Cosmetic procedure patients should be given a cooling-off period before going under the knife for treatment, according to new guidance from the UK's General Medical Council (GMC).

Fizzy drinks should be taxed, fast food outlets near schools limited, and new parents given advice on how to feed their children properly, a British medical watchdog has demanded in a move that will raise pressure on Irish food providers and health officials.

Manufacturers of fizzy drinks have hit back at a call by UK GPs for them to be taxed to help tackle spiralling levels of obesity.

PASSIVE smoking causes at least 22,000 new cases of asthma and wheezing in children every year, doctors in Britain said yesterday.