People needing non-emergency orthopaedic treatment such as knee and hip replacements are to have a choice of going to any hospital in England. Ministers are making the announcement - a year ahead of schedule - as part of their plan to give patients more control over their NHS care. A new website giving information on hospital performance and treatments is also being set up.
People with diabetes in England need more support to help them manage their condition themselves, a survey finds. The Healthcare Commission also found more could be done to improve hospital care for people with diabetes.
Brazilian scientists have used transfusions of patients' own stem cells to reverse type 1 diabetes. People with the condition are known as insulin-dependent, and require regular shots of the hormone.
When it comes to disability, teachers are still not equal.
Dogs that can retrieve cash from ATMs and empty washing machines help disabled people lead more independent lives, but can they also help reform disruptive teenagers?
1. The starting point is an agreed definition of disability - this is what the Disability Discrimination Act uses "A person has a disability for the purposes of the DDA if s/he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities."
