Figures reveal huge inequalities in health and longevity across UK

ONS report shows disparities largest in England and smallest in Northern Ireland, while Scotland has the worst longevity

Westminster: wealth, opulence and socially isolated new mothers

In an area where wealth and poverty sit side by side, a maternity project is tackling loneliness and mental health problems

A sympathetic ear in the doctor’s surgery – cartoon

There are limits to what can be achieved by sending GPs on training courses in empathy

Keep button batteries away from children, doctors warn parents

Great Ormond Street hospital reports sharp rise in number of children treated after swallowing the potentially fatal metal discs

Is DIY surgery a threat to the NHS? – cartoon

One man couldn’t wait for an operation and did the job himself. But is this story all it appears to be?

Varicose veins and skin complaints: how to get treatment

The NHS no longer deals with a range of common ‘minor’ ailments. If your GP won’t refer you, here’s how to get help – and even cure yourself

Full uptake of cervical cancer screening could save hundreds of lives

Almost 350 more women’s lives could be saved if all invited for NHS screening attended, says new study

The bomb that went off in my head

Ian Whitwham was reading to his granddaughter when he lost the ability to speak. A stroke had laid him low

Syphilis is on the rise when it should be confined to history

Infections among men who have sex with men have soared by 232% in five years in London, as sex with multiple partners combines with devastating service cuts

When I leave someone suicidal I’m scared they won’t be there the next day

From supporting a suicidal young man to being held at knife point by a child, social care professionals recount what keeps them up at night