SCURR

Back in March 1974, I was the house surgeon on call at Westminster Hospital.As I watched the 9pm news in the doctors' mess, a flash interrupted the transmission: there had been an attempt to kidnap Princess Anne on her way to Buckingham…

Question: I’m having an MRI on my liver and I’m frightened because I had a nasty experience the last time. There must have been something wrong with the speaker system as the radiography team couldn’t hear me, even though I was calling out…

My friends and I are in our 80s and we're naturally concerned about memory loss. We see there are supplements that claim to improve memory, but we can't believe it's possible. Are they a waste of money?Norman Wanstall, by email.Memory loss…

My husband has suffered with flatulence for some time but it has worsened over the past few months. He doesn't eat excessive amounts of fruit and veg. Can you suggest any steps we could take to resolve this?Name and address supplied.We all…

Fifteen months ago I had a right hip replacement. It went well, and after a couple of days the pain was gone. However, since then I've lost my balance and need sticks to walk around. Could the anaesthetic from the operation have had an…

After any meal, regardless of the time of day or what I've eaten, I have to cough to clear my throat of food and drink. I've put up with this for years, but now believe it is a medical problem rather than normal. Can you give me any advice…

During Covid, my sister’s vitamin B12 injections for pernicious anaemia were changed to tablets, which her body was unable to absorb. A blood test showed she now has severe iron deficiency anaemia, too. Has her lack of B12 contributed to…

I’ve been taking statins for over 30 years. I am now on my fourth type, as each one causes me bad side-effects. How important is it that I take them?Name and address supplied.This question will be of interest to many of the eight million…

My nose drips all year round — summer and winter, in warm weather and cold, whether I'm inside or out. I've had this problem for years and it is embarrassing. Is there anything I can do?Jess Webster, Dundee.Having a constantly dripping nose…

Concerned about my frequent visits to the loo, a GP gave me a PSA blood test. This was normal for my age of 73 (1.4) but an examination found a small, hard lump and an MRI scan diagnosed prostate cancer. How reliable are PSA tests?David…