Louise Thompson presses health secretary on date to appoint commissioner

“Cervical screening can be difficult for some women for many reasons, like if they have had a bad previous experience, they are menopausal, they have a physical or learning disability, cultural barriers, or are a survivor of sexual violence,” says Athena Lamnisos from charity The Eve Appeal.

Christmas gatherings may have caused a resurgence in flu and other winter viruses, NHS leaders say. Figures show that the average number of patients in hospital beds in England with flu last week hit 2,924 – a rise of 9% on the previous week. This comes after two weeks of decreasing numbers, prompting hope flu…