The average age of people in England who have a stroke for the first time has fallen over the past decade, new figures show. It dropped from 71 to 68 for men and 75 to 73 for women between 2007 and 2016, Public Health England data shows. Over the same period, the proportion of first-time strokes suffered by 40 to 69-year-olds rose from 33% to 38%.
Frail and vulnerable patients are being trapped in an "endless cycle" of going in and out of hospitals in England, the British Red Cross is warning. The charity said the pressure on the NHS meant hospitals were rushing some patients home before they were ready and without adequate checks being made. It said its staff had found patients in distressing situations, sent back to homes with no heating or lighting.
Two thirds of UK adults feel they have nobody to talk to about their problems, a survey has found. Of the 2,500 people questioned, 66% said they had no one to speak to about mental health, relationships or money. Difficulty finding the right time or place to talk were given as reasons behind the trend, the survey by mental health campaign Time to Change said.
Going to the dentist is something that many would want to avoid - but how about if you also faced a penalty fine? More than 40,000 people a year in England are getting fines of £100 - from an automated system that dentists say is hitting the most vulnerable.
French scientists say they may have found a potential cause of dyslexia which could be treatable, hidden in tiny cells in the human eye. In a small study they found that most dyslexics had dominant round spots in both eyes - rather than in just one - leading to blurring and confusion.
Prescribing rates for a valium-like drug linked to 111 deaths in a year vary widely across England, BBC analysis suggests. Monthly spending on prescriptions containing pregabalin was 88% higher in the North East and 83% higher in the North West than in London. Experts say there needs to be more research into why the disparities exist.
