sarcopenia, this decline means our muscles don’t respond to exercise the way they once did. For many women, perimenopause makes the uphill climb even

health  Jun 22, 2026