NHS Direct is a phone service staffed by nurses and professional advisors, giving confidential healthcare advice and information 24 hours a day. All calls are charged at local rates.
The service allows you to speak directly to experienced nurses and professional advisors about your health problems or questions.
Using their skills and experience, together with an extensive computer system, NHS Direct can give you advice on what to do next. If your problem is more serious, NHS Direct can call out an ambulance on your behalf.
NHS Directs is a confidential advice line and takes care to make sure that the information you give is kept safely and securely. If it is in your interest to pass this information to another healthcare profession, NHS Direct will ask for your permission first.
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NHS Choices is a comprehensive information service that helps to put you in control of your healthcare.
The service is intended to help you make choices about your health, from lifestyle decisions about things like smoking, drinking and exercise, through to the practical aspects of finding and using NHS services in England when you need them.
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Giving blood is safe, quick and simple. It only takes about 10-15 minutes to actually donate and in that time you really can save someone’s life. Just think about it for a moment – what will you do this week, this month or even this year that will have such a positive impact on someone’s life? Just imagine the feeling of knowing that, because of your generosity, someone is living today who wouldn’t have been if it wasn’t for you.
Can anyone give blood?
Most people can. If you’re generally in good health, aged over 17 and weigh at least 50kg (7st 12lbs), you could start giving blood today.
An ongoing need…
Blood is in constant demand and is used for all sorts of reasons – during cancer treatments, in childbirth and to treat blood disorders to name but a few. Indeed we need to collect around 2 MILLION donations each year.
That’s why we run donation sessions around the region every day and why we need new and ‘lapsed’ donors to come along, roll up their sleeves and give a pint of the red stuff. It really does help support those who need blood the most.
Enrol NOW…
Below you’ll find an enrolment form to sign up as a blood donor. All you have to do is fill it in, save it and email it back to me as an attachment and we’ll let you know as soon as there’s a donation session in your area. It’s really that simple.
So go on, do something really special today.
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Astral House, 1268 London Road, London, SW16 4ER
Tel: 0800 00 99 66
Age Concern is the leading movement in the UK working with and for older people. Age Concerns are independent charities that work together in agreed ways, sharing the name and a commitment to making later life fulfilling, enjoyable and productive. They do this by providing as little or as much help as older people need to continue living independently in their own homes and to maintain their emotional well-being.
Locally, Age Concern provides community-based services ranging from lunch clubs, day centres and home visits to computer courses and tai chi classes. Nationally, Age Concern campaigns on issues that matter to older people such as income in retirement, age discrimination and health provision and enables their voices to be heard by those making decisions that affect them. It also undertakes research, provides information and advice and offers a wide range of training.
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Gordon House, 10 Greencoat Place, London, SW1P 1PH
Helpline: 0845 300 0336 | Office: 020 7306 0606
The Alzheimer’s Society is the leading care and research charity for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and their families. It is a national membership organisation and works through nearly 300 branches and support groups. The Society has expertise in information and education for carers and professionals. It provides helplines and support for carers on all forms of dementia, runs quality day and home care through its Care Consortium, funds medical and scientific research and gives financial help to families in need. It campaigns for improved health and social services and greater public understanding of all aspects of dementia.
The helpline is staffed by trained advisers.
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14 Fitzhardinge Street, London, W1H 6DH
Heart Information Line: 08450 70 80 70 | Admin: 020 7935 0185
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is a major national charity which plays a leading role in the fight against heart and circulatory disease, the UK’s biggest killer. It is the largest independent source of funds for heart research in this country and also plays an important role in providing life-saving cardiac equipment.
It helps patients return to a full and active lifestyle by giving support to rehabilitation programmes, heart support groups and BHF nurses. The BHF brings the healthy lifestyle message to the public and heart patients through a wide range of posters, leaflets and videos. Topics include diet, exercise, coronary heart disease, losing weight, emergency skills, hospital treatments and many are written for specific groups such as children, women, men, or smokers. Doctors, nurses and scientists are also advised on developments in the prevention and treatment o f heart disease.
The BHF Heart information line (08450 70 80 70) offers information on all aspects of heart health.
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10 Parkway, London, NW1 7AA
Careline: 0845 120 2960 | Office: 020 7424 1000
Diabetes UK, formerly ‘The British Diabetic Association’ is a large national organisation. Its activities include the following.
There are many local groups throughout the UK.
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Granta House, 15-17 Broadway, London, E15 4BQ Mindinfoline: 0845 7660 163 | Admin: 020 8519 2122
Mind is a mental health charity. It works for a better life for people diagnosed, labelled or treated, as mentally ill, and campaigns for their right to lead an active and valued life in the community. MIND also stresses the needs of black people, women, and other oppressed groups. Mind has approximately 240 local associations around the country. They vary a lot in size and range of activities which may include the following:
Mind publications include:
The Making Sense series, covering: Making Sense of Anti-depressants; Minor Tranquillizers, Antipsychotics, Lithium, Sleeping Pills, ECT, Homeopathy, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
The Understanding series, covering many different conditions and diagnoses.
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Providence House, Providence Place, London, N1 0NT
Helpline: 020 7226 2260 | Asthma UK Adviceline: 08457 010203
Asthma UK is the charity dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people in the UK with asthma by building and sharing expertise about asthma.
Asthma UK works together with people with asthma, health professionals and researchers to develop and share expertise to help people increase their understanding of asthma and reduce the effect of it on their lives. They are working towards their vision of “Control over asthma today, freedom from Asthma tomorrow.
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Stroke House, 240 City Road, London, EC1V 2PR
Information Service: 0845 30 33 100 | Admin: 020 7566 0300
The Stroke Association works to prevent stroke through research and health education and provides direct help for stroke people and their families through its welfare services. The Association’s information line 0845 30 33 100 provides the following services:
Please write or ring for further information including details of local information services.
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52 Featherstone Street, London, EC1Y 8RT
Helpline: 0845 125 5254 | Admin: 020 7251 6333
Women’s Health operates a UK-wide enquiry service providing information on a wide range of gynaecological and sexual health issues including: abnormal smear, abortion, donor insemination, fertility awareness, fibroids, genital warts, HRT, hysterectomy, menopause, ovarian problems, pre-menstrual syndrome, pelvic inflammatory disease, Des, thrush, heavy bleeding, prolapse, endometrial, cervical, uterine and vulval cancer.
A publications list can be requested by phoning the helpline, or sending a SAE, or can be downloaded from the website. Information booklets are available in print or on tape and some are on the website. Women’s Health respond to telephone (helpline), written or e-mail enquiries. All enquiries will be answered by women. Details of women’s health groups, support groups, voluntary organisations and individuals willing to offer help are available. There is also a large reference library of books, articles, news clippings and pamphlets to back up the enquiry service.
Health Information Booklets include (charges apply):
Telephone: 0303 333 11 11 | Email: info@helpdirect.org.uk
Help Direct provides free and local support in Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley and aims to be your first port of call to get the practical support, guidance and / or information you need to get the most out of life by working with a large number of organisations and community groups to provide and develop this support.
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Unit 14, Bourne Court, Southend Road, Woodford Green, Essex. IG8 8HD
Telephone: 0844 800 4361 | Email: web@carers.org
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers was created on the initiative of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal in 1991. At that time people caring at home for family members or friends with disabilities and chronic illnesses were scarcely recognised as requiring support.
For nearly 20 years, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers has been fighting to provide carers with the support they so desperately need. The Trust understands that few of us plan to become carers, so when a caring role starts, every carer needs an expert to guide them through the maze of services, rules and entitlements. For a carer, this can make the difference between keeping and losing their job, or between staying healthy and collapsing under the stress.
At the heart of The Trust is a unique network of 144 independently-managed Carers’ Centres, 89 young carers’ services and interactive websites (www.carers.org and www.youngcarers.net) which deliver around the clock support to over 424,000 carers and approximately 28,500 young carers.
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