A drug which could help prolong the lives of cancer patients can now be prescribed by Scottish doctors. Taxotere, used to treat sufferers of prostate, head, neck and breast cancers, was recommended for use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC).

It is one of only two venomous lizards in the world, but the Gila Monster could become an unlikely boon for the health of tens of thousands of Scots. The poison of the large reptile has been found to contain a chemical similar to a human hormone that helps regulate the blood sugar level of diabetics.

Doctors are calling for a public debate about rationing NHS treatment to be held in Scotland. Professional body the British Medical Association said the country needs an open discussion about what the health service can afford to offer patients.

Developers will be asked to subsidise new houses in the Cairngorms National Park to keep some homes affordable, under plans revealed yesterday. The park authority aims to build 1,030 homes in the next five years to meet demand.

Thousands of children in Scotland are suffering the consequences of an undiagnosed food intolerance, experts said yesterday. Coeliac disease – caused by sensitivity to gluten in foods made from wheat, rye and barley – can lead to brittle bones, infertility and bowel cancer if left untreated.

A Church of Scotland carer who systematically robbed a vulnerable patient has dodged jail. Elizabeth Johnston was hired by the Kirk to care for William Markey at his home – on condition she showed a “Christian commitment”.

A charity helping women escape domestic abuse in Moray is close to breaking point. Hundreds of desperate women and their children have been given their lives back after turning to Moray Women’s Aid.

A social work staffing crisis has led to some elderly patients being kept at a Fife hospital for weeks longer than is necessary. The situation was highlighted by the son of 85-year-old Thornton woman Margaret Walker who has been stuck in Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital for more than a month as she waits to be assessed for care.

A care home where 60 residents were left trapped following a blaze was at the centre of concerns over staffing and training. Douglas View nursing home, in Hamilton, was the subject of complaints to the Care Commission and a previous inspection called for urgent action after it was found only a quarter of staff had a relevant qualification.

Glasgow scientists have been given £5million to develop technology which could speed up the availability of new life-saving drugs and cut animal testing. Researchers are to create an artificial sensor or “molecular nose” which could predict how human cells will respond to new medicine.