Inside Health

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's Dr Rachael England, and consultant oral surgeon Tom Thayer. Together, they drill into the issues surrounding NHS dentistry. Along the way, they discuss possible solutions, whether contract reforms will help, and the potential future of dentistry in the UK. Presenter: James Gallagher Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Thomas Hunt Production coordinator: Stuart Laws Content editor: Ilan Goodman

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 virologist at the University of Birmingham, and Dr Patrick Kearns from the University of Edinburgh, a neurologist and epidemiologist.And we delve into the world of echolocation. Bats hunt at night by making pulses of sounds and listening to the echoes so they can build a picture of the world around them in total darkness - and it's a technique some people with visual impairment use to explore the world.A team at the University of East Anglia has been testing how well humans can pick up these skills, so James pays a visit to have a go...Presenter: James Gallagher Producers: Gerry Holt, Tom Bonnett & Thomas Hun

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 little sachets that fit under the top lip aren’t yet regulated – so what do we know about the potential harms? Finally, as the cold weather continues, James gets a lesson in walking like a penguin to see if it helps avoid trips, slips and falls… Presenter: James Gallagher Producers: Tom Bonnett, Alice-Lipscombe-Southwell and Thomas Hunt Production coordinator: Stuart Laws Content editor: Ilan Goodman

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. Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Tom Bonnett Researcher: Thom Hunt Editor: Ilan Goodman

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 Neuropathies Centre in Cardiff to speak with Professor Liam Gray, a surgeon who is leading a pioneering treatment for Huntington’s disease. Presenter: James Gallagher Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Gerry Holt Researcher: Tom Hunt Editor: Ilan Goodman Production coordinator: Stuart LawsThis episode was produced in partnership with The Open University.

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 Brompton Hospital, with expertise in cystic fibrosis, who tells us about the therapies crucial to this extended prognosis. The EDITH trial (Early Detection using Information Technology in Health) is testing how AI can help radiologists identify breast cancer at an earlier stage, transforming the future of diagnosis. We speak to Professor Sian Taylor-Philips, Professor of Population Health at the University of Warwick and co-leader of the trial.In 2024, participation in Run Clubs across the UK surged by 64%. But does running in a group lead to better performance? To find out, James laces up for a jog around Hyde Park wit

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 evidence required to prove this link, along with Prof Tara Spires-Jones, Group Leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute.The UK has begun using the world’s first gonorrhoea vaccine - though it was originally developed for meningitis. With antibiotic-resistant strains increasing, we speak to Dr Suneeta Soni about why gonorrhoea has been so hard to target with vaccines.At the Bristol Robotics Lab, engineers are creating devices to support mobility in older age. James meets Jonathan Rossner and tries out “The Right Trousers” - an inflatable exoskeleton designed to help people walk and to strengthen their muscles.Presenter:

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 Sleep Charity. Also this week, resident GP Margaret McCartney on the potential promise - and peril - of doctors using AI in the NHS, and should you eat your placenta? We hear from a dietician on whether there’s any evidence it’s good for you.Presenter: James Gallagher Producers: Tom Bonnett, Debbie Kilbride & Gerry Holt Editor: Ilan Goodman Production coordinator: Ishmael SorianoThis episode was produced in partnership with The Open University.

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 drug overdose and why - and how can we tackle this issue?James Gallagher is joined by an expert panel, including:- Professor Catriona Matheson, Professor in Substance Use at the University of Stirling and former chair of Scotland’s drug deaths taskforce - Dr Caroline Copeland, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology and Toxicology at King’s College London and Director of the National Programme on Substance Use Mortality - Dr Michael Blackmore, a GP in Grangemouth, central Scotland, who has a special interest in addictions and is himself a former drug addict, now 16 years in recoveryWe also visit Professor Sir John Strang at t

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 James Edgar from the University of Cambridge who studies exosomes in his lab, he's also joined by consultant Kamal Kaur who advises the cosmetics industry on regulation around products containing exosomes, and we head to one of the UK's hot spots for beauty clinics and dermatology - the Marlyebone area of London - to meet consultant dermatologist in the NHS and One Wellbeck, Dr Ellie Rashid. Also in the programme, a new physio app is being trialled by the NHS. It's been rolled out to patients in Lothian in Scotland and we meet the people who have been using it, the real-life physio behind it and hear whether apps could

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 Professor Malcolm Bennett from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham and Martin Goldberg, Lecturer in Microbiology from Birmingham City University.Following news that a child who contracted measles has died at a hospital in Liverpool, James also talks to Professor of Children's Health Helen Bedford from University College London about the risk of measles in the UK. And, over the past week James has been reporting on the news that children have born using a technique which uses two women’s eggs and a man’s sperm to prevent mitochondrial disease being passed from mother to child. The b

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 men. He also hears about breast movement and why the right sports bra really matters.You'll hear from: - Calli Hauger-Thackery, a distance runner who has represented Team GB in the Olympics and Commonwealth Games; - Kirsty Elliott-Sale, Professor of Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University; - Dr Thomas Dos'Santos, Senior Lecturer in Strength and Conditioning and Sports Biomechanics at Manchester Metropolitan University; - Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, Professor of Biomechanics and Head of the Research Group in Breast Health at the University of Portsmouth; - Katy Daley-McLean, fo

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 England, and Sally Gainsbury, Senior Policy Analyst at the Nuffield Trust, specialising in evidence-based research on health and social care provision in the UK.Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being touted as a way to improve efficiency and save money in the 10 Year Plan and every day in healthcare there are headlines about new AI-driven tools that could revolutionise medicine. In a new mini-series, James hears about different ways AI is being used starting with heart scans that use AI to analyse large amounts of data to predict health outcomes in a way that would be near impossible for a human to achieve. He talks t

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 benefits could be important for our health too.Should we working harder to get a balance of taking care in the sun but making sure we get enough exposure to it?James Gallagher looks at the evidence with Dr Richard Weller, Personal Chair of Medical Dermatology and Honorary Consultant Dermatologist at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Zoe Venables, a dermatologist with an interest in skin cancer epidemiology at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, and Dr Margaret McCartney, GP, expert in evidence-based medicine. This episode is produced in partnership with The Open University.Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Tom B

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 meets dental hygienist and researcher Dr Claire McCarthy from King's College London in the BBC loos to get some top tips on keeping our teeth clean and gets a few pointers on where he could do with brushing up on his technique. Presenter: James Gallagher Producers: Tom Bonnett and Hannah Robins Assistant Producer: Anna Charalambou

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 - Professor of Palliative Care at King's College London David Nicholl - Consultant Neurologist at University Hospital Birmingham Mark Taubert - Consultant Palliative Medicine at NHS Wales Erica Borgstrom - Professor of Medical Anthropology at The Open UniversityIt's claimed that within each of us there is a credit card's worth of microplastics. We dig into the figures underlying that with Kit Yates, Professor of Mathematical Biology at the University of Bath.And, we answer your questions after our programme on hearing loss with audiologist Dr Hannah Cooper, Kevin Munro, Professor of Audiology at the University of Manche

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 lion's mane.Lion's mane has a lot of hype about it online as well as a long history in traditional medicine and neuroscientist Dr Tim Craig and his team are taking it into their to lab to investigate whether it might harbour properties that could benefit people with dementia.Thanks to everyone who sent in questions after listening to our episode 'What next for Alzheimer's treatment' which is available on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0024ng7 Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Tom Bonnett Editor: Holly Squire

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 - Professor of Palliative Care at King's College London David Nicholl - Consultant Neurologist at University Hospital Birmingham Mark Taubert - Consultant Palliative Medicine at NHS Wales Erica Borgstrom - Professor of Medical Anthropology at The Open UniversityPresenter: James Gallahgher Producers: Hannah Robins Assistant Production: Tom Bonnett and Siobhan

The Terminally Ill Adults End of Life Bill is working its way through Parliament. If it became law in England and Wales it would be one of those moments in history that profoundly changes society. There are similar discussions taking place in Scotland, the Isle of Man and Jersey too. To be clear about what we’re doing on Inside Health. We’re not going to debate the rights or wrongs of assisted dying. Or go through the politics of the Bill. Instead, over the next few episodes we’re going to explore some of the issues that will come up if assisted dying goes ahead. We’re going to start with eligibility and who could get an assisted death under the proposed rules? To discuss we're joined by:Katherine Sleeman - Professor of Palliative Care at King's College London David Nicholl - Consultant Neurologist at University Hospital Birmingham Mark Taubert - Consultant Palliative Medicine at NHS Wales Erica Borgstrom - Professor of Medical Anthropology at The Open UniversityAlso in the programme we have exclusive rese

Five years on from the first Covid lockdown in the UK, we consider how the pandemic changed medicine. We're joined by Dr Emma Wall, academic consultant in Infectious Diseases at University College London Hospital who also runs a long covid clinic, Professor Katrina Pollock, Associate Professor in Vaccinology at the Oxford Vaccine Group and Jon Otter Director for Infection Prevention and Control at Guy’s Hospital London. Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Hannah Robins