Category Archive

When I was running an ­allergy clinic, I often had reason to look at so-called inactive ingredients in ­tablets, capsules, creams and lotions. And even though these ingredients are called inactive, many of them aren’t. They can trigger allergies. Plus, … Read More

A lot of people probably won’t agree with me, but I find ­myself rejoicing in a new plan to help drug users. The reasons I’m in favour of drug-testing clinics is that they’re likely to be very helpful, they’re non-judgmental … Read More

There has been a surge in ­the numbers of teenagers suffering post-­traumatic stress disorder. And one of the serious effects that complicates PTSD is self-harming. Hospital admissions for children who are self-harming have more than doubled in six years. In … Read More

The cervical screening programme has hit a ­roadblock. Many young women are ­delaying or failing to attend cervical screening appointments ­because of embarrassment and a fear that the procedure would hurt them. Could we increase cervical screening rates by allowing … Read More

When I was in my 50s I was a director of a multinational US corporation and had to fly to San Francisco for board meetings each month. With often a nine-hour time change I found the jet lag very difficult … Read More

I’m highly sceptical about any diet that claims to boost fertility especially when it’s simply a healthy diet we should all be eating anyway, even though a couple of Harvard professors have written a book stating you can up your … Read More

Our childhood vaccinations schemes have been so ­successful over the years that many people have never seen a child with diphtheria, polio, measles or mumps. These adults are fortunately ­ignorant to the suffering a child ­experiences with any of these … Read More

Years ago I filmed a ­documentary in Singapore where the number of organ ­donations was higher than anywhere else in the world, and the difficulty in procuring transplant ­organs had evaporated. Why? The Singaporean government had declared an opt-out scheme … Read More

Here’s a new approach to ­treating Alzheimer’s – sound and light therapy. Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, have shown that this method can relieve Alzheimer’s in animals and a clinical trial in human patients has already started. The study by … Read More

Recently I attended a Mirror rally in ­support of protecting free TV licences for the over-75s. I heard many stories of how TV is a lifeline for older people and keeps them in touch with what’s going on globally as … Read More