Case Notes

Dr Mark Porter discovers the difference between the old-style Casualty and a modern hospital Emergency Department like Southampton's - where the latest technology is used to rapidly assess and treat everything from suspected strokes and heart attacks to febrile convulsions and broken limbs.

As well as running the busy Southampton ED - which treats 90,000 patients every year - Dr John Heyworth is also President of the College of Emergency Medicine. He says the discipline has managed to evolve - from one which provided a surgical "fixing" service 25 years ago - to today's, providing rapid support for an increasing number of critically ill patients. The complex needs of our ageing population puts extra demands on the staff - and Southampton has a consultant in the ED until midnight, every day of the week to provide the best possible care.

Specialist staff including Emergency Nurse Practitioners are on hand as a guide through how children are assessed and treated in a separate areas, the triage system and the infamous 4 hour waits. As well as a resuscitation area, the ED is close to the Cath Lab - where a balloon is used to widen blocked arteries. If a heart attack is suspected, a troponin blood test will be carried out quickly by the ED to give a definitive answer, giving a safe and timesaving outcome for patients.

Mark Porter asks how the ED in Britain compares with the rest of the world - and how emergency care will fare in these straitened times.
Producer: Paula McGrath.

A festive look behind the scenes at Southampton's 21st century Emergency Department.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter discovers the difference between the old-style Casualty and a modern hospital Emergency Department like Southampton's - where the latest technology is used to rapidly assess and treat everything from suspected strokes and heart attacks to febrile convulsions and broken limbs.

As well as running the busy Southampton ED - which treats 90,000 patients every year - Dr John Heyworth is also President of the College of Emergency Medicine. He says the discipline has managed to evolve - from one which provided a surgical "fixing" service 25 years ago - to today's, providing rapid support for an increasing number of critically ill patients. The complex needs of our ageing population puts extra demands on the staff - and Southampton has a consultant in the ED until midnight, every day of the week to provide the best possible care.

Specialist staff including Emergency Nurse Practitioners are on hand as a guide through how children are assessed and treated in a separate areas, the triage system and the infamous 4 hour waits. As well as a resuscitation area, the ED is close to the Cath Lab - where a balloon is used to widen blocked arteries. If a heart attack is suspected, a troponin blood test will be carried out quickly by the ED to give a definitive answer, giving a safe and timesaving outcome for patients.

Mark Porter asks how the ED in Britain compares with the rest of the world - and how emergency care will fare in these straitened times.
Producer: Paula McGrath.

A festive look behind the scenes at Southampton's 21st century Emergency Department.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day.

He investigates aneurysms, swellings in blood vessels anywhere in the body. The government has announced a national screening programme for aneurysms in the abdomen, whick kill more than 2,500 people in the UK every year. More than half of them could be saved with an operation.

Dr Mark Porter investigates aneurysms, swellings in blood vessels anywhere in the body.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day.

He investigates aneurysms, swellings in blood vessels anywhere in the body. The government has announced a national screening programme for aneurysms in the abdomen, whick kill more than 2,500 people in the UK every year. More than half of them could be saved with an operation.

Dr Mark Porter investigates aneurysms, swellings in blood vessels anywhere in the body.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter examines the diagnosis and treatment of appendicitis and talks to doctors to discover how they decide when it is time to remove the appendix. The appendix can cause a serious medical emergency - peritonitis - if it ruptures, and surgery to remove it is one of the commonest procedures in UK hospitals. But deciding when the organ needs to be taken out is not easy. The symptoms of appendicitis can be similar to other conditions such as urinary tract infections and gastroenteritis. Mark talks to doctors about how they diagnosis appendicitis, sometimes including using scanning, and then how they decide to go ahead and operate. He also discovers how it is particularly difficult to detect the condition in young children, and asks if a high fibre diet can prevent appendicitis.

Dr Mark Porter examines the diagnosis and treatment of appendicitis.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter examines the diagnosis and treatment of appendicitis and talks to doctors to discover how they decide when it is time to remove the appendix. The appendix can cause a serious medical emergency - peritonitis - if it ruptures, and surgery to remove it is one of the commonest procedures in UK hospitals. But deciding when the organ needs to be taken out is not easy. The symptoms of appendicitis can be similar to other conditions such as urinary tract infections and gastroenteritis. Mark talks to doctors about how they diagnosis appendicitis, sometimes including using scanning, and then how they decide to go ahead and operate. He also discovers how it is particularly difficult to detect the condition in young children, and asks if a high fibre diet can prevent appendicitis.

Dr Mark Porter examines the diagnosis and treatment of appendicitis.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter meets patients on the Active Back Programme in Stanmore, North London.

For 15 years the Active Back Programme at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital has been helping people with long term back pain learn to live with their condition and be physically active.

Patients who attend the programme have had many medical interventions that have failed to make much of an impact on their back pain. The approach at RNOH is different - the programme doesn't aim to remove the pain, but it helps people get on with their lives and be able to do everyday activities such as shopping and exercise.

Physiotherapists, psychologists and occupational therapists give advice on how to make changes around the home so that people with back pain can do tasks in the kitchen and in the garden. Mark meets the patients on the programme who are playing table tennis for the first time, and who are discovering that rearranging pillows can help them get a good night's sleep.

Dr Mark Porter meets patients on the Active Back Programme in Stanmore, North London.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter meets patients on the Active Back Programme in Stanmore, North London.

For 15 years the Active Back Programme at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital has been helping people with long term back pain learn to live with their condition and be physically active.

Patients who attend the programme have had many medical interventions that have failed to make much of an impact on their back pain. The approach at RNOH is different - the programme doesn't aim to remove the pain, but it helps people get on with their lives and be able to do everyday activities such as shopping and exercise.

Physiotherapists, psychologists and occupational therapists give advice on how to make changes around the home so that people with back pain can do tasks in the kitchen and in the garden. Mark meets the patients on the programme who are playing table tennis for the first time, and who are discovering that rearranging pillows can help them get a good night's sleep.

Dr Mark Porter meets patients on the Active Back Programme in Stanmore, North London.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Attacks of vertigo and dizziness afflict hundreds of thousands of people every year in the UK. One in three of us under 65 years old will have experienced a balance disorder. For some, problems with their sense of balance are so severe that a trip outside the house becomes a disorientating nightmare. Many become reclusive and depressed.

In this edition of Case Notes, Dr Mark Porter talks to patients, doctors and other clinical specialists about the various conditions which cause vertigo and disabling dizziness. Mark visits the one-stop Balance Clinic at Guys Hospital in London where patients are assessed and treated for a range of balance disorders.

These include the most common varieties such as benign paroxsymal positional vertigo and labyrinthitis. One expression of these complaints is visual vertigo. It's also known as Supermarket Syndrome because the visual patterns of moving down the packet-lined aisles triggers attacks of disorientation. Fortunately many patients can be helped with sessions of special physiotherapy exercises rather than drugs and surgery. Mark joins a session in the clinic's gym to hear how these cheap and simple therapies work.

There are also rarer, stranger balance upsets such as dehisence of the superior semicircular canal. Loud noises bring on severe attacks of vertigo. One allied symptom is that sufferers can also hear the sound of their eyeballs moving. Mark hears about the kinds of surgery possible for those patients stricken with vertigo that cannot be treated with less radical interventions.

Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker.

Dr Mark Porter investigates balance disorders.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Attacks of vertigo and dizziness afflict hundreds of thousands of people every year in the UK. One in three of us under 65 years old will have experienced a balance disorder. For some, problems with their sense of balance are so severe that a trip outside the house becomes a disorientating nightmare. Many become reclusive and depressed.

In this edition of Case Notes, Dr Mark Porter talks to patients, doctors and other clinical specialists about the various conditions which cause vertigo and disabling dizziness. Mark visits the one-stop Balance Clinic at Guys Hospital in London where patients are assessed and treated for a range of balance disorders.

These include the most common varieties such as benign paroxsymal positional vertigo and labyrinthitis. One expression of these complaints is visual vertigo. It's also known as Supermarket Syndrome because the visual patterns of moving down the packet-lined aisles triggers attacks of disorientation. Fortunately many patients can be helped with sessions of special physiotherapy exercises rather than drugs and surgery. Mark joins a session in the clinic's gym to hear how these cheap and simple therapies work.

There are also rarer, stranger balance upsets such as dehisence of the superior semicircular canal. Loud noises bring on severe attacks of vertigo. One allied symptom is that sufferers can also hear the sound of their eyeballs moving. Mark hears about the kinds of surgery possible for those patients stricken with vertigo that cannot be treated with less radical interventions.

Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker.

Dr Mark Porter investigates balance disorders.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

This week Case Notes explores the uses of the medical science of biomechanics - from helping elite atheletes avoid sports injuries to easing the pain of those with osteoarthritis in the knee.
At the University of Bath Sports Training Village, Dr Mark Porter has his gait analysed and is given advice on preventing injuries as a recreational runner. Mark talks to sports doctors and physiotherapists at the centre's sports injury clinic about tennis, football and athletics. He meets Paralympic sprinter Ben Rushgrove who overcame his own biomechanical challenge to mount the podium in Beijing two years ago.
Case Notes also reports on biomechanical research at the University of Salford looking at the benefits of specially engineered shoes in easing the pain and possibly changing the course of osteoarthritis in the knee.

Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker.

Dr Mark Porter investigates biomechanics and sports injuries at the University of Bath.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

This week Case Notes explores the uses of the medical science of biomechanics - from helping elite atheletes avoid sports injuries to easing the pain of those with osteoarthritis in the knee.
At the University of Bath Sports Training Village, Dr Mark Porter has his gait analysed and is given advice on preventing injuries as a recreational runner. Mark talks to sports doctors and physiotherapists at the centre's sports injury clinic about tennis, football and athletics. He meets Paralympic sprinter Ben Rushgrove who overcame his own biomechanical challenge to mount the podium in Beijing two years ago.
Case Notes also reports on biomechanical research at the University of Salford looking at the benefits of specially engineered shoes in easing the pain and possibly changing the course of osteoarthritis in the knee.

Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker.

Dr Mark Porter investigates biomechanics and sports injuries at the University of Bath.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Up to 25,000 hospital patients die every year in England, of which only around 1,500 are from hospital superbugs. Doctors at King's College hospital in London are leading the way in trying to cut the number of deaths by assessing the risk to surgical patients and giving preventative treatments.

Dr Mark Porter hears from patients who have had clots in their legs travel up to their lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism, and finds out what you should do to prevent risk if you end up in hospital.

Dr Mark Porter on how blood clots kill thousands of hospital patients in England each year

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Up to 25,000 hospital patients die every year in England, of which only around 1,500 are from hospital superbugs. Doctors at King's College hospital in London are leading the way in trying to cut the number of deaths by assessing the risk to surgical patients and giving preventative treatments.

Dr Mark Porter hears from patients who have had clots in their legs travel up to their lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism, and finds out what you should do to prevent risk if you end up in hospital.

Dr Mark Porter on how blood clots kill thousands of hospital patients in England each year

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter hears about the thousands of patients whose cancer has spread, but who never find out where the original cancer grew. When this happens doctors are baffled - and it can lead to patients getting a raw deal. But there are now new NICE guidelines which aim to improve the care and treatment of these patients.

Dr Mark Porter on the latest treatments for lung cancer.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter hears about the thousands of patients whose cancer has spread, but who never find out where the original cancer grew. When this happens doctors are baffled - and it can lead to patients getting a raw deal. But there are now new NICE guidelines which aim to improve the care and treatment of these patients.

Dr Mark Porter on the latest treatments for lung cancer.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter reports on the unique study that is tracking obesity from childhood. Researchers in Plymouth have been following the progress of a group of 300 children since they were born. Now they are teenagers, and data from taking blood samples and weighing them has helped the scientists to reveal that obesity follows gender lines and that diet is more important than exercise when it comes to losing weight.

Dr Mark Porter on the teenagers who are helping researchers to track childhood obesity.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter reports on the unique study that is tracking obesity from childhood. Researchers in Plymouth have been following the progress of a group of 300 children since they were born. Now they are teenagers, and data from taking blood samples and weighing them has helped the scientists to reveal that obesity follows gender lines and that diet is more important than exercise when it comes to losing weight.

Dr Mark Porter on the teenagers who are helping researchers to track childhood obesity.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Schools are playing an increasingly important role in the health of our children. As well as caring for pupils with serious health issues, much attention and funding is also being directed towards the prevention of illness and healthy living. School nurses are the ones who are charged with delivering these important public health messages; Dr Mark Porter finds out just how much the role of school nurse has changed.

Dr Mark Porter on children's health at school.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Schools are playing an increasingly important role in the health of our children. As well as caring for pupils with serious health issues, much attention and funding is also being directed towards the prevention of illness and healthy living. School nurses are the ones who are charged with delivering these important public health messages; Dr Mark Porter finds out just how much the role of school nurse has changed.

Dr Mark Porter on children's health at school.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores how to improve communication between the medical profession and patients.

There are always times when a diagnosis is bad news or a treatment has failed. Some doctors have an excellent bedside manner and can talk about the worst with compassion, but there are many who don't naturally have that skill. Mark Porter joins cancer specialist Dr Pauline Leonard as she runs a course for other cancer doctors to train them to give bad news in a more caring way. He finds out if doing role play with actors can change senior specialists' approaches to patients.

The experience of being in hospital and undergoing lots of procedures can be daunting for anyone, but particularly for children. They may not understand what the doctors and nurses are telling them. The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London is giving each child who is having an operation an age-appropriate DVD that explains what is going to happen to them. The youngest children receive a cartoon and the older ones are given a film presented by other children who have been through the operation in question. Mark talks to the children and the paediatric medical teams to see if the scheme is working.

And what happens when patients or their families don't understand English well? Mark sits in on a consultation with an advocate who has to translate both the language and the medical terms.

Dr Mark Porter explores how to improve communication between medics and patients.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores how to improve communication between the medical profession and patients.

There are always times when a diagnosis is bad news or a treatment has failed. Some doctors have an excellent bedside manner and can talk about the worst with compassion, but there are many who don't naturally have that skill. Mark Porter joins cancer specialist Dr Pauline Leonard as she runs a course for other cancer doctors to train them to give bad news in a more caring way. He finds out if doing role play with actors can change senior specialists' approaches to patients.

The experience of being in hospital and undergoing lots of procedures can be daunting for anyone, but particularly for children. They may not understand what the doctors and nurses are telling them. The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London is giving each child who is having an operation an age-appropriate DVD that explains what is going to happen to them. The youngest children receive a cartoon and the older ones are given a film presented by other children who have been through the operation in question. Mark talks to the children and the paediatric medical teams to see if the scheme is working.

And what happens when patients or their families don't understand English well? Mark sits in on a consultation with an advocate who has to translate both the language and the medical terms.

Dr Mark Porter explores how to improve communication between medics and patients.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

We take it for granted that blood will be available if we need an emergency transfusion. Mark Porter discovers how the transfusion services ensure the safe and timely provision of blood and its components. He finds out how the preparation of blood is being made more efficiently.

An alternative to receiving blood from a donor is for the patient to use their own. This is called cell salvage. Blood is collected during an operation, cleaned and then returned to the patient. Mark Porter talks to doctors and patients about the benefits of cell salvage.

Producer: Erika Wright.

Mark Porter explores ways to improve the way that blood is used in transfusions.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

We take it for granted that blood will be available if we need an emergency transfusion. Mark Porter discovers how the transfusion services ensure the safe and timely provision of blood and its components. He finds out how the preparation of blood is being made more efficiently.

An alternative to receiving blood from a donor is for the patient to use their own. This is called cell salvage. Blood is collected during an operation, cleaned and then returned to the patient. Mark Porter talks to doctors and patients about the benefits of cell salvage.

Producer: Erika Wright.

Mark Porter explores ways to improve the way that blood is used in transfusions.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter investigates constipation, to discover the causes and treatments of this extremely common problem that is often suffered in silence due to embarrassment. He visits Southampton General Hospital to talk to Nick Coleman, consultant gastroenterologist, about how to manage this uncomfortable condition.
Producer: Erika Wright.

Dr Mark Porter investigates constipation, a common complaint that is often hidden.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Diabetes is the cause of 100 amputations every week in the UK. One of the commonest consequences of diabetes is restriction of blood flow to different organs and parts of the body. With reduced blood flow in the feet, sufferers are at considerable risk of developing dangerously infected ulcers. If the ulcers are not caught in time, many patients have to lose their feet or legs in order to save their lives

In this edition of Case Notes, Dr Mark Porter visits the specialist diabetic foot clinic at King's College Hospital in London. There he talks to doctors, surgeons and foot specialists about the risks of life-threatening complications of diabetes in the feet, and hears about the various treatments and surgical operations which are helping to reduce the number of amputations for their patients. Mark also talks to patients about their experiences of the insidious threat from foot ulcers and how they've been treated.

Diabetes is the cause of 100 foot amputations every week - but treatments are improving.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter visits the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology in Nottingham to find out about the latest reasearch into treating the symptoms of eczema.

One in five children and one in twelve adults are affected by eczema, the dry, cracked and itchy skin commonly found in the crooks of the elbows and knees. Many children grow out of the disorder, but others face a lifetime of creams, moisturisers and trying not to scratch.

There is a lot of conflicting advice about childhood eczema, so Mark visits the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology to examine the known causes and the best ways of treating the disorder. Will changing your child's diet or getting rid of the family pet make any difference? And what is the safest and most effective way to use steroid creams?

The Centre is also investigating new treatments. Prof Hwyel Williams is currently running a trial to find out if installing a water softener in the home can improve symptoms. But having eczema isn't just about the skin. Mark also finds out about the psychological scars caused by having a severe skin complaint in school, and speaks to a mother and son who are doing their best to keep eczema under control.

Dr Mark Porter visits the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology in Nottingham.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter visits the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology in Nottingham to find out about the latest reasearch into treating the symptoms of eczema.

One in five children and one in twelve adults are affected by eczema, the dry, cracked and itchy skin commonly found in the crooks of the elbows and knees. Many children grow out of the disorder, but others face a lifetime of creams, moisturisers and trying not to scratch.

There is a lot of conflicting advice about childhood eczema, so Mark visits the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology to examine the known causes and the best ways of treating the disorder. Will changing your child's diet or getting rid of the family pet make any difference? And what is the safest and most effective way to use steroid creams?

The Centre is also investigating new treatments. Prof Hwyel Williams is currently running a trial to find out if installing a water softener in the home can improve symptoms. But having eczema isn't just about the skin. Mark also finds out about the psychological scars caused by having a severe skin complaint in school, and speaks to a mother and son who are doing their best to keep eczema under control.

Dr Mark Porter visits the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology in Nottingham.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Producer: Helen Sharp.

Dr Mark Porter looks at the options available for care at the end of life.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter looks at treatments for epilepsy.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

The gallbladder is tucked beneath the liver and aids digestion. It is possible to function without it and when gallstones develop they can be troublesome and painful. Dr Mark Porter examines the causes and treatment of gallbladder problems and visits Gloucester Royal Hospital to see its surgical removal.

Producer: Erika Wright.

Dr Mark Porter examines the causes and treatment of gallstones and their surgical removal.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day.

He investigates what harm we can do to ourselves in the garden. In June 2008, The Lancet reported that a man had died from inhaling many Aspergillus spores from his compost heap. Mark discusses the realities of the problem, finds out about toxic plants and obtains some advice about protecting backs and knees while gardening.

Dr Mark Porter investigates what harm we can do to ourselves in the garden.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day.

He investigates what harm we can do to ourselves in the garden. In June 2008, The Lancet reported that a man had died from inhaling many Aspergillus spores from his compost heap. Mark discusses the realities of the problem, finds out about toxic plants and obtains some advice about protecting backs and knees while gardening.

Dr Mark Porter investigates what harm we can do to ourselves in the garden.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter looks at a new test for the eye disease glaucoma.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Producer: Erika Wright.

Dr Mark Porter investigates how the good and bad fats we eat can impact on our health.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Our bowels are home to an ecosystem of billions of bacteria and other microbes. Many of these gut bugs perform vital jobs for us, such as helping to digest food, making vitamins and priming the immune system. In the last few years, researchers have gathered evidence that a range of health problems and conditions arise from there being an inbalance between beneficial bacteria and potentially harmful ones. These conditions include Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Clostridium difficile infection, allergies and possibly bowel cancer. Dr Mark Porter talks to researchers and doctors about some of the latest findings and treatments based on these insights.

Dr Mark Porter on faecal transplants, and the balance of good and bad bugs in our guts.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day.

He looks at common problems of hair, from greying to dandruff and baldness. He reports on new genetic studies of the fungus that causes dandruff and on why we lose the colour in our hair as we age. He also explores why chemotherapy changes the structure of hair.

Dr Mark Porter looks at common problems of hair, from greying to dandruff and baldness.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Traumatic brain injuries are mainly the result of serious accidents on the roads or at work, assaults or falls. Dr Mark Porter discovers how these injuries are treated today. He also finds out what happens during rehabilitation and the consequences for the people who had the accidents and their families.

Dr Mark Porter investigates the treatment and consequences of traumatic brain injuries.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Traumatic brain injuries are mainly the result of serious accidents on the roads or at work, assaults or falls. Dr Mark Porter discovers how these injuries are treated today. He also finds out what happens during rehabilitation and the consequences for the people who had the accidents and their families.

Dr Mark Porter investigates the treatment and consequences of traumatic brain injuries.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter examines emergency procedures for heart attacks.

He visits the Heart Attack Centre at the Barts and The London NHS Trust. The hospital has recently won awards for its emergency treatment for those with heart attacks.

The Centre works with the London Ambulance Service to try and ensure that all those suffering a heart attack receive a balloon angioplasty - a balloon put into a valve in the heart - as soon as possible. It has been shown that those who receive this treatment are far more likely to survive the attack. The hospital has managed to reduce deaths from heart attack by 50 per cent.

Mark looks at the other services provided by the Heart Attack Centre and finds out how soon it will be before services like this are available across the UK.

Dr Mark Porter examines emergency procedures for heart attacks.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter examines emergency procedures for heart attacks.

He visits the Heart Attack Centre at the Barts and The London NHS Trust. The hospital has recently won awards for its emergency treatment for those with heart attacks.

The Centre works with the London Ambulance Service to try and ensure that all those suffering a heart attack receive a balloon angioplasty - a balloon put into a valve in the heart - as soon as possible. It has been shown that those who receive this treatment are far more likely to survive the attack. The hospital has managed to reduce deaths from heart attack by 50 per cent.

Mark looks at the other services provided by the Heart Attack Centre and finds out how soon it will be before services like this are available across the UK.

Dr Mark Porter examines emergency procedures for heart attacks.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Messages around how much water we should drink are often confusing. Dr Mark Porter unpicks the myths. He finds that optimum fluid intake varies greatly from one person to the next and discovers the best way of establishing what's right for you.

Mark talks to Bridget Benelam, nutrition scientist and author of a new report into hydration and health; Dr Nick Sculthorpe, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at the University of Bedfordshire; Detlef Bockenhauer, Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London; John Brewer, Professor of Sport at the University of Bedfordshire, and Tom Sanders, Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics at Kings College Hospital London.

Producer: Erika Wright.

Dr Mark Porter finds out how much water we should drink for optimum health.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Messages around how much water we should drink are often confusing. Dr Mark Porter unpicks the myths. He finds that optimum fluid intake varies greatly from one person to the next and discovers the best way of establishing what's right for you.

Mark talks to Bridget Benelam, nutrition scientist and author of a new report into hydration and health; Dr Nick Sculthorpe, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at the University of Bedfordshire; Detlef Bockenhauer, Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London; John Brewer, Professor of Sport at the University of Bedfordshire, and Tom Sanders, Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics at Kings College Hospital London.

Producer: Erika Wright.

Dr Mark Porter finds out how much water we should drink for optimum health.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day.

He is joined by Dr Anne Szarewski to discuss HPV, a family of viruses that cause verrucas, warts and cervical cancer. The majority of the infections clear up without any treatment but some are more serious.

A vaccine will soon be available for all girls aged 11-18 to prevent the two viruses that cause the majority of cervical cancers. Since these viruses are sexually transmitted, the aim is to vaccinate before girls become sexually active.

Dr Mark Porter is joined by Dr Anne Szarewski to discuss the HPV family of viruses.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day.

He is joined by Dr Anne Szarewski to discuss HPV, a family of viruses that cause verrucas, warts and cervical cancer. The majority of the infections clear up without any treatment but some are more serious.

A vaccine will soon be available for all girls aged 11-18 to prevent the two viruses that cause the majority of cervical cancers. Since these viruses are sexually transmitted, the aim is to vaccinate before girls become sexually active.

Dr Mark Porter is joined by Dr Anne Szarewski to discuss the HPV family of viruses.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter finds out about how to avoid and treat diseases caused by insects. Some insects only leave itchy bites on the skin but others transmit serious diseases. Ticks in the UK can cause Lyme disease, with symptoms such as tiredness and pains, mites are responsible for scabies, and tropical areas pose a threat with malaria-transmitting mosquitoes.

Dr Mark Porter finds out about how to avoid and treat diseases caused by insects.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter finds out about how to avoid and treat diseases caused by insects. Some insects only leave itchy bites on the skin but others transmit serious diseases. Ticks in the UK can cause Lyme disease, with symptoms such as tiredness and pains, mites are responsible for scabies, and tropical areas pose a threat with malaria-transmitting mosquitoes.

Dr Mark Porter finds out about how to avoid and treat diseases caused by insects.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

The internet is changing the face of medicine. Eight out of every ten people now use it to search for health information, and some go on to self-diagnose and treat their illnesses. But is it safe to play doctor? And can ordinary citizens with a computer really replace years of medical training?

Dr Mark Porter looks at what the web has to offer healthcare and asks where we can find helpful and accurate advice. Wikipedia is a popular source of information, but should it be trusted? Kevin Clauson from Nova Southeastern University discusses his findings.

There's also the issue of online pharmacies - a common choice for people seeking value for money. The websites are not always hosted in the UK and many are completely unregulated. Dr Porter finds out about the risks and how to avoid buying a box full of counterfeits.

Dr Mark Porter sorts out the good from the bad in terms of health advice online.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

The internet is changing the face of medicine. Eight out of every ten people now use it to search for health information, and some go on to self-diagnose and treat their illnesses. But is it safe to play doctor? And can ordinary citizens with a computer really replace years of medical training?

Dr Mark Porter looks at what the web has to offer healthcare and asks where we can find helpful and accurate advice. Wikipedia is a popular source of information, but should it be trusted? Kevin Clauson from Nova Southeastern University discusses his findings.

There's also the issue of online pharmacies - a common choice for people seeking value for money. The websites are not always hosted in the UK and many are completely unregulated. Dr Porter finds out about the risks and how to avoid buying a box full of counterfeits.

Dr Mark Porter sorts out the good from the bad in terms of health advice online.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Iron deficient anaemia is common but so are the uncomfortable side effects from the tablets used to treat it. Dr Mark Porter hears the wide ranging causes of this form of anaemia, and visits Birmingham hospitals where new techniques are being used to manage the condition. He asks when the lack of iron may indicate something more serious.
Producer: Erika Wright.

Dr Mark Porter reports from Birmingham on new treatments for iron deficient anaemia.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter visits the London Women's Clinic to learn about the latest developments in the field of in-vitro-fertilisation (IVF), and clarifies what the NHS now offers and to whom.

It has been over 30 years since Louise Brown entered the world as the first test tube baby. Now, one per cent of all children born in the UK are conceived through IVF, and couples who would previously have been called infertile are starting their own happy families. Mark visits the London Women's Clinic to find out about the latest developments in IVF, what's available on the NHS, and who can get treatment for free.

The increasing success of IVF means that the number of twins being born is rising. This has led the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to set targets for reducing twins - but why? And what are the risks associated with twin pregnancies?

Not all women find it hard to produce eggs and this can cause problems during IVF. Women with polycystic ovaries are particularly at risk of a serious disorder known as OHSS, or ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome. Consultant gynaecologist Tim Child from Oxford University talks about a solution.

Dr Mark Porter visits a fertility clinic to learn about the latest developments in IVF.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter visits the London Women's Clinic to learn about the latest developments in the field of in-vitro-fertilisation (IVF), and clarifies what the NHS now offers and to whom.

It has been over 30 years since Louise Brown entered the world as the first test tube baby. Now, one per cent of all children born in the UK are conceived through IVF, and couples who would previously have been called infertile are starting their own happy families. Mark visits the London Women's Clinic to find out about the latest developments in IVF, what's available on the NHS, and who can get treatment for free.

The increasing success of IVF means that the number of twins being born is rising. This has led the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to set targets for reducing twins - but why? And what are the risks associated with twin pregnancies?

Not all women find it hard to produce eggs and this can cause problems during IVF. Women with polycystic ovaries are particularly at risk of a serious disorder known as OHSS, or ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome. Consultant gynaecologist Tim Child from Oxford University talks about a solution.

Dr Mark Porter visits a fertility clinic to learn about the latest developments in IVF.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter investigates the latest treatments for problems with the lens of the eye.

He visits Southampton General Hospital and talks to Rob Morris, consultant eye surgeon, about how he treats cataracts. These are very common: nearly half of us will develop some degree of clouding of the lens of the eye by late middle age. Most people have cataracts by the time they reach their mid-80s. Mark meets some of Rob Morris's patients and hears about how they realised that they had cataracts. He then watches an operation in which the patient is under just a local anaesthetic.

Rob Morris explains that nowadays the replacement lenses are made to measure. Some patients, including some with astigmatism, have better eyesight after they have had their cataracts removed and tailor-made lenses fitted.

Dr Susan Blakeney from the College of Optometrists tells Mark about what happens to the eye as we age.

Also, Rob Morris explains how recent developments in lens implants are helping people with the most common type of macular degeneration - the dry form - in which thinning of the retina at the back of the eye leads to poor central vision.

Dr Mark Porter investigates the latest treatments for problems with the lens of the eye.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter investigates the latest treatments for problems with the lens of the eye.

He visits Southampton General Hospital and talks to Rob Morris, consultant eye surgeon, about how he treats cataracts. These are very common: nearly half of us will develop some degree of clouding of the lens of the eye by late middle age. Most people have cataracts by the time they reach their mid-80s. Mark meets some of Rob Morris's patients and hears about how they realised that they had cataracts. He then watches an operation in which the patient is under just a local anaesthetic.

Rob Morris explains that nowadays the replacement lenses are made to measure. Some patients, including some with astigmatism, have better eyesight after they have had their cataracts removed and tailor-made lenses fitted.

Dr Susan Blakeney from the College of Optometrists tells Mark about what happens to the eye as we age.

Also, Rob Morris explains how recent developments in lens implants are helping people with the most common type of macular degeneration - the dry form - in which thinning of the retina at the back of the eye leads to poor central vision.

Dr Mark Porter investigates the latest treatments for problems with the lens of the eye.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

In the week when it was revealed that one in five of Britain's infantry soldiers are not fit enough for full deployment, often as a result of injuries sustained in battle, Mark Porter visits Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.

The soldiers, injured mostly in Afghanistan, are flown here and cared for by a combination of NHS and military medical staff. The casualties make up an unusual group of patients. They have often sustained a complex set of injuries, from gunshots and multiple fractures to amputations, loss of sight or hearing and brain injury.

As Mark Porter discovers, despite quite devastating injuries, the fitness and determination of this unique group of patients helps them to cope with the challenges of recovery.

Selly Oak Hospital primarily treats the physical impact of war, but identifying and treating the psychological scars is also important. Soldiers are now being trained to identify warning signs in their peers while in Afghanistan, so that they can be treated early. Efforts are also being made to help soldiers cope with the transition from the war zone to civilian life.

Dr Mark Porter visits Selly Oak Hospital, treating the soldiers injured in Afghanistan.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

In the week when it was revealed that one in five of Britain's infantry soldiers are not fit enough for full deployment, often as a result of injuries sustained in battle, Mark Porter visits Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.

The soldiers, injured mostly in Afghanistan, are flown here and cared for by a combination of NHS and military medical staff. The casualties make up an unusual group of patients. They have often sustained a complex set of injuries, from gunshots and multiple fractures to amputations, loss of sight or hearing and brain injury.

As Mark Porter discovers, despite quite devastating injuries, the fitness and determination of this unique group of patients helps them to cope with the challenges of recovery.

Selly Oak Hospital primarily treats the physical impact of war, but identifying and treating the psychological scars is also important. Soldiers are now being trained to identify warning signs in their peers while in Afghanistan, so that they can be treated early. Efforts are also being made to help soldiers cope with the transition from the war zone to civilian life.

Dr Mark Porter visits Selly Oak Hospital, treating the soldiers injured in Afghanistan.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores men's health in the workplace and how even the threat of redundancy can make you ill.

Mark visits the Olympic venue for London 2012 to talk to doctors and construction workers about the importance of having on-site facilities. He also hears how cab drivers on Merseyside are giving tips on stopping smoking and becoming more healthy by eating five portions of fruit and veg per day. Also, how the Metropolitan Police are managing the stress levels of their officers.

Dr Mark Porter explores men's health in the workplace.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores men's health in the workplace and how even the threat of redundancy can make you ill.

Mark visits the Olympic venue for London 2012 to talk to doctors and construction workers about the importance of having on-site facilities. He also hears how cab drivers on Merseyside are giving tips on stopping smoking and becoming more healthy by eating five portions of fruit and veg per day. Also, how the Metropolitan Police are managing the stress levels of their officers.

Dr Mark Porter explores men's health in the workplace.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Half of all women and a fifth of men in the UK over the age of 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis. Everyone's bones lose some density and strength as a natural part of the ageing process, but what makes some people more prone to fracture than others?

Dr Mark Porter visits a clinic in Sheffield to hear about the latest drugs available to treat osteoporosis, some of which only need to be taken once a year. He hears about the role that screening plays in detecting those at risk and why smoking or bowel conditions like Crohn's disease increase the risk of developing the condition.

Dr Mark Porter visits Sheffield to hear about the latest treatments for osteoporosis.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Half of all women and a fifth of men in the UK over the age of 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis. Everyone's bones lose some density and strength as a natural part of the ageing process, but what makes some people more prone to fracture than others?

Dr Mark Porter visits a clinic in Sheffield to hear about the latest drugs available to treat osteoporosis, some of which only need to be taken once a year. He hears about the role that screening plays in detecting those at risk and why smoking or bowel conditions like Crohn's disease increase the risk of developing the condition.

Dr Mark Porter visits Sheffield to hear about the latest treatments for osteoporosis.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Parasites invade our bodies in a variety of ingenious ways - through the food we eat or an insect bite, to boring directly under our skin.

Some, like the beef tapeworm, at several metres in length, can hide harmlessly in our gut for years, while others, like malaria, can kill in a day.

Dr Mark Porter visits the Hospital of Tropical Diseases in London where Professor Peter Chiodini and his colleagues diagnose and treat the patients who have picked up parasites, both here and abroad.

Parasites have complex life cycles requiring them to inhabit one or more hosts to reproduce and ensure their species' survival. Mark discovers how the parasite Toxoplasma has developed an ingenious way to ensure this happens. This parasitic effect could even have implications for the causes and treatment of schizophrenia.

Emerging infections are always a concern for doctors, and parasites are no exception. Mark hears about a parasite threatening to reach our shores, and that man's best friend is the host that's likely to bring it here.

Dr Mark Porter on the parasites that can invade our bodies.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Parasites invade our bodies in a variety of ingenious ways - through the food we eat or an insect bite, to boring directly under our skin.

Some, like the beef tapeworm, at several metres in length, can hide harmlessly in our gut for years, while others, like malaria, can kill in a day.

Dr Mark Porter visits the Hospital of Tropical Diseases in London where Professor Peter Chiodini and his colleagues diagnose and treat the patients who have picked up parasites, both here and abroad.

Parasites have complex life cycles requiring them to inhabit one or more hosts to reproduce and ensure their species' survival. Mark discovers how the parasite Toxoplasma has developed an ingenious way to ensure this happens. This parasitic effect could even have implications for the causes and treatment of schizophrenia.

Emerging infections are always a concern for doctors, and parasites are no exception. Mark hears about a parasite threatening to reach our shores, and that man's best friend is the host that's likely to bring it here.

Dr Mark Porter on the parasites that can invade our bodies.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

It's been estimated that 10% of patients in hospital experience something that could cause them medical harm. Many of these mistakes occur in the operating theatre. Since February 2010 the NHS in England and Wales has introduced the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist for every patient undergoing a surgical procedure, following research that showed its application reduced the number of adverse events. Mark Porter looks into how the checklist is being used in the operating theatres at the Royal London Hospital.

Other common mistakes are the result of patients being given the wrong drugs or the wrong dosage of drugs. In June the National Patient Safety Agency issued guidelines on how to reduce the number of wrong dose incidents involving insulin, which is taken by diabetics. Dr Gerry Rayman at Ipswich Hospital demonstrates the e-learning programme to train medical professionals to administer the correct dose of insulin.

Surgery and medication account for around a fifth or so of the incidents reported to the National Patient Safety Agency. But the biggest cause of all is far more mundane, but potentially just as serious - everyday accidents like trips and falls account for around a third of all incidents and can vary in severity from nothing but injured pride, to a fatal head injury.

Reporter Angela Robson went to Rotherham Hospital to find out how staff there are tackling the problem with patients who are at risk of falling.

Mark discusses how hospitals are dealing with the issue of patient safety with Professor Charles Vincent, Director of the Centre for Patient Safety and Service Quality at Imperial College, London.

Producer: Deborah Cohen.

Mark Porter finds out how to improve patient safety in hospitals and the community.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

It's been estimated that 10% of patients in hospital experience something that could cause them medical harm. Many of these mistakes occur in the operating theatre. Since February 2010 the NHS in England and Wales has introduced the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist for every patient undergoing a surgical procedure, following research that showed its application reduced the number of adverse events. Mark Porter looks into how the checklist is being used in the operating theatres at the Royal London Hospital.

Other common mistakes are the result of patients being given the wrong drugs or the wrong dosage of drugs. In June the National Patient Safety Agency issued guidelines on how to reduce the number of wrong dose incidents involving insulin, which is taken by diabetics. Dr Gerry Rayman at Ipswich Hospital demonstrates the e-learning programme to train medical professionals to administer the correct dose of insulin.

Surgery and medication account for around a fifth or so of the incidents reported to the National Patient Safety Agency. But the biggest cause of all is far more mundane, but potentially just as serious - everyday accidents like trips and falls account for around a third of all incidents and can vary in severity from nothing but injured pride, to a fatal head injury.

Reporter Angela Robson went to Rotherham Hospital to find out how staff there are tackling the problem with patients who are at risk of falling.

Mark discusses how hospitals are dealing with the issue of patient safety with Professor Charles Vincent, Director of the Centre for Patient Safety and Service Quality at Imperial College, London.

Producer: Deborah Cohen.

Mark Porter finds out how to improve patient safety in hospitals and the community.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter investigates health issues of the day.

He reports on the latest findings about the experience of physical pain. By doing real-time scanning of the brain, researchers can see where pain is experienced. The hope is that this understanding will lead to new treatments for pain, which could be either drugs or psychological. Mark also talks to doctors who are developing new ways of assessing how much pain babies are experiencing when they are ill or undergoing medical procedures.

Dr Mark Porter reports on the latest findings about the experience of physical pain.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter investigates health issues of the day.

He reports on the latest findings about the experience of physical pain. By doing real-time scanning of the brain, researchers can see where pain is experienced. The hope is that this understanding will lead to new treatments for pain, which could be either drugs or psychological. Mark also talks to doctors who are developing new ways of assessing how much pain babies are experiencing when they are ill or undergoing medical procedures.

Dr Mark Porter reports on the latest findings about the experience of physical pain.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day.

He visits the Royal Victoria Infirmary Poisons Unit in Newcastle, which treats around 1200 patients a year who have either accidentally or purposely poisoned themselves. A surprising number of poison cases involve paracetamol. Dr Simon Thomas, consultant physician and clinical pharmacologist at the hospital, shows Mark around the facilities and highlights the issues surrounding paracetamol overdose.

Dr Mark Porter visits the Royal Victoria Infirmary Poisons Unit in Newcastle.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day.

He visits the Royal Victoria Infirmary Poisons Unit in Newcastle, which treats around 1200 patients a year who have either accidentally or purposely poisoned themselves. A surprising number of poison cases involve paracetamol. Dr Simon Thomas, consultant physician and clinical pharmacologist at the hospital, shows Mark around the facilities and highlights the issues surrounding paracetamol overdose.

Dr Mark Porter visits the Royal Victoria Infirmary Poisons Unit in Newcastle.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter looks at the latest developments in radiotherapy for cancer.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter returns with a new series of Case Notes.

The dangers to health from the misuse of drugs have been much in the news - particularly the concerns surrounding the so-called legal high, mephedrone.

In this edition of Case Notes, Mark talks to the scientist who led the group of experts which recommended the drug be made illegal and to young people about their experiences of taking mephedrone.

He also hears the latest evidence on the link between schizophrenia and cannabis, and why cocaine is bad for the heart and the brain.

Dr Mark Porter looks at what we do and don't know about the dangers of recreational drugs.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Instead of putting patients to sleep, many major surgical procedures can be done under regional anaesthesia - allowing doctors to offer patients operations they would not have been able to previously because of the risks of being put to sleep. Mark Porter visits the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading to investigate the latest alternatives to general anaesthesia. He talks to patients, and doctors about the new high-tech options available and why they choose one form of anaesthetic over another.

Producer: Erika Wright.

Many surgical procedures can now be done under regional anaesthesia. Mark Porter reports.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Instead of putting patients to sleep, many major surgical procedures can be done under regional anaesthesia - allowing doctors to offer patients operations they would not have been able to previously because of the risks of being put to sleep. Mark Porter visits the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading to investigate the latest alternatives to general anaesthesia. He talks to patients, and doctors about the new high-tech options available and why they choose one form of anaesthetic over another.

Producer: Erika Wright.

Many surgical procedures can now be done under regional anaesthesia. Mark Porter reports.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores the science behind the dramatic cut in the number of cot deaths.

He hears about a study in Bradford which is looking at the differences between how South Asian and European families look after their newborns, as the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is generally lower in families of South Asian origin. A large study in the south west of England has confirmed risk factors including exposure to tobacco smoke and front-sleeping, though others, like co-sleeping, are less clear-cut.

Dr Mark Porter explores the science behind the dramatic cut in the number of cot deaths.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores the science behind the dramatic cut in the number of cot deaths.

He hears about a study in Bradford which is looking at the differences between how South Asian and European families look after their newborns, as the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is generally lower in families of South Asian origin. A large study in the south west of England has confirmed risk factors including exposure to tobacco smoke and front-sleeping, though others, like co-sleeping, are less clear-cut.

Dr Mark Porter explores the science behind the dramatic cut in the number of cot deaths.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter investigates the past and future of surgery. He meets Prof Harold Ellis, a surgeon who qualified in the summer that the NHS was born, and hears about some of the latest surgical techniques, including how a gall bladder can be removed with just one tiny incision through the bellybutton.

Dr Mark Porter investigates the past and future of surgery.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter investigates the past and future of surgery. He meets Prof Harold Ellis, a surgeon who qualified in the summer that the NHS was born, and hears about some of the latest surgical techniques, including how a gall bladder can be removed with just one tiny incision through the bellybutton.

Dr Mark Porter investigates the past and future of surgery.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

The new strain of so-called swine flu has arrived in Britain from Mexico - with two confirmed cases in Scotland.

If - and it is still a very big if - swine flu turns into a pandemic, it won't be the first time an outbreak of flu has caused mayhem across the world. The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic infected around a third of the world's population, killing at least 50 million people. At the outset, few realised quite how lethal the so-called Spanish Lady would prove. It wiped out whole families, including many men who'd survived the dangers of the First World War trenches.

Dr Colin Russell, who's Head of Epidemiology at the Centre of Pathogen Evolution at the University of Cambridge explains how pandemics normally evolve from a virus which uses animal-to-human transmission - whereas "normal" seasonal 'flu is spread from person-to-person - and only affects a small proportion of the population every year - estimated to be around 10%. Seasonal 'flu infects many millions of people - and kills up to half a million people every year. Because humans aren't normally exposed to the "animal" verisions (mostly from birds or pigs) they don't have any of the natural immunity which they do have to the solely-human strains. This is why pandemics can cause so many deaths.

Dr Brian McCloskey, who's the Director of the London region of the Health Protection Agency explains how the alert status in the UK has risen from 3 to 4. A full-scale, confirmed pandemic would take us to level 6. He explains about the stocks of antiviral treatments would be distributed if there was a pandemic. He explains how good hygiene is essential in stopping the spread of 'flu - disposing carefully of used tissues, washing hands and surfaces and staying at home instead of going to work can all help reduce the spread of 'flu. There is no vaccine for the Mexican strain - but the scientists hope that the regular 'flu vaccine may provide some protection if people are infected with this new strain.

The Habditch family, who live in Gloucestershire, fell ill after a cruise along the Mexican coast. Once they got home and read the headlines about the deaths in Mexico from swineflu, they rang their GP as 15 year old Grace had symptoms of 'flu - including a sore throat and neck. The doctor visited their house - wearing a mask and protective clothing - and took swabs. The next day the tests came back clear and their quarantine was lifted.

At the moment the tests to identify 'flu strains have to be carried out in special laboratories. But Dr Alan McNally, who's a senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, is part of a European team working on portable testing equipment that can identify the virus in just 25 minutes. This test could be carried out in the patient's home and Dr McNally says his team have redoubled their efforts to make the test available, given the current situation.

Dr Mark Porter examines the outbreak of swine flu.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

The new strain of so-called swine flu has arrived in Britain from Mexico - with two confirmed cases in Scotland.

If - and it is still a very big if - swine flu turns into a pandemic, it won't be the first time an outbreak of flu has caused mayhem across the world. The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic infected around a third of the world's population, killing at least 50 million people. At the outset, few realised quite how lethal the so-called Spanish Lady would prove. It wiped out whole families, including many men who'd survived the dangers of the First World War trenches.

Dr Colin Russell, who's Head of Epidemiology at the Centre of Pathogen Evolution at the University of Cambridge explains how pandemics normally evolve from a virus which uses animal-to-human transmission - whereas "normal" seasonal 'flu is spread from person-to-person - and only affects a small proportion of the population every year - estimated to be around 10%. Seasonal 'flu infects many millions of people - and kills up to half a million people every year. Because humans aren't normally exposed to the "animal" verisions (mostly from birds or pigs) they don't have any of the natural immunity which they do have to the solely-human strains. This is why pandemics can cause so many deaths.

Dr Brian McCloskey, who's the Director of the London region of the Health Protection Agency explains how the alert status in the UK has risen from 3 to 4. A full-scale, confirmed pandemic would take us to level 6. He explains about the stocks of antiviral treatments would be distributed if there was a pandemic. He explains how good hygiene is essential in stopping the spread of 'flu - disposing carefully of used tissues, washing hands and surfaces and staying at home instead of going to work can all help reduce the spread of 'flu. There is no vaccine for the Mexican strain - but the scientists hope that the regular 'flu vaccine may provide some protection if people are infected with this new strain.

The Habditch family, who live in Gloucestershire, fell ill after a cruise along the Mexican coast. Once they got home and read the headlines about the deaths in Mexico from swineflu, they rang their GP as 15 year old Grace had symptoms of 'flu - including a sore throat and neck. The doctor visited their house - wearing a mask and protective clothing - and took swabs. The next day the tests came back clear and their quarantine was lifted.

At the moment the tests to identify 'flu strains have to be carried out in special laboratories. But Dr Alan McNally, who's a senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, is part of a European team working on portable testing equipment that can identify the virus in just 25 minutes. This test could be carried out in the patient's home and Dr McNally says his team have redoubled their efforts to make the test available, given the current situation.

Dr Mark Porter examines the outbreak of swine flu.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Telemedicine is bringing benefits to both patients and doctors in Wales. Now that the neurologist no longer has a two and a half hour drive each way from Swansea to Aberystwyth he can run clinics for his patients in mid Wales every six weeks rather than every three months. Instead the neurologist, Dr Hinds, links up to the consulting room in Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth from his home base in Morriston Hospital in Swansea. With the latest technology he can see the patients and any scans and blood test results.

In Gloucestershire patients with conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder who need daily monitoring are using technology to take readings of blood pressure and lung function in their homes. These measurements are sent to their GPs' computers.

In Scotland, too, telemedicine is bringing patients in remote areas specialist advice and treament. Mark Porter reports on these projects and asks how far can telemedicine go? Do the patients like it?

Producer: Deborah Cohen.

Mark Porter reports on how telemedicine is transforming patients' lives.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter reports on the ovary - from fertility to screening trials for ovarian cancer. He hears how doctors aim to manage the symptoms of polycystic ovaries, which can include infertility, unwanted body or facial hair, weight problems and depression. Mark also hears about research aimed at finding out which women are most at risk of ovarian cancer, which, because of its vague symptoms, is notoriously difficult to detect in time to be successfully treated.

Dr Mark Porter reports on the ovary: from fertility to screening trials for ovarian cancer

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter reports on the ovary - from fertility to screening trials for ovarian cancer. He hears how doctors aim to manage the symptoms of polycystic ovaries, which can include infertility, unwanted body or facial hair, weight problems and depression. Mark also hears about research aimed at finding out which women are most at risk of ovarian cancer, which, because of its vague symptoms, is notoriously difficult to detect in time to be successfully treated.

Dr Mark Porter reports on the ovary: from fertility to screening trials for ovarian cancer

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter talks to doctors and patients about diseases of the pancreas.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter visits the Trauma Centre at the Royal London Hospital, in East London. It has set up teams of experts to rapidly deliver treatments to those who are seriously injured, following a model of care that was established in the United States. This approach has been shown to save lives and improve the outcome for severely injured patients.

The Royal London Hospital Trauma Centre treats around 1400 patients a year, and about a quarter of these are very seriously injured. This can be the result of knife or gunshot wounds, traffic accidents, burns or falls. The team was heavily involved in the treatment of the victims of the London bombings in 2005. The Trauma Centre is now one of three in London, which are collaborating to provide the best treatment to the capital.

Mark Porter spends a day with the team of doctors and nurses, to find out how they work together to save the lives of the seriously injured.

Dr Mark Porter visits the Trauma Centre at the Royal London Hospital.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Tuberculosis is thought of as a disease of the past, but in our British cities it is still very much a fact of life. Dr Mark Porter hears from Natalie, a 24-year-old mother of two, who has had successful treatment for TB in her kidneys. Doctors think she may have caught it when she was working in a care home.

The treatment for TB involves at least six months of taking a number of different antibiotics. The experts explain how - although it's difficult for patients to keep taking them once they start feeling better - it's crucial to be cured, and to avoid resistant strains of the disease from developing.

The BCG vaccine is not routinely given these days. Instead certain 'at risk' communities are targeted. Teenagers on gap years, who may not have been vaccinated, might want to think about getting the vaccine which will offer them protection against TB on their travels.

Dr Mark Porter on the treatment of tuberculosis in Leeds.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Tuberculosis is thought of as a disease of the past, but in our British cities it is still very much a fact of life. Dr Mark Porter hears from Natalie, a 24-year-old mother of two, who has had successful treatment for TB in her kidneys. Doctors think she may have caught it when she was working in a care home.

The treatment for TB involves at least six months of taking a number of different antibiotics. The experts explain how - although it's difficult for patients to keep taking them once they start feeling better - it's crucial to be cured, and to avoid resistant strains of the disease from developing.

The BCG vaccine is not routinely given these days. Instead certain 'at risk' communities are targeted. Teenagers on gap years, who may not have been vaccinated, might want to think about getting the vaccine which will offer them protection against TB on their travels.

Dr Mark Porter on the treatment of tuberculosis in Leeds.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day.

He investigates the latest treatments for problems in the urinary tract. He reports on the diagnosis and treatment of different conditions that can affect the kidneys and the bladder and discovers that blood in the urine can be a sign of a variety of problems.

Dr Mark Porter investigates the latest treatments for problems in the urinary tract.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day.

He investigates the latest treatments for problems in the urinary tract. He reports on the diagnosis and treatment of different conditions that can affect the kidneys and the bladder and discovers that blood in the urine can be a sign of a variety of problems.

Dr Mark Porter investigates the latest treatments for problems in the urinary tract.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week

After a cold winter with little sunlight lack of vitamin D is common, but how do you know if your levels are too low? Traditionally lack of Vitamin D is linked with poor bone health, but new studies suggest that milder deficiency may also be linked to asthma, some cancers and diabetes. Dr Mark Porter investigates and hears from a night shift worker who had such excruciating pain in her hands she thought that she had arthritis - when her doctor checked for vitamin D levels, 3 weeks of supplements cured the pain.

Dr Mark Porter examines evidence of links between vitamin D deficiency and some cancers.

Medical programme exploring a different topic each week