I thought I was fine with being bald. But the chance of a cure has stirred up all sorts of feelings

It’s almost 30 years since I lost my hair to alopecia. What if Pfizer’s drug Litfulo could bring it back? asks Guardian columnist Emma Beddington

My report on the NHS diagnosed its dire condition. Now here’s the cure

Making healthy life expectancy central to all government policy is the surest way of stemming demand on the health service, says surgeon and former health minister Lord Darzi

The Guardian view on children and smartphones: setting some limits is a good idea

Editorial: Mobile phone use is not the biggest issue facing schools – or society. But device-free time is important

Spire Healthcare reports profit and revenue jump as its work for NHS increases

Private hospital group also benefited from higher take-up of private health insurance among working-age people

Tory health reforms left UK open to Covid calamity, says top doctor’s report

Britain’s pandemic response was among the worst and the NHS had been ‘seriously weakened’, says leading surgeon

Gonorrhoea getting more drug-resistant and ‘may become untreatable’

Rise in super-strength cases in England reaches highest level since records began, UKHSA says

The life and tragic death of John Balson: how a true crime producer documented his own rising horror

His symptoms began with dizziness, headaches, a lack of sleep and panic attacks. Over time, they grew worse. All the while, this beloved husband, father and son was wondering about the role his work played in his illness

Trainee doctors in UK facing higher risk of burnout than during pandemic

Recent GMC figures reveal young medics are struggling with unsustainable workloads and inadequate support

Family accuse London hospital of ‘negligence and discrimination’ after death of mother and baby

Ayaan Waeys, who had Somali heritage, had shown symptoms of pre-eclampsia and died at St Thomas’ hospital in London after giving birth to stillborn girl

DIY smear tests are on their way? I’ll be first in the queue

I’m sure they’ll be tricky, given how much I struggled with lateral flow tests. But anything beats having to involve another human being, writes Emma Beddington

‘A 30-second walk would exhaust me beyond reason’: Natacha’s life with long Covid

Natacha Gray had an active life, diving, climbing and playing music, before illness left her so tired she would collapse on the way to the couch. She discusses two and a half devastating years – and how she stays optimistic

Mounjaro is second obesity drug to be approved for use in England

Those with BMI of 35 and a comorbidity could be prescribed tirzepatide and Nice says it is more effective than Wegovy

‘It was empowering and joyful’: the UK women hiring private midwives

After a troubling report on NHS care, the number of pregnant women seeking more control over their birth plans is growing

Fish oil may increase risk of heart conditions and stroke, study finds

But supplements could reduce likelihood of heart attack for people who already have cardiovascular disease

You Don’t Have to Be Mad to Work Here by Benji Waterhouse review – the doctor won’t see you now

A brilliantly funny but deadly serious account of NHS psychiatry in crisis