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The current pressure on hospital beds is “worse than it was during Covid”, according to a senior manager at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald. Seaneen Pettigrew works in the hospital’s discharge hub and her role is to free up beds by facilitating the discharge of medically-fit patients. She said they …

When 17-month-old Nadira fell sick with a cough and flu, her mother Agustina Maulani bought her some paracetamol cough syrup from a health centre in south Jakarta. “I gave her medicine every four hours, because her fever refused to go down. She would recover, but then have a fever again. …

Alcohol consumption has reduced in the three years since minimum unit pricing (MUP) was introduced, a study has found. The report by Public Health Scotland (PHS) said there had been a 3% net reduction in sales per adult in Scotland’s shops. The biggest reductions were in the sale of cider …

Rapid tests to check whether infections are caused by bacteria or viruses are to be trialled in some GP surgeries. The University of Bristol trial will investigate whether testing initial symptoms could cut the number of antibiotic prescriptions given out. The swab tests can detect multiple viruses and some bacteria, …

A man died days before his wedding due to serious failings at a hospital in north-east London, an ombudsman ruled. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) said 75-year-old Andy Shewan’s death was “avoidable” and he would have lived had it not been for “multiple failures of care”. Mr Shewan …

A Member of the Senedd has said he built himself “back up again from scratch” after he was admitted to hospital diagnosed with bipolar disorder a few years ago. Speaking in a Welsh Parliament debate on mental health, Gareth Davies said he had been “suicidal and had a plan”. While …

Measles has killed 12 children in the western Indian city of Mumbai and surrounding areas, authorities say. The first death was reported around 26-27 October when three children died within 48 hours. The city had 233 confirmed cases this year until Wednesday – a three-fold jump from the 92 cases …

Worcestershire woman who underwent a pioneering operation in Spain after her she was injured by a ceiling fan said she was making “amazing” progress. Rachel Pighills, from Pershore, suffered a complex injury which led to her skull slipping down on to her spine after the incident in 2018. Money was …

Doctors hope a new vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) will take pressure off children’s hospitals. Although RSV cases are mild in most patients, it is the main reason children under five end up in hospital. The Nirsevimab vaccine has been approved but a trial is running in Bristol to …

This is three times higher than the peak seen last winter despite it only being the start of the flu season. However, last year did see very low levels of flu as people were still cautious about mixing because of Covid. Prof Sir Stephen Powis said the figures showed fears …