Patients have been warned to expect delays in treatment and disruption in hospitals as Britain's doctors voted to go on strike for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Government vows to stand firm as doctors vote for pension strikes

First it was civil servants, then teachers, and now doctors. The list of public sector professions taking industrial action grows only longer. Given the parlous state of government finances, and the sharp squeeze on private sector workers, such widespread obstinacy over still-generous pension arrangements is misguided. From the doctors, it is inexcusable.

Doctors believe a pioneering transplant technique which cleans and reconditions donor lungs could help save the lives of many patients desperately waiting for new organs.

It was probably inevitable that dentists would bite back at the claim from the Office of Fair Trading that many in the profession have been misleading patients into having unnecessary treatment. In fact, the vast majority of the public are happy with the care they receive, according to the British Dental Association. That may be so. But a significant minority – perhaps as many as 500,000 people – may have either been offered private treatment without being told of a cheaper NHS alternative, or, worse still, been given treatments they did not need.

It is known as "Black Wednesday" – the start of the "killing season" in the NHS, when a fresh crop of medical graduates starts on the wards.

It looks bad. An NHS board under a Tory-led government is considering taking away funds from the most deprived areas and giving them to more affluent, Tory-voting, areas. Does politics get any more cynical?

Senior health service managers are considering controversial plans to change the way the NHS spends its £100bn annual budget across different parts of England.

The mother of newborn twins who died following an overdose at a scandal-hit hospital has described their deaths as "totally avoidable" after a coroner said there were failings in their care.

The Government's plans to reform education and training in the NHS are unclear and lack detail, MPs have warned.

Patients will be able to choose where they have essential medical tests under a new scheme announced today.

One in sixteen patients in hospital last year had an infection contracted as a result of their medical care that made them sicker rather than better.

Sweeping variations in standards of care for diabetic patients is costing thousands of lives and wasting tens of millions of pounds every year, the government’s spending watchdog reveals.

Government hopes of resolving the bitter public sector pensions dispute were dealt a fresh blow today when a group of health workers rejected the controversial reforms.