A measuring tool invented in 1832 by a Belgian mathematician has been used by the NHS for decades to decide whether someone is a healthy weight, overweight, or obese. It was never designed for clinical use. It was created to describe the average person in a population. Yet the Body…

For more than 60 years, metformin has been the most prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes in the world. Cheap, reliable, and backed by decades of clinical evidence, it has been handed to hundreds of millions of people as the standard first-line treatment for managing blood sugar. Doctors knew it…

In January 2026, the World Health Organization removed the United Kingdom from its list of countries with measles elimination status. The decision followed 2,911 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in England in 2024, the highest annual figure since 2012, and a child’s death in Liverpool in 2025. It was the second time…

On 13 March 2026, the UK Health Security Agency began receiving notifications of a cluster of invasive meningococcal disease cases in Canterbury, Kent. Within five days, the outbreak had been declared a national incident. Two young people had died. Twenty cases were confirmed or under investigation. More than 30,000 students…

Carer’s Allowance is the main state benefit for unpaid carers in the UK. It is worth £86.45 per week from 7 April 2026, paid to people who provide at least 35 hours of care per week to someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit. On paper, it is a straightforward…

If you have ever received a tender opportunity in the health and social care sector and wondered whether the rules applying to it are the same as the NHS contract you bid for six months ago, the honest answer is: probably not.  Since January 2024, two separate procurement frameworks have…

Mental health has never had more attention in the UK than it does right now. The NHS 10-Year Health Plan has put it front and centre, and in 2026, we’re finally seeing real money follow the promises. But with that investment comes a wave of new contracts, tighter commissioning standards,…

“Social services adult care” is one of those phrases that gets searched thousands of times a month across the UK, and yet most people who type it aren’t entirely sure what they’re looking for. They just know they need help. Maybe a parent is struggling to cope at home. Maybe…

Community mental health services are the backbone of how the UK supports people with ongoing mental health conditions. They’re the teams and programmes that keep people stable, connected, and out of hospital. And in 2026, they’re going through one of the biggest transformations in a generation. Whether you’re someone trying…

If you work in adult social care, you already know the sector is under pressure. Budgets are tight, demand is rising, and the rules around how services are commissioned keep evolving. But here’s the thing: with pressure comes opportunity. Local authorities across England, Scotland, and Wales are actively tendering for…