Inside Health

A new non-hormonal drug has been approved to treat menopausal hot flushes. It works by regulating the body's cooling signals and is now available on the NHS in England for those who cannot use hormone replacement therapy. Before delving into the evidence with resident GP Dr Margaret McCartney, James finds out what it feels like to have a hot flush. Also this week, James chats to Dr Manjula Meda, a...

Little over a week on from the first meningitis cases in Canterbury, many crucial questions remain. So this week we're taking an in-depth look at those questions and what we’ve learnt from this outbreak - and could it happen again? James also hears from author Michael Rosen whose son Eddie died from meningitis aged 18 about just how quickly the disease struck and how he deals with his grief. And w...

More than 30,000 people are being contacted in the Canterbury area regarding the outbreak of bacterial meningitis in Kent. Two people have died, and others are seriously ill. James Gallagher speaks with immunologist Sir Andrew Pollard about the disease, and finds out what could have caused the outbreak. That’s the major headline from the UK. But more broadly, for the last few weeks the news has be...

There have been nearly 200 cases of measles in the UK so far this year. Measles can be prevented with vaccines - but the proportion of children being immunised is declining across the UK, particularly in parts of London. James visits Hackney, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, to find out why and to see what is happening to tackle this issue. And have you tried an adapto...

Penis fillers were an unexpected talking point at the recent Winter Olympics after claims that male ski jumpers were having them to improve performance. So this week we’re digging into the UK’s penis filler industry. James visits a private clinic in Manchester to hear about about the procedure, which involves hyaluronic acid being injected to temporarily increase penis girth.  He meets Jason, who...

ME – also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – has long been one of medicine’s most perplexing conditions. With no definitive diagnostic test and a legacy of scepticism in parts of the medical community, patients have often struggled to be believed. But a surge of new research may finally be shifting the landscape. The emergence of Long COVID – a condition with striking similarities to ME – has acc...

Over 1.5million adults in the UK tried weight loss drugs in 2024-25. Many swear by them, but they have been associated with side effects including nausea and, in some cases, extremely painful gallstones. But what does the evidence actually tell us, and what is the wider impact on the way we view our bodies in society? James Gallagher is joined by Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine at the Univer...

Dentistry is high on the public and political agenda. There have been dozens of headlines about access to NHS dentistry, with some people having to travel huge distances to find a dentist, or being put onto long waiting lists to get an NHS appointment. In this episode of Inside Health, James Gallagher is joined by chairman of the British Dental Association Eddie Crouch, the Oral Health Foundation'...

Most of us have Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) hiding in our bodies. You may know it as the cause of glandular fever or “kissing disease”. But more research is suggesting that it can turn our immune systems against us to cause autoimmune disease, such as multiple sclerosis or lupus. So, what is the virus doing in our bodies - and can we do anything about it? James is joined by Dr Claire Shannon-Lowe, a...

This week we’re looking at government plans to start sequencing the DNA of every newborn baby in England within the next decade. Each newborn would undergo whole genome sequencing to assess their risk of hundreds of diseases, under NHS plans. It promises a revolution in spotting disease early - but are there also risks? And use of nicotine pouches is rising, especially among young men. But these l...

James Gallagher stands by four lanes of traffic and inhales exhaust fumes all to see if he can see air pollution in his body. He looks at an intriguing finding that an mRNA vaccine might benefit people being treated with immunotherapy for some cancers and could we be on the cusp of a holy grail in dentistry? A breakthrough could mean we will soon be able to replace the enamel on our teeth. Present...

Saunas are popping up all over the country, with many people claiming they relax muscles and help ease stress. But what does the science say? This week, James Gallagher travels to Môr A Sawna in Jackson’s Bay, Barry, where he treats himself to a sauna session and undergoes a number of physical tests to find out what benefits the sweaty heat could offer. Next up, James visits The Advanced Neuropath...

In 1964, the future for children born with Cystic Fibrosis was grim - most faced a life cut tragically short. Today, the majority of people living with CF in the UK are adults, a testament to extraordinary medical progress. We meet Annabelle who lives with Cystic Fibrosis, and once believed she might not see her 18th birthday. And we hear from Dr Imogen Felton, a respiratory consultant at Royal Br...

Dementia is now the UK’s leading cause of death - but could a vaccine one day help prevent it? New data from Wales suggests the shingles vaccine is linked to a 20% lower risk of developing dementia in later life, adding to evidence that viral infections can influence brain health. Dr. Pascal Geldsetzer, Assistant Prof of Medicine at Stanford University discusses his findings and the further eviden...

More and more parents are using melatonin to help their children sleep - but there is little research on the long-term effects. So, what do we know about the risks and is it ok to give it to children as an aid to help sleep? James chats to Paul Gringras, professor of children’s sleep medicine and neurodisability at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Vicki Beevers, chief executive of The...

Drug-related deaths are at their highest levels in England and Wales since records began 30 years ago. Scotland has had the highest number of drug deaths in Europe for at least seven years. And the UK has even seen opioid-related deaths surpass the number of people dying in road traffic accidents. So today on Inside Health we’re asking, what's the real story behind these numbers? Who is dying of a...

Exosomes are tiny balls of fat that allow cells to communicate with each other in our bodies. They're being actively researched as an experimental new type of medicine, and they're also being used in the cosmetics industry in serums, as well as being injected into people's skin. Researchers have raised concerns about the safety of this hot new trend in beauty. Presenter James Gallagher meets Dr Ja...

With bin strikes in Birmingham having gone on for months, James Gallagher heads to the Small Heath area of the city to ask what the health risks could be from rubbish left on the streets. He meets campaigners Shafaq, Ashid and Danni from End the Bin Strikes who tell him what residents are worried about. To discuss what diseases could be brewing and how they might spread, he's also joined by Profes...

As an era-defining summer of women’s sport kicks off, Inside Health looks at the science of sport and the female body. What do we know about how female physiology affects sporting performance? James visits Manchester to meet elite athletes and the scientists who are at the forefront of investigating the impact of periods on athletic performance and why women are more prone to certain injuries than...

The Prime Minister has launched a 'new era' for the NHS that aims to move away from reactive care in hospitals to preventing illness through community services. It's an ambitious plan and one with a lot of ambition and a lot of unknowns. James Gallagher discusses the plans with Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund, an independent think tank working to improve health and care across...

When the sun shines, out come the warnings that we all need to be careful in the sun to avoid burning and the risk of skin cancer. There are, though, those who believe that sort of public health messaging isn't positive enough about the benefits of the sun. As James Gallagher hears on the streets of Brighton, many of us know about the health benefits of vitamin d but new research suggests other be...

What's the science behind a sweet tooth? James Gallagher explores whether sugar really can be addicted and what happens in our bodies when we want it and when we eat it. He's joined by Professor Susanne Dickson, who specialises in the neurobiology of appetite at the University of Gothenburg, and Professor James Brown from the School of Biosciences at Aston University. With Easter coming up, James...

We continue our exploration of some of the issues that could crop up if assisted dying becomes law under The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that is currently working its way through Parliament. Today we consider what those final moments might be like and if the ideal of a peaceful death is a reality with the drug options currently available. To discuss we're joined by: Katherine Sleeman...

You sent in your questions on dementia and now we're tackling them. Professor Tara Spires-Jones, Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, joins James Gallagher to go through the insidehealth@bbc.co.uk mailbag. James also visits mushroom grower the Bristol Fungarium which has teamed up with the University of the West of England to examine a mushroom called...

We continue our exploration of some of the issues that could crop up if assisted dying becomes law under The Terminally Ill Adults End of Life Bill that is currently working its way through Parliament. Today we tackle safeguarding. How can we be certain an assisted death is what the person wants? And who should even bring up the conversation? To discuss we're joined by: Katherine Sleeman - Profess...