Patients are facing waits of up to 40 minutes - and allegedly much longer - to have blood tests at Auckland's new laboratory service.

Radical changes to the employment and training of hospital doctors have been recommended this afternoon by a Health Ministry-appointed commission.

Health authorities have issued an alert for all eastern Auckland and Hauraki Gulf beaches after two dogs died and others fell sick.

Seven more alleged victims come forward after the publication of a photo of a man accused of deliberately infecting people with HIV.

The number of people checking in with their GP in relation to flu symptoms may be levelling off, but we're not out of the woods yet.

Swine flu is more infectious than both seasonal influenza and the 1918 Spanish flu, says a new study.