Evidence suggests there are 5 steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Trying these things could help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life. Self-help suggestions from NHS website.
Information for people with a loss of sense of smell (anosmia) or distorted sense of smell (parosmia). Includes information about smell training and directs you to a website where you can purchase a smell training kit.
Acne Support provides expert, impartial information from consultant dermatologists on the treatment, causes and prevention of acne, as well as advice on how to access emotional support. Includes information about different treatments available (both on prescription and over the counter/through beauty clinics), how they work etc.
Age UK is a charity that provide help for older people in numerous ways. They have a telephone friendship service for people experiencing social isolation, an advice line to help with information about benefits and finances. Their website has information about power of attorney and living wills, pensions, carers, health conditions, loneliness and remaining active. Age UK also provide help with local help at home, gardening and handyperson services, as well as social events, dementia meeting services and day cares.
Evidence has demonstrated that an anticholinergic burden of >3 increases risk of major cardiovascular events - the higher the score, the higher the risk. This website allows you to check different medications and calculate their ACB score to determine their anticholinergic burden risk. Allows you to consider this when you are considering prescribing new medications.
Asthma and Lung UK is the UK's leading lung charity. Their website contains a host of information about different lung conditions including asthma, COPD, asbestos related lung conditions, bronchiolitis, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, sleep apnoea and more. They run a helpline and can provide advice on many aspects of living with a lung condition. This includes advice on how to manage a lung condition, information about specific conditions, information about medication and treatment, lifestyle advice, managing flare-ups, and information on government financial help and funding.
Louise Newson is a GP and menopause specialist and holds an Advanced Menopause Specialist certificate with FSRH and the BMS. She has created a website of information about the menopause and HRT, with resources for patients and healthcare professionals.
British Hypertension Society - home blood pressure monitoring diary. Send to patients with home BP machines - gives all the instructions. They can then drop readings in, or send in the average reading.
British Pregnancy Advisory Service - patients can self-refer to BPAS if considering an abortion. Resources on the website give information about termination of pregnancy including medical vs surgical management. Phone number on their website to contact and arrange treatment. BPAS provide pre and post-abortion counselling and discussion.
Information about conditions affecting the cardiovascular system, such as aneurysm, angina, arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, hypertension and others. There is also information about cholesterol, blood pressure, and lifestyle advice about management. As well as helpful information leaflets, there is a free helpline run by cardiac nurses who can provide advice on diagnoses, lifestyle advice and information about medications.
Summary of evidence for medicine use in pregnancy. Useful for doctors but can also be helpful for decision making for patients. Produced by the UK teratology information service.
Calcium calculator to work out whether people with osteopenia/osteoporosis are getting enough dietary calcium. This can then guide whether calcium supplementation required.
An app that helps with the urge to self-harm. Helps you to ride the wave with different activities: comfort, distract, express yourself, release, breathe.
Suicide prevention helpline and webchat (both 5pm-midnight). No longer for men only, they support anyone who needs to talk about life’s problems. They have a crisis helpline. They also support people who have been bereaved through suicide. Their website also contains information and resources about specific concerns and worries, including abuse, anger, anxiety, alcohol and drugs, bullying, depression, erectile dysfunction, hair loss, homelessness, sexuality, relationship breakdown and more.
Gov UK information leaflet about colposcopy as part of cervical screening program - what's involved, what results mean, what treatment involves and the risks.
A directory of private counsellors. The website verifies that they are registered with the relevant professional bodies before adding them to the directory. You can search by location, type of therapy, and filter by in-person/online interactions.
Prescribing tool - reference guide as to whether medications cause QT prolongation or increase risk of Torsades de pointes. The quick-check function does not require registration.
Bereavement support and counselling. They have a helpline, an online chat service, and local support groups. They can arrange 1:1 support, counselling and also support for children experiencing grief or bereavement.
Specialist dementia nursing charity that is there for the whole family. The nurses, known as Admiral Nurses, provide free, life-changing support and advice to anyone affected by dementia. There is a free helpline and you can also book virtual-online appointments with the nursing team to ask for advice and go through any questions that you may have.
Written by the British Association of Dermatologists, this is a handbook and guide about common dermatological conditions. This includes acne, prescribing isotretinoin, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, scabies, fungal skin infections, skin cancer, bcc, scc, melanoma, emollient and steroid prescribing. It is mainly aimed at dermatology registrars but a lot of the information is helpful in general practice too.
Diabetes UK a leading charity. Their website provides information about all aspects of diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2) including information about the prevention of type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, lifestyle advice, living with diabetes, information about treatments and the condition itself. They run a dedicated helpline with advisors who have an extensive knowledge of diabetes. They can provide information about the condition, take the time to talk things through and explore emotional, social, psychological or practical difficulties. There are also local support groups that patients can get involved in, and an online support community too.
Information leaflet from Patient UK about advice during pregnancy. Includes information on food and drink to avoid, vitamins and supplements, smoking. alcohol, sex, drugs, working, and more. Useful when trying to conceive or during first pregnancy call.
Eczema Care Online will help you to keep your skin healthy and live well with eczema. The website has been developed by people with eczema and a team of health experts using the most up-to-date research evidence. Includes information for parents about caring for children with eczema - including info about treatments, itching, bathing, showering and washing clothes.
Eczema Care Online will help you to keep your skin healthy and live well with eczema. The website has been developed by people with eczema and a team of health experts using the most up-to-date research evidence. Includes information about treatments, diet, allergy, cosmetics, itching, and how to manage impact on life/school/work.
Guys and Thomas' information leaflet on how to use emollients - gives advice on application and cautions for use.
Designed for in-hospital ENT SHOs, this website can provide helpful overviews of acute ENT conditions. While it has a secondary care focus, it can still provide a useful guide for GPs in the assessment of conditions such as sudden sensorineural hearing loss, otitis externa, periorbital cellulitis, tonsillitis and more.
Information about bladder and bowel issues in children. Includes bedwetting, daytime wetting, constipation, soiling, witholding, toilet / potty training, giggle incontinence. Fact sheets and advice for parents and carers. Child-accessible information.
This fact sheet provides some practical strategies for dealing with the troubling behaviour problems and communication difficulties often encountered when caring for a person with dementia.
FLOWS is a legal support service, designed to help protect women against domestic abuse. They can provide advice on things such as injunctions (e.g. non-molestation orders), divorce, or what happens to somebody's home if leaving a partner.
This leaflet can help you to increase your calorie and protein intake if you have a poor appetite or have lost weight. Following the guidance to include nourishing snacks and drinks in your diet can help stop further weight loss or start to increase your weight.
Information sheet for parents of children who are fussy eaters. Practical tips, and insights into the different sensory components of eating to try to break down and investigate the cause of the issue.
A leaflet created by OUH advising on a method of topical steroid use for eczema to reduce likelihood of recurrent flares. Details how to use steroids during a flare, and then how to use as 'weekend treatment' to keep control. N.B. Leaflet is written aimed at parents of children with eczema, but this method is also useful in adults.
Gingerbread is a charity providing support and advice to single parents, so that they have the tools to support their children and themselves. This includes information about benefits, bereavement, child care, child maintenance, contact arrangements, cost of living, housing, parental responsibility and more. They also have a supportive online community where people can meet other single parents and support each other. They have an advice helpline as well as online information.
Sue Ryder (adapted from Berkshire guidelines) guidance for end of life PRN and syringe driver medication prescribing.
HEART UK is the UK’s only cholesterol charity, providing support, information and influencing services for families and health professionals. Website contains information about cholesterol, triglycerides, medication, and lifestyle advice to help,
A website tool designed to aid with interaction checking for patients who are on medications for HIV.
Aimed at young people but can be applicable to all relationships, self-help advice for going through a break-up and ways to help.
Information about cervical screening for transgender men and non-binary people. Discusses what cervical screening is, what to expect, tips to help if you find it distressing.
A charity for victims and survivors of honour based abuse in the UK. Honour based abuse can take many forms, including child marriage, virginity testing, enforced abortion, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, as well as physical, sexual and economic abuse and coercive control. For some communities, the concept of ‘honour’ is prized above the safety and wellbeing of individuals. To compromise a family’s ‘honour’ is to bring dishonour and shame – which can have severe consequences. This is sometimes used to justify emotional abuse, physical abuse, disownment and in some cases even murder. Honour Based Abuse is more prevalent within communities from South Asia, the Middle East, and North and East Africa. Reports come from Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Orthodox Jewish and occasionally traveller communities. It is not determined by gender – both perpetrators and victims can be male or female.
Charity that provides advice and support for anybody living with kidney disease. This can include advice, counselling, grants and funding, benefits advice. They have a helpline, and information leaflets about CKD, dialysis and more.
Resources for patients to help towards better self-management of their long term pain. Offers knowledge, tools and resources to help patients become clearer about their needs, manage or cope with their pain well and be more effective in their use of health care. There are also resources for doctors to support patients living with chronic pain.
Mankind is a charity supporting male victims of domestic abuse. They have a helpline that offers emotional support and practical help, including signposting to support services and making an escape plan.
Medicines for Children provides practical and reassuring advice to empower parents/carers to give medicines correctly and with confidence to their children. Leaflets are written by practising health professionals, who provide practical advice that complements information in the British National Formulary for Children. The website is partnered with WellChild, Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacist Group (NPPG) and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).
Information for people who have had a miscarriage. Includes advice and information about miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, trying for pregnancy after miscarriage. Also ways of marking your loss, a support helpline.
Moodgym is like an interactive self-help book which helps you to learn and practise skills which can help to prevent and manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. Moodgym provides training in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), and consists of five interactive modules which are completed in order. These include information, interactive exercises, workbooks to record thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and quizzes with personalised feedback.
Provides health professionals with accessible, evidence based, condition specific information to help give advice on physical activity at all stages of children, young peoples and adults treatment pathways. The "share benefits" section of each conversation gives condition specific benefits of exercise which may help motivate patients to improve their fitness.
Created by the Dementia Change Action Network, Next Steps provides information for people who have been referred for a memory assessment. It gives information about what to expect at a memory assessment. It also provides tools and resources to help people begin thinking about how they can continue doing what matters to them, and connects people to available sources of support.
"This decision aid can help patients if they are thinking about taking a statin. It is for people who do not already have heart disease and have not had a stroke." As well as discussing what statins are and their possible side effects, it demonstrates potential statin benefit according to QRISK. To get the most out of this decision aid you should inform the patient of their QRISK score.
NHS service for mental health and wellbeing support for veterans, service leavers and reservists. Patients will be speaking with people who are either from the Armed Forces community or highly experienced in working with serving personnel, reservists, veterans and their families. Services include providing care and treatment for mental health problems, including therapeutic treatment for psychological trauma, and intensive emergency care in crisis. They also work with charities and local organisations to support patients with their wider health and wellbeing needs, such as housing, relationships, finances, employment, drug and alcohol misuse and social support.
Information about medications used for mental health. Includes information leaflets for patients and also information for doctors, including: medications in pregnancy, comparing different medication side effect profiles, management of drug specific side-effects, switching medications or formulations.
A charity supporting parents who are victims of child to parent violence. Parents can self-refer to the service where they are offered peer support, virtual drop-ins, sessions that teach coping strategies, and one to one support sessions.
A small volunteer led charity that aims to provide support and information about Pelvic Girdle Pain. Their website has good practical suggestions for things such as pain management, and approaches to tasks such as sitting, bathing, driving, sleeping, etc.
The Pituitary Foundation is a charity that offers practical, emotional and peer support to everyone living with or impacted by a pituitary condition, to feel empowered and live with a greater sense of wellbeing. Their website contains information about pituitary conditions such as acromegaly, cushing's, hypopituitarism, prolactinomas, pituitary adenomas and more. They also have a helpline run by endocrine nurses, a telephone buddy system and they run support groups.
Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECS) and Urgent Eyecare Service (UES) is an NHS service provided by opticians to assess and treat both minor and sudden onset eye problems. Patients do not need a referral from a GP. The website has a link to find local participating opticians which patients can then contact directly. Examples of problems that may be suitable include: Red, dry, gritty, painful, inflamed, watery eyes. Flashes, floaters, loss of vision, foreign body in eye, minor eye injuries.
24/7 National domestic abuse helpline for women experiencing domestic abuse. The helpline provides emotional and practical support. They can help with planning an escape, financial and legal advice, and can help find a refuge vacancy for people leaving an abusive situation.
Rock My Menopause was set up to give women the confidence to recognise and discuss their symptoms and equip families, friends, employers and the wider public with information about the menopause to support women at this time of life. Rock My Menopause is a campaign of the Primary Care Women’s Health Forum (PCWHF), providing expert medical guidance, direction and information about the menopause.
RCOG has developed a number of helpful information leaflets for patients about various procedures and conditions. Includes leaflets on topics such as hysteroscopy, LLETZ, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, miscarriage, assisted delivery, pelvic girdle pain etc. A good place to source additional information for your patients.
Developed with the NHS and RCPH, What 0-18 has created information leaflets for common conditions seen in children in primary care. These can be sent to parents to provide additional information and safetynetting advice. Also known as 'healthier together'.
A youtube video created by a physiotherapist. In this seated dumbbell workout (drink bottles or food cans can also be used), there are a number of exercises covering different muscle groups. Designed as a beginner low intensity seated workout for those with limited mobility or who are older.
Shout 85258 is a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. It is a de-escalation, volunteer-driven service, working with people in immediate distress to take them to a calmer moment and empower them with support and techniques to take their next steps to feeling better and handle future issues, as well as possibly signposting someone to further support services or their GP so that they can get continuous and long-term support. It is not a service that can provide regular, ongoing support.
Advice on sleep hygiene with tips to help with insomnia and improve sleep. An article from the Sleep Foundation (an American non-profit corporation).
Sleepio is a six-week clinically proven programme used to treat insomnia, available free on the NHS. It is now available for all patients in England using their NHS login. It is a CBT based program delivered via an app that can be used on mobile devices.
App designed to help with pelvic floor exercises. There is information for both men and women with pelvic floor dysfunction. Particularly helpful for women post-natally, the app guides you through an exercise plan and you can set reminders on your phone.
Resources to support teenage mental health. Includes information leaflets and also links to four free mental health apps: Calm Harm (resisting self-harm impulses), Clear Fear (managing symptoms of anxiety), Move Mood (to help with low mood and depression), and Combined Minds (aimed at helping families and friends to provide mental health support). Resources on the website have sections aimed at teenagers, at schools, at healthcare professionals, at families and also at friends of somebody struggling with their mental health.
Educational tool that aims to inspire research-based action in the treatment of chronic pain. Animated and written information about understanding chronic pain, and learning to overcome it. Useful resource links about understanding pain and moving towards recovery.
The Children's Society is a resource for children who are living in difficult situations. The website provides signposting to places where they can seek help. It also has information about mental health, abuse, and practical advice about things such as household bills and finding a job.
The Silver Line Helpline is a free, confidential telephone service just for older people. They provide friendship, conversation and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Depending on what kind of support somebody needs, they can direct people to certain services, groups or resources that may help. "Whether you’d like to exchange a quick “good morning” with someone, fancy a chat about how your day has gone, or need a trusted listening ear to share your thoughts and feelings with, we’re here to talk."
The Sleep Charity produces a wide range of evidence-based information on all aspects of sleep from triggers to treatments. This includes advice sheets and suggestions for people of all ages, with specific information for children, teens and adults. They also have a helpline where they can discuss recommendations and strategies.
Charity with free helpline, advice, information and support for anybody suffering from tinnitus. They have summarised evidence on treatments for tinnitus (including complimentary ones) with advice on their efficacy and evidence base.
Resources and information for pregnancy and pregnancy loss. Includes a pregnancy hub with information about planning pregnancy, being pregnant, giving birth, and postnatal information. Pregnancy loss section includes information about miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, neonatal death, termination of pregnancy, and has links to their online community support groups.
UKMEC (medical eligibility criteria) for contraceptive prescribing.
Information from the 'medicines for children' website regarding prescribing medicine off license. Useful for discussions with parents.
Information on how to clear viral warts (verrucas) using duct tape.
Versus Arthritis is a charity that raises awareness and supports people with arthritis. Their website has information about arthritis and its various treatments, and other rheumatological conditions such as fibromyalgia. They also have a helpline for further information and advice. This page in particular has exercises to keep joints healthy and to help with arthritis related pains.
Online community supporting people with a range of long term health conditions, encouraging them to find ways to be active. Developed by 16 leading health and social care charities and backed by expertise, insight and significant National Lottery funding from Sport England. Advice and suggestions on the website. People share their activities with the #WeAreUndefeatable .
Really great website of resources for parents and doctors. Developed with the NHS and RCPH, resources for both healthcare professionals and parents about maternal and child health. Includes: Information on common childhood illnesses, symptoms in pregnancy, postnatal health, maternal mental health, child safety, healthy living. For healthcare professionals there are also resources to support discussions about healthy living such as childhood obesity.
Suggested pathway for investigating abdominal pain/GI symptoms in adults and children. Aims to reduce time to diagnosis by suggesting ways to co-investigate various possible causes of pain, as well as providing advice on red flag symptoms to watch out for.
Detailed factsheets on the most common gynaecological conditions and sexual health. Helpful information and infographics for HRT including a factsheet on risk factors for breast cancer (putting HRT into context).