Behind the headlines

This week's website concerns yesterday's Telegraph.co.uk publication with the headline:

Free 'health MoT' for over-40s to be unveiled.

The article explains Health Secretary Alan Johnson's pledge for free health checks for everyone in the country once they reach 40.  The story was also carried online by the Daily Mail (A free health MoT for everyone over 40 in a bid to tackle lifestyle diseases).

Behind the headlines, part of the NHS Choices online service describes itself as:

"Your guide to the science that makes the news."

The site does exactly what it says on the tin, gathering links to articles from various mainstream organisations, clearly explaining the science behind the issues.  While it does little in terms of multimedia content, in many cases the site provides a better source of news than sites such as the BBC Health pages.  The information is focused toward the consumer, providing a brief introduction to news issues before focusing on the medical facts most important to the public, ignoring the politics behind the story.

For a clear and uncomplicated explanation of breaking medical news which provides detailed and uselul consumer advice, Behind the headlines should be a consumer's first port of call.