Inside Health
Episodes
Can I take HRT forever & hydration myths
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can you take hormone replacement therapy - HRT - for forever? Three women talk about their different experiences of how they managed the menopause. ...
Pig organs for transplant patients
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can “one helluva pig” be the solution to a worldwide shortage of organ donors. People die waiting for replacement hearts, lungs and kidneys. So I ...
Covid boosters, Vaccine hesitancy in pregnancy, Group B strep
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Will we need boosters forever? It’s the question you wanted us to tackle so we’re joined by Prof Beate Kampmann, the Director of The Vaccine Centr...
New therapies for sickle cell disease
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jimi Olaghere feels like he’s been reborn after a pioneering new treatment for sickle cell disease. Scientists have engineered his blood to overcome...
Asthma inhalers and Covid antivirals
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you one of the five million people with asthma in the UK? If so, could you be on a different inhaler - one that could control your asthma better w...
Omicron
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is an Omicron infection inevitable? Which drugs still work? Is this the last hurrah of the pandemic? This week we have three of the country’s greate...
New Year's Resolutions
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Happy New Year. I hope you’re sticking to your New Year’s resolutions! Our resident GP Margaret McCartney has dragged me out for a wintery run to ...
Prediabetes, Experiments in zero gravity
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Beat pre-diabetes and get your love life back? We hear from two people who are trying to avoid getting type 2 diabetes. But not everyone thinks the te...
PPE waste and blood test tube shortage
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Flying London to New York and back. 244 times every day. For half a year. That’s the size of the carbon footprint of all the personal protective equ...
Gene Silencing Treatments
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The future is here. Gene silencing medicines - which can fine tune how our DNA works - have held promise for decades. Now hundreds of thousands of peo...
Covid vaccines: their legacy & vaccinating teens
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic has strapped rocket boosters onto vaccine science. So where is it taking us next? What other diseases are we about to take on? Prof Dame ...
The Nobel Prize for Medicine, new plans to add nutrients to foods
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone need a hug? I’m taking a look at this year’s Nobel Prize for Medicine. It helps explain how we experience the physical sensations of touch,...
Ultra-processed vegetarian & vegan foods
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’re going meat-free for this podcast! The supermarket shelves are heaving with faux meats and vegan ultra-processed foods. And if you don’t wan...
The vulva & your GP medical records
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know your mons pubis from your labia majora? Few of us can identify the parts of the vulva - that’s the external female genitals. So I go ex...
Long covid in children & treating normal blood pressure
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
My blood pressure is perfectly normal, but could I benefit from medication to lower it even further? We discuss with Oxford University’s Prof Kazem ...
Fewer periods, The link between erectile dysfunction and the heart
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time to talk about periods and contraception. Different birth control options alter the menstrual cycle. Journalist Nicola Davis tells me about...
When to take your child to A&E, ear wax and happiness
20 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Time for a sprinkling of happiness with a new exhibition at the Wellcome Collection.Last time we heard how children's A&E is under huge pressure a...
Increase in childhood viruses and can you be too fit?
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Here at Team Inside Health we’ve noticed our children are constantly ill. So we find out why. Are all those bugs that were dormant for the pandemic...
How to defeat needle phobia and football and lateral flow tests.
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Inside Health podcast is back with a bang! Find out how having a couple of mates round for the football trapped scientist Alex Crozier inside a Co...
Recovery Trial
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is the remarkable story of how the UK’s Recovery Trial saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Covid patients. It was set up in nine days, ...
Covid vaccine side-effects
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I was floored for three days with side-effects after having my first Covid jab and many of you have been in touch about your side-effects too. Why do...
Human challenge trials, Chess & memory, Dementia misdiagnosed
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I have become hooked on playing online chess during this lockdown and after watching the Queen’s Gambit. So we’ll find out if it is actually doing...
Sexual health, contraception and tackling waiting lists
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What has the pandemic done to our sex lives? We’ll hear if there’s been a baby boom with Dr Margaret McCartney and Dr Rebecca Thomson-Glover has t...
Long Covid, Vaccine queries
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Most people recover rapidly after catching coronavirus. But I chat to three people who were infected almost a year ago and are still feeling the impac...
Covid Symptoms
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A fever, cough or loss of smell and taste are criteria for a Covid-19 test, but what if you have different symptoms? James Gallagher discusses whether...
Mouthwash & dentistry during the pandemic
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One or our listeners, Katharine, asks whether mouthwash can help stop the spread of coronavirus. We hunt down the answer with the help of biochemist V...
Exercise in the time of Covid
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It’s an exercise special on Inside Health. This week Amanda wants to know how quickly she can get back to exercising after Covid. Dr David Salman ha...
Oximetry at home, Rapid lateral flow tests for Covid
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In Covid, oxygen levels in the body can crash without noticeable symptoms - it’s known as “silent hypoxia”. This week we’ll be discussing whet...
Statins and Nocebo, Vit D & Covid, new therapies for Covid
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Should you take vitamin D pills to ward off coronavirus? Our own Dr Margaret McCartney has been sifting through the evidence in search of answers. Als...
Covid in 2021 & a blood test that claims to detect cancer early
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
2020 was awful. So what about 2021?I chat with Prof Neil Ferguson to see how this year could play out and when life might return to normal. Cardiologi...
How Bangor Hospital's Intensive Care Unit is Preparing for Winter
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Saleyha Ahsan reports from Ysbyty Gwynedd, her own hospital in Bangor, North Wales about how the Intensive Care Unit is preparing for winter. Saleyha ...
20/10/2020
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19 damages the lungs, leaving people struggling to get enough oxygen into their body. In the early stages of the pandemic many patients needed ...
Covid-19 Test and Trace; Non-drug trials in a pandemic
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Margaret McCartney on National Test and Trace and why households are receiving multiple calls. Beth tells of being contacted many times when her child...
Touch in Health Care
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Radio 4 Touch Test included questions about touch in health care. Dr Natalie Bowling who's a psychologist from the University of Greenwich helped ...
Antibodies to Covid in Kids, Covid and Colds, PIMS-TS,
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The story of one child's recovery from PIMS-TS, the rare new condition that caught doctors by surprise in April. James Gallagher visits specialists at...
Sticky Blood : From Blood Clots to Covid-19
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thromboses - blood clots that form in the circulation - are easily the biggest single killer of British men and women. They affects people of all age...
Flu Vaccine; Dentistry and Covid; Diagnosing Coeliac disease; NHS preparations for winter
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How will this year's expanded flu vaccine programme be delivered? In addition to usual groups the flu vaccine will be offered to all eleven year olds,...
Bedside Covid Test; Longterm Covid Recovery
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter on a new bedside test that differentiates between Covid-19 and other infectious diseases including flu in under an hour. Mark meets Dr ...
Prescribing Cycling; Temperature Checks; False Positives; Choirs and Covid-19
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As the Government announces GPs should start to prescribe cycling Margaret McCartney examines the evidence for exercise referrals with Harry Rutter, P...
Public Health in the time of Coronavirus
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Public health doctors don't dash around hospitals wearing white coats brandishing stethoscopes. The work of this medical specialty is mainly outside o...
Covid-19 and ethnicity in medicine; medical devices safety review
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most striking features of the coronavirus pandemic is the disproportionate toll it’s taken on some groups in society. Research by the Off...
Covid-19 and the Impact on UK Cancer Services
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Coronavirus has turned the NHS upside down and inside out and by re-organising to treat people with the virus, other potentially fatal diseases like c...
Shielding; Pandemic Lexicon; Southampton Hospital; Doctor rejects NHS Superhero Tag
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tanya has rheumatoid arthritis, a compromised immune system and heart problems. Getting the virus is a risk she cannot take and this is the tenth week...
Longest Stay Covid-19 Patient; Health Inequalities; Agoraphobia; Covid-19 Testing
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Claudia Hammond on the longest known stay for a Briton with COVID-19 in intensive care. A month ago Respiratory Physiotherapist Gemma Bartlett at Univ...
Acute Kidney Injury with Covid-19; Passive Immunisation; Online GPs; face mask interactions
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are a number of complications following infection with Covid-19 that doctors are continuing to find in hospitals. One of the most significant is...
Diabetes & Covid-19; Southampton Critical Care; Antigen Tests; Cytokine Storm
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Evidence from China, Italy, the USA and now the UK shows categorically that people with diabetes can get seriously ill if they're infected with the ne...
Smoking vs Covid-19; non-urgent treatments; loneliness surveys; Southampton update, covid and the law.
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's well established that the best thing smokers can do for their health is to quit. Smoking contributes to many of the underlying conditions that un...
Southampton update; health anxiety; death certifications; fast-track drug screening
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Every week we’re heading to Southampton General Hospital, where we’ve heard a lot about the doctors and nurses doing amazing work. But this week E...
Covid-19 drug trial; Mental health alone; Southampton update; Antarctica's lockdown lessons
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A range of potential treatments have been suggested for Covid-19 but nobody knows if any of them will turn out to be more effective in helping people ...
Covid-19 and moral injury; Asthma; Southampton update; Mental health services
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Claudia Hammond reports on Covid-19 and "moral injury" - when the virus peaks, some healthcare staff will find themselves in a situation never faced b...
Dispatches from University Hospital Southampton; Covid-19 and loss of smell; intensive care access; coronavirus home care
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When hospitals are full of patients, they're said to be "hot". The coronavirus crisis will push up the temperature of hospitals across the UK and in t...
COVID-19 PPE; Secondary Pneumonia; Viral Load; Trauma Care in Fort William
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Margaret McCartney on COVID-19 and how the military has been deployed to get protective equipment supplies to critical care staff. Dean of the Faculty...
Covid-19 Intensive Care Beds; Ibuprofen; Laser and Glaucoma; Faecal Incontinence
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The UK has one of the lowest numbers of critical care beds in Europe but as the coronavirus threatens to engulf us, drastic measures are being taken t...
Coronavirus Special
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Inside Health gets exclusive access into Ysbyty Gwynedd, the Bangor emergency department, to see how they are preparing staff to deal with coronavirus...
Cigarette Filters; Sepsis
25 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chris van Tulleken examines cigarette filters - the tobacco industry's hidden marketing tool. He talks to historian Robert Proctor, author of The Gold...
Air Pollution; Infectious Disease and Healthcare Staff; Hymenoplasty
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Evidence is building about the impact of air pollution on health, but the relationship between the cocktail of chemicals, gases and particles in the a...
Coronavirus Transmission; Breakfast; Women and Heart Attacks; Personal digital assistants
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Farrah Jarral on coronavirus transmission and the difference between a cough and a sneeze. Why is health research and media coverage about breakfast o...
Respiratory Syncytial Virus; Coronavirus Vaccine; Unnecessary Vaginal Examinations; Compassion Fatigue
04 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's not a household name but RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus is responsible for 30,000 children under five ending up in hospital every year in the...
Coronavirus; Probiotics and Babies' gut health; Pill Organisers; Haemophilia therapy
28 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
James Gallagher, BBC health and science correspondent, and Dr Margaret McCartney talk about the new coronavirus and how GPs have been advised to manag...
Remote and Rural Healthcare
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nigel Edwards, Chief Executive of the health think tank the Nuffield Trust, joins Dr Margaret McCartney for this special programme about the challenge...
When to take Blood Pressure Pills; ADHD; Recurrent Fevers; Head lice
29 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When is the best time of day to take blood pressure pills? A new study from Spain has hit the headlines, with dramatic results that could change pract...
Antidepressant withdrawal; chemotherapy backpacks; dizziness; over the counter gels for pain relief
22 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Antidepressants and revised guidance from NICE reflecting that, for some people, they can be difficult drugs to come off; Margaret McCartney explains ...
Zantac alert, Newborn brain injury, OTC guide, Surgery for reflux
15 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Zantac alert over concerns that the branded reflux treatment is contaminated with a carcinogenic impurity, so what are the risks? And a new device hel...
Statins Over the Counter, Amyloidosis, Gene Silencing
08 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There are plans to make high dose statins available over-the-counter without a prescription to improve uptake. Currently around two thirds of people l...
Heparin and Pigs; Anticoagulants; Ovarian Freezing and Cancer; Thumb surgery
02 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Porter reports on shortages of Heparin, a drug to treat blood clots, due to swine fever in Chinese pigs! And staying with anticoagulants Margaret...
Prescription Charges; Acute Kidney Injury; MMR vaccine; Meningitis in Students
24 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why aren't prescription charges free across the whole of the UK? Acute Kidney Injury has shot up the NHS agenda in the last decade. Mark Porter visits...
Singing for breathlessness, Aneurysms, Sunscreens and Myasthenia gravis
06 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter finds out about 'singing for lung health', an evidence based therapy for helping people with breathlessness arising from conditions lik...
Bats and Rabies; Hip Dysplasia in babies; Online health tips; Clinical Law
30 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What is the risk of catching rabies from bats in the UK? We answer this question prompted by a case at Mark Porter's surgery last week when a bat flew...
Anti-inflammatories and ovulation; Probiotics and Parkinson's; Blood interval and patient forums online
23 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter finds out why non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers can affect female fertility by preventing ovulation. Prof Richard Anderson fr...
Declining male fertility, Diagnosing urinary tract infections in the elderly, Guide to health websites
16 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Decline in Male Fertility and evidence sperm counts have dropped dramatically over the last 40 years but despite this, research into the understanding...
Obesity and Cancer campaign; Intelligent liver function tests; Getting reliable information from websites
09 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The new Cancer Research UK campaign that compares obesity to smoking as a risk factor for cancer has come under criticism; Margaret McCartney debates ...
Deprescribing
02 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In a new series of Inside Health Dr Mark Porter explores the growing initiative to 'deprescribe'. The last two decades have seen a dramatic increase i...
Moving the goalposts in research, Involving parents in the care of premature babies, Feedback
26 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Fiddling figures in research and why it matters that outcomes aren't switched or goal posts moved; involving parents in the care of premature babies t...
E-cigs, Prehabilitation before surgery, Hospital safety
19 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why vaping is dividing public health experts causing a polarised split; prehabilitation before cancer surgery and the benefits of preparing for an ope...
CBD oil, Dental phobia, Gout
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Cannabidiol or CBD oil has had a recent surge in popularity but is there any evidence for it having any health benefits? Dr Margaret McCartney reviews...
Deprescribing long-term opioids, Diagnosing concussion
05 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Research suggests opioids don't work in long-term chronic pain but dispensing in the UK has risen four-fold since the nineties, and we consume more th...
Home fetal heart monitoring, Deconditioning in hospital, Alcohol harm paradox, Pre-eclampsia feedback
01 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Regulation of Home Fetal Heart Monitors prompted by concerns that the burgeoning use of these devices could be harmful. Deconditioning - there is a po...
Online GP consultations, Pre-eclampsia and could aspirin treat cancer?
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter investigates the digitisation of the NHS: are online, asynchronous GP consultations the future? He visits a GP surgery in Tower Hamlets...
Migraine, Iron overload, Redefining low-risk cancers
12 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A new handheld device for migraine is being pioneered at Guys and St Thomas's Hospital in London. Using single pulses of transcranial magnetic stimula...
Genes and confidentiality; sore throats and cancer; diet for epilepsy; shaving for hospital drips
05 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Genetics and confidentiality; a fascinating legal case where a woman is suing the hospital trust that looked after her father with Huntington's diseas...
Unproven IVF add-ons; Running injuries; DNA analysis on the NHS
29 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Warnings that expensive, unproven 'add-ons' are being offered by IVF clinics ; Keen jogger Margaret McCartney asks whether rest helps running problems...
Conflict of interest, Living with a stoma, Diet books
22 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Concerns about conflict of Interest and reputational damage. Should policy making organisations in the public health arena form partnerships with char...
Drug shortages, Eye drops for myopia, Is muscle more dense than fat? Sarcopenia
15 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
An unprecedented number of medicines are in short supply, according to NHS England. Doctors, pharmacists and patients all over the UK are finding comm...
High Blood Pressure
08 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter discusses High Blood Pressure , a silent threat that isn’t well managed, with only a third of those affected being diagnosed and trea...
Blood pressure pills and cancer, Aortic aneurysm repair, Sinks and hospital infection
30 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Clarity behind recent headlines linking cancer to pills for high blood pressure; Margaret McCartney unpicks the numbers. And the aorta is the largest ...
Epipens & Autoinjectors; Meningitis B Bedside Test; Age Related Macular Degeneration
23 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Adrenaline auto injectors are used to treat life-threatening allergies, anaphylaxis, but there are severe supply issues with the brand leader, epipen,...
France Delists Alzheimer's Drugs, Quality of Life After Hip Fracture, Prostate Cancer
16 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
France delists Alzheimer's drugs, a move that is a world first, after concluding that the dangers of side effects outweigh any benefits. Mark assesses...
Placebo on Prescription: Hepatitis C Transplants, Genes and Back Pain
09 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Until recently it was assumed that placebo pills would only produce a therapeutic benefit if patients didn't know that's what they had been given. But...
Umbilical cord clamping, Natural cycles, Pedometers
02 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When is the best time to clamp a baby's umbilical cord? It is a controversial question that has perplexed maternity units for years but new evidence ...
Stroke man recovers speech, Apple watch and ECGs, Newborn heel prick test
25 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Four years ago, Peter, a retired engineer from Gloucestershire, suffered a small stroke and lost the ability to speak. He communicated by hand signals...
Social prescribing, Topical steroid withdrawal, Pulmonary arterial hypertension
07 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Every GP surgery should provide access to a dedicated social prescriber, according to the Royal College of GPs. Supporting peoples' non-medical needs ...
Aspirin, Stroke, Best Interests, Lasting Power of Attorney, Bawa Garba
31 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If you are taking low dose aspirin - typically 75 mg day - to protect against heart attack or stroke and you haven't been weighed then there is a good...
Running, cycling and knee health, Adrenaline and cardiac arrest, Artificial eyes
24 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Does running damage your knees? And is cycling any better? Runner, cyclist, GP and Inside Health regular, Dr Margaret McCartney goes to the new Motion...
Weaning Babies, Seeing the Same Doctor Saves Lives, NHS Research, Mental Capacity
17 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The relationship between when babies are weaned and the amount of time they sleep has hit the headlines after a new study has been published. Now UNIC...
Biosimilars, Insomnia, Abortion at home
10 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Copycat biologic drugs, to treat conditions from arthritis and psoriasis to breast cancer and lymphoma, could save hundreds of millions of pounds off ...
Tamoxifen and Breast Cancer Prevention
03 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tamoxifen, the so called "statin of breast cancer prevention" is recommended for healthy women with a family history of the disease. So why are only 1...
Acid Attacks and Corneal Grafts, Bowel Cancer Screening, Sports Prosthesis for Children
27 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The UK has one of the highest recorded rates of acid attacks in the world, nearly 500 cases in 2016. Most of the victims are men and most have corrosi...
Ageing brain, Fish Oils, Adaptive Trials, Yoga
20 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Deciding between healthy ageing and early dementia; how useful are modern imaging techniques in deciphering this difficult question that many families...
Cardiac Rehab, Withdrawing from Antidepressants, Middle Ear Implant
13 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There are many myths about recovery from a heart attack. The most dangerous is that exercise is too risky. The truth is that for most people, they sho...
Prostate Cancer
06 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week it has been hard to miss news on prostate cancer. The papers were full of a 'one stop shop' service for the diagnosis of the disease being r...