Inside Health

Financial incentives for GPs - do they work? Mark Porter learns there are parallels between the latest £55 to diagnose dementia and an incentive to diagnose depression which didn't work and was dropped. Are walk-in CT Scans a good idea - two experts who authored recent reports address concerns about people arranging their own scans. Hot Flushes feedback; plus the new generation of anti-coagulants offering an alternative to warfarin.

As more NHS operations are done in the private sector, how much do we know about patient safety in private hospitals? Kits to self-monitor warfarin have been recommended by NICE, so why is the uptake so poor? Hyperbaric medicine - using high doses of oxygen to accelerate healing; And sick day rules - the medicines you should stop taking while you are unwell to reduce kidney damage.

Inside Health examines advice for when parents should and shouldn't send their sick children to school. Is this another example of the nanny state, or a useful guide?Hip replacements and knee replacements are well known treatments but now a new trial is looking into the effectiveness of ankle surgery for arthritis.Margaret McCartney reveals the origin of the word hypochondria.Plus, how effective is HRT for the commonest symptom of the menopause, hot flushes?And Inside Health answers listeners' questions on Guillain-Barré syndrome, what are the causes and treatments.

Ebola - how do they predict how it's going to spread, and why estimates have risen so rapidly.In the UK there are 22 million prescriptions a year for morphine type painkillers, costing over 300 million pounds - but do they actually work in non-cancer pain?And a simple blood test that can tell if your recurrent chest infections might be due to an immune problem.Plus thyroid problems and pregnancy.

Dr Mark Porter reports on sleep apps, can they help with common sleep problems such as sleep apnoea? A new study reveals the failure of antibiotics for simple infections. Margaret McCartney reviews the evidence and asks is it worth having a flu jab? Plus who is eligible for NHS continuing health care.

Dr Mark Porter goes on a weekly quest to demystify the health issues that perplex us.

Dr Mark Porter examines how powerful lobbying groups like the food and alcohol industries steer public health policy in the direction that suits them most.

Dr Mark Porter examines the hidden conflicts of interest that may affect how your GP or specialist treats you. He discovers that the advice patient groups give you is also not immune to the influences of organisations such as pharmaceutical companies.

Are conflicts of interest in medicine out of control and undermining public trust, or an over-hyped concern? Dr Mark Porter investigates the hidden influences affecting your health.

Dr Mark Porter finds out about the latest research investigating why people with HIV very rarely get multiple sclerosis. What does it mean for the cause of MS and possible future treatments? Also in the programme how much is black skin at reduced risk of skin cancer from exposure to the sun? Why iron overload can often go undiagnosed and the training for the nose that can help recover a lost sense of smell.

Mark Porter investigates a new research trial which shows that paracetamol doesn't help back pain. And why are blood thinning drugs being overused in NHS hospitals? New laws on limits for driving on prescribed drugs come into force in March 2015. Which prescription drugs are included and what does it mean for people taking them? Also in the programme, can any medications help get rid of kidney stones?

Some media coverage has suggested that there is a link between eating junk food and the rise of conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis which involve inflammation of the digestive system. Mark Porter questions the evidence. As school's out for summer Mark finds out why teachers' voices need a rest. He also examines whether cholesterol lowering spreads and drinks do what they suggest. Also in the programme: is frying with olive oil harmful or the healthy choice?

Switzerland looks set to be the first country in Europe to halt routine breast screening; yet in the UK a review of the same evidence came to the opposite conclusion. Dr Mark Porter asks how two groups of experts can arrive at such different decisions, and examines the harms and benefits of screening for breast cancer.

Public Health authorities have written to doctors in the UK to ask them to look out for cases of Ebola following the recent outbreak in West Africa which has killed nearly 500 people. Dr Mark Porter talks to David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine about the risks of Ebola cases coming to the UK. He is joined by Dr Margaret McCartney to discuss why some types of bike saddles can cause erectile dysfunction. He also talks to Glyn Elwyn about the pros and cons of recording consultations with your doctor Also, insect bites, why do some people get bitten more than others, what's the best repellent and what's the best treatment if you do get bitten?

Dr Mark Porter returns with a new series to address confusion about statins for healthy people rather than patients. Statins have hit the headlines as doctors debate the draft recommendation from NICE to lower the threshold for offering statins, which could mean millions more will be taking them.And Mark Porter turns patient when he is investigated for persistent heartburn. Plus should GPs who miss cancers be named and shamed and why drugs can't be recycled.

Headlines this week claim that 'thousands of patients die in hospital of thirst' but did the authors of the study actually analyse hydration?Mark Porter investigates the evidence for using Baclofen to treat alcoholism and hears how it helped a listener to stop drinking 6-8 bottles of wine a day.Why did NICE question the use of Paracetamol - the UK's favourite painkiller - in the treatment of osteoarthritis?And are saturated fats really bad for us?

Dr Mark Porter investigates the dramatic increase in testosterone prescribing; low fibre diets - why the traditional advice to eat high fibre is not always recommended. And having a consultation with your GP via a video service such as Skype from your computer - is there any evidence to back up the government's latest answer to increasing access to your doctor.

Tamiflu - the controversial drug - has been stockpiled by the government for use in a flu pandemic and endorsed by regulatory bodies including the WHO. With a new review of the evidence due this week, Inside Health's Margaret McCartney and James Cave, Editor of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin have been following the story. Mark Porter gets his body fat checked and finds out how much is hiding inside. And how should doctors raise concerns about a person's weight? Plus, why you might want to think twice before paying for a total body scan.

With a replacement of the controversial Liverpool Care Pathway expected over the next few months Professor Keri Thomas, National Clinical Lead at the GSF Centre for End of Life Care, debates the need for change and calls for a more personalised care for the dying. And Inside Health examines differences in sex development, when it is unclear if a new born baby is a boy or a girl. Plus, does the environment of your GP's surgery increase or alleviate anxiety?

Dr Mark Porter finds out why insomnia can often go untreated by the NHS despite there being a treatment that not only works but also doesn't involve drugs. There are nearly 11 million prescriptions for sleeping tablets in the UK every year but their effect isn't long lasting and people can find it hard to come off the tablets. Cognitive behavioural therapy has consistently been shown to be very effective at improving sleep in the long term but few people have access to it. Mark is joined by Colin Espie, professor of Sleep Medicine at the University of Oxford, and by professor Kevin Morgan, director of the Clinical Sleep Research Unit at Loughborough University, to discuss why insomnia is so neglected, and to talk about the success of methods to deliver CBT online using mobile and web technology.Also in the programme, Mark talks to Peter Goadsby, professor of neurology at King's College Hospital London, to find out what cluster headaches are, why they're so painful and why they can occur when the clocks change