7 hours agoAbout sharingThe suicide rate among younger Scots increased in the years leading up to 2020, analysis shows
Suicide was the leading cause of death among children and young adults in Scotland from 2011 to 2020, a new report shows.
Public Health Scotland (PHS) found more than a quarter (25.7%) of deaths of those aged five to 24 were as a result of probable suicide.
This was more than the number of young people dying from road accidents and accidental poisonings combined.
However, the rate for young people is lower than those aged 25 and
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By Philippa RoxbyHealth reporter
53 minutes agoAbout sharingSelling vapes to under-18s is illegal in the UKVaping among secondary-school children is rising, with nearly one in five 15-year-olds using e-cigarettes in 2021, a survey by NHS Digital suggests.
Among 11-15-year-olds, 9% say they are vapers - up from 6% in 2018.
Doctors say children are being targeted by e-cigarette companies, with bright packaging, exotic flavours and enticing names.
The long-term effects of vaping remain unknown - but it is much less harmful than smoking cigarettes.
The UK
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4 hours agoCommentsAbout sharingSmoking is now banned within 15m of hospital buildings in Scotland
Smoking outside hospitals is now banned under new legislation.
Anyone caught lighting up within 15m of a hospital building in Scotland could be fined up to £1,000.
The regulations become law from Monday, and apply to all NHS hospital settings used for patient treatment and care.
The new rule follows a voluntary smoke-free policy introduced at
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By Sophie HutchinsonHealth correspondent
8 hours agoAbout sharingOrthopaedic surgeon Shyam Kumar worked part-time for the Care Quality CommissionA doctor who was sacked for raising patient safety concerns has won a case against England's hospital regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Orthopaedic surgeon Shyam Kumar worked part-time for the CQC as a special adviser on hospital inspections, but Manchester Employment Tribunal found that he was unfairly dismissed.
He had reported concerns regarding inadequate hospital inspections, staff bullying and serious patient
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13 hours agoAbout sharingMargaret Keenan, pictured here getting a booster, was the first person outside of trials to get an approved Covid jab
Millions of people will be invited for their autumn Covid booster jab in England and Scotland next week, with care home residents the first to receive them.
Although infections are falling, health bosses are predicting a resurgence of Covid and flu this autumn and winter.
They are urging those eligible to protect themselves from serious illness by getting vaccines against both.
A recently approved vaccine against the Omicron variant will be
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By Michelle RobertsDigital health editor
11 hours agoAbout sharingA third person has died this week in Argentina from an unexplained type of pneumonia that has affected nine people in total so far.
All of the cases centre around a private medical clinic in northwestern Tucuman province.
Authorities say they have ruled out Covid and common types of flu but are continuing other infection checks.
Tests on the local water supply and air conditioners
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By Hayley JarvisBBC Scotland reporter
18 hours agoAbout sharingLisa Megginson says she hopes her implant will show that medical devices can cause harm
Lisa Megginson had her transvaginal mesh tape surgically removed in April after years of health problems and now she has taken the unusual step of donating it to a museum.
The 51-year-old said she was "overwhelmed" to see the
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By Michelle RobertsDigital health editor
1 day agoAbout sharingTurnbull presented BBC One's Breakfast programme for 15 years, later moving to Classic FM radioBill Turnbull's campaigning saved lives and encouraged "thousands and thousands" of men to come forward for prostate cancer testing, experts say.
The broadcaster died from the disease, at the age of 66, on Wednesday.
When Turnbull revealed his diagnosis, in 2018, referrals to the NHS increased by about 20%, according to charity Prostate Cancer UK, and calls to its helpline saw a large increase.
News of his death could have a
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By Hugh PymHealth editor
2 days agoAbout sharingThe UK inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has started to investigate decisions made by prime minister Boris Johnson and his senior advisers in early 2020.
Key players including Mr Johnson and former health secretary Matt Hancock are likely to appear in person at hearings next summer.
Decisions over the timing of lockdown and testing delays will be scrutinised.
The inquiry was recently widened to include a focus on children.
The latest area of the inquiry's investigations, known as Module 2,
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3 hours agoAbout sharingStatins reduce the build-up of fatty plaques that lead to blockages in blood vessels
People on cholesterol-lowering statins can be reassured that it is uncommon for the tablets to cause muscle pain, say the authors of a large study.
The pills can protect against heart attacks and strokes, but have had some bad press because of a very rare risk of dangerous muscle inflammation.
The British Heart Foundation says patients should not automatically stop their tablets for mild muscle aches.
The conclusions are based on data from nearly 155,000 people.
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4 days agoCommentsAbout sharing
Most hospital patients and care home residents in England will no longer be tested for Covid unless they have symptoms, the government has said.
From 31 August, NHS and social care staff will also not be offered lateral flow tests unless they fall sick.
Free testing for the general public ended in April in England, but continued in some high-risk settings.
The government said UK Covid rates have fallen, meaning most testing could be
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