Smash Hit

Thalidomide victim denied homecare

A woman left with shortened arms and legs by thalidomide does not deserve 24-hour home care, an NHS trust has ruled

Families set for UK's first three-way kidney swap

Three donors will give away one of their organs so that their loved one gets a suitable match from a stranger

War wounded still come — and they’re getting younger

Experts doubt doctor’s stem-cell ‘cures’

Delhi's Geeta Shroff charges up to £30,000 a time for treatment banned in Britain but refuses to publish her research

Gene therapy could cure brain disease

A new treatment has halted the development of the genetic disorder, featured in the film Lorenzo’s Oil, in two boys

I never gave up hope for my son Lorenzo

Gene breakthrough shows the impossible can happen, says the father whose quest to find a cure for ALD was made into a film

Increase in intellectual standing of newborns

Science has revealed that from birth we are equipped with the basic building blocks of language, mathematics and music

Crying babies imitate parents’ language

Babies pick up the first elements of their native language in the womb, scientists say in a new study

COMMENTARY: a wonderful discovery

It takes on average 10-12 years and about £500 million worth of investment to develop a new medicine ready for use

Report: patients miss out due to communication

The report Caring to the End? found that an apparent lack of input led to delays and inappropriate care for patients

Mental ill health 'costs business £28bn a year'

Stress, depression and culture of long hours are taking a heavy toll on small companies and wider economy, watchdog says

Dying baby cured in medical world first

An Australian infant with a rare disease has been cured with treatment that has previously been used only on mice

Nano smart bomb for cancer gets clinical trial

A therapy that dodges the body’s immune system to deliver drug direct to tumour will begin patient trials next year

Suicide couple's daughter calls for debate

Chrissy Milner says her parents hoped to draw attention to the 'serious human dilemma' faced by those who want an assisted death

Sacked adviser warns of alcohol 'time bomb'

Expert sacked from ministers’ advisory council on drugs reaffirms his claim that alcohol is more dangerous than Ecstasy

Mental health costs business £28 billion

Long hours and ‘presenteeism’ is damaging small businesses, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence says

Schoolboy campaigner backs vitamin D summit

Links between vitamin D deficiency and multiple sclerosis to be explored in major conference brought about by campaigning 14-year-old

Girls display depressing lack of self-esteem

Report underlines how young girls go from being largely unaware of their bodies to wanting, quite desperately, to be thin

Schoolgirls think cosmetic surgery is normal

Authors of Guides report say they are particularly concerned that girls find fault with their looks from a very early age

Cameron's plans to save millions in NHS

Tory leader said that under a Conservative government patients would have right to choose hospital based on success rates