Behind the Headlines

No evidence of cure to prevent hair going grey

Tuesday May 7 2013

'Cure for grey hair is on its way say scientists' the Daily Mirror reports. It is just one of many headlines that failed to reveal that the research in question had nothing to do with hair colouring – but the skin condition vitiligo…

111 helpline is ‘struggling’, NHS board concedes

Thursday May 2 2013

The Guardian’s headline "NHS 111 helpline 'failing to meet targets'," is just one of many about problems that the helpline, for people with non-emergency conditions, has had. A NHS paper on the issue does report some parts of the service are “struggling”…

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New bird flu strain requires vigilance researchers warn

Thursday May 2 2013

Most of the UK media are reporting on a worrying new strain of bird flu in China – the H7N9 strain of the bird flu virus. According to the media, virology experts at a recent press conference warned that the virus "should not be taken lightly"…

Parasite genes drive up antimalarial resistance

Monday Apr 29 2013

"New drug-resistant strains of the parasite that causes malaria have been identified," is the worrying news being reported on the BBC News website. Covering the same piece of research, The Guardian outlines the ongoing "scientific detective hunt in…

MMR catch-up campaign targets a million children

Thursday Apr 25 2013

The MMR vaccine should be given to all unvaccinated schoolchildren aged from 10 to16 as part of a national catch-up campaign, the government has announced. This MMR vaccination catch-up campaign aims to prevent further…

Cosmetic treatments need new regulation report finds

Wednesday Apr 24 2013

New proposals to regulate cosmetic procedures were widely reported in the papers today, with the Daily Mail reporting the need to "rein in cosmetic surgery cowboys", and The Daily Telegraph warning that anti-wrinkle treatments…

Community treatment orders 'don't reduce psychiatric readmissions'

Thursday Apr 18 2013

"'Psychiatric Asbos' were an error says key advisor," The Independent reports. The news comes from new research examining the effectiveness of community treatment orders (CTOs), a legal measure that allows mental health teams...

Prostate cancer screening for older men 'unlikely'

Wednesday Apr 17 2013

There is wide coverage of new research that argues that routine screening could reduce deaths from prostate cancer, with BBC News, The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail all reporting the story. This controversial study is likely to reignite…

'Lab-grown' rat kidney successfully transplanted

Monday Apr 15 2013

“Scientists have grown a kidney in a laboratory and shown that it works when implanted into a living animal”, The Guardian reports. As this story suggests, early stage research has shown that rat kidneys can be…

Report finds children's units lack 24/7 care

Friday Apr 12 2013

The Mail Online website warns that children’s hospital services are “not providing 24/7 care”, while The Guardian argues that “child services are spread too thinly”. The Independent makes the point that “Children [are] at risk until NHS units close”…