Northland DHB risks losing $1.5 million in elective surgery funding, chief doctor says

Pulse-oximetry is a quick, painless and safe test for oxygen levels in the blood

Watch NZH Focus: Quitline had its busiest day yet this week as the price of cigarettes went up again.

The product remains a mystery, with the ad saying it was important the "innovative technology" be kept under wraps until the launch.

Many women who do the recommended amount of exercise may be harming themselves by eating too little, a survey indicates.

New research has found babies are safe to sleep in a Maori flax-woven bassinet that was behind a controversial Government policy U-turn

Doctors are at loggerheads over changes to New Zealand's cervical screening programme, with one saying more women will die.

An Auckland cafe is putting on a free Christmas lunch for locals struggling to make ends meet, saying that's what the spirit of Christmas is all about.

Top-up a short-term measure, ministry says

Tobacco companies are flouting ad bans by rewarding retailers who push products using a specific sequence of magic words.

A good sleep may be an early step towards preventing later obesity.

As 2016 draws to a close, the NZ Science Media Centre picked some of the biggest national and international science stories that made headlines

What will prisoners be eating for Christmas dinner in New Zealand this year? Corrections have released the annual menu for its 10,000 inmates.

The Cannabis Party's plans to offer exclusive tours to California to buy legal cannabis have been thwarted by Ministry of Health advice.

Transport Minister Simon Bridges has declared his bid for Deputy Prime Minister.

The contest for New Zealand's next PM is shaping up as a race between an veteran politician, a lower-profile minister, and a wild card.

Waikato DHB breached national targets in October and November for the number of patients waiting too long to see a specialist.

Many Kiwis affected by the 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake will need "significant ongoing psychological support", the PM's chief science adviser says.

Eighteen per cent of GP clinics closed their books to new patients

Some will wait to 2020 to join scheme

The Labour Party is urging a rethink of one of the Government's key health targets after a group of surgeons revealed important operations were being put off in order to reach the strict target.

Calls to mental health helplines have spiked since the Kaikoura Earthquake.

The Government's new plan to get help for obese kids is proving a turn-off to many parents.

Study finds behavioural, social or cultural influences are important in maintaining smoking behaviour for Maori/Pacific females.

An app for endometriosis sufferers is launching to help gather data on what those working with the disease are calling an issue "we can no longer ignore".

West Coast had highest rate

New data showing an increase in long wait times for youth patients needing mental health help has been labelled "appalling" by a local

Every time Deanna Trevarthen sees a Worksafe television advertisemen she shuts her eyes until her partner changes the channel.

Pike River widow Anna Osborne will continue to self-medicate with marijuana after being told chemotherapy has failed to rid her of cancer.

Hospital admissions for intentional self-harm rose 4.6% from 2004 to 2013.