Inside Health

Mark investigates reports that the UK faces an epidemic of "mutant flu".Just a month after NICE calls for more weight loss operations to be done, there are proposals to slash the amount hospitals are paid to do the procedures - a move that could see many hospitals stop offering the operation.Six packs and big guns - there is growing concern about steroid abuse by young men on a quest for the perfect body.And Dry January - Mark looks at the science behind going on the wagon for a month.

Dr Mark Porter talks to leading experts about treating alcohol dependence with a pill and whether the required counselling services are available to make it work.And Mark finds out the state of his arteries when he has a new blood test to predict his risk of heart attack. Plus what does the evidence tell us about how often to visit the dentist?

Should fruit juice be dropped from the 5 a day fruit and vegetable recommendations?A&E in a mild winter - why has the NHS been stretched to near breaking point over the festive period?Dr Mark Porter visits a busy pain clinic to find out why prescribed opioid painkillers for long term non-cancer pain often do more harm than good.And resident sceptic and GP Dr Margaret McCartney outlines her New Year resolutions.

Financial incentives for GPs - do they work? Mark Porter learns there are parallels between the latest £55 to diagnose dementia and an incentive to diagnose depression which didn't work and was dropped. Are walk-in CT Scans a good idea - two experts who authored recent reports address concerns about people arranging their own scans. Hot Flushes feedback; plus the new generation of anti-coagulants offering an alternative to warfarin.

As more NHS operations are done in the private sector, how much do we know about patient safety in private hospitals? Kits to self-monitor warfarin have been recommended by NICE, so why is the uptake so poor? Hyperbaric medicine - using high doses of oxygen to accelerate healing; And sick day rules - the medicines you should stop taking while you are unwell to reduce kidney damage.

Inside Health examines advice for when parents should and shouldn't send their sick children to school. Is this another example of the nanny state, or a useful guide?Hip replacements and knee replacements are well known treatments but now a new trial is looking into the effectiveness of ankle surgery for arthritis.Margaret McCartney reveals the origin of the word hypochondria.Plus, how effective is HRT for the commonest symptom of the menopause, hot flushes?And Inside Health answers listeners' questions on Guillain-Barré syndrome, what are the causes and treatments.

Ebola - how do they predict how it's going to spread, and why estimates have risen so rapidly.In the UK there are 22 million prescriptions a year for morphine type painkillers, costing over 300 million pounds - but do they actually work in non-cancer pain?And a simple blood test that can tell if your recurrent chest infections might be due to an immune problem.Plus thyroid problems and pregnancy.

Dr Mark Porter reports on sleep apps, can they help with common sleep problems such as sleep apnoea? A new study reveals the failure of antibiotics for simple infections. Margaret McCartney reviews the evidence and asks is it worth having a flu jab? Plus who is eligible for NHS continuing health care.

Dr Mark Porter goes on a weekly quest to demystify the health issues that perplex us.

Dr Mark Porter examines how powerful lobbying groups like the food and alcohol industries steer public health policy in the direction that suits them most.