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If you use the Internet for medical information:
Below are a number of websites in which you may be able to find useful information. Please remember that we are not responsible for the content of of these sites and we would always advise you to consult with your GP for review of any health issue. Please click on these alphabetical links. If you have any concerns about any of the links or wish to help us add more links please contact us.
Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust
This site gives clear information about bicycle helmets and how to fit a bicycle helmet correctly.
Child Accident Prevention Trust
Child Accident Prevention Trust is a national charity in the United Kingdom committed to reducing the number of children and young people killed, disabled and seriously injured as a result of accidents. It offers training courses for people who work with children.
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
This site provides information, advice, resources and training to actively promote safety and the prevention of accidents in all areas of life - at work, in the home, and on the roads, in schools, at leisure and on (or near) water.
Comprehensive information about choosing and using child car seats.
Department of Transport's website with links to their websites regarding all aspects of child safety.
Important information from the Health and Safety executive. Essential site for employers and employees on safety in the workplace.
Addison's Disease Self Help Group (UK)
This is a UK support group for people who have Addison's Disease. It is an extensive resource for people who have this condition.
A medical research charity which has good information about alcohol, nicotine and drug abuse.
Addaction is a leading UK charity working solely in the field of drug and alcohol treatment. It has over 70 services across the UK from Glasgow to Penzance. They assess the needs of clients and provide a programme to help them work towards abstinence. They also help family members.
This is a basic site form the NHS that gives information about alcohol which is aimed at teenagers. It has a useful feature for calculating the amount of units you can drink.
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.
Alcohol Concern acts as the national umbrella body for 500 local agencies tackling alcohol-related harm and offering help to the families and friends of those with alcohol-related problems. It plays a key role in promoting and advising on the development of national alcohol policy and in promoting public awareness of alcohol issues. It acts as the principal source of information on alcohol to the general public, to the press and to professionals in other fields of activity, including government. It also has two sites that help assess alcohol intake How's your Drink and help reduce your drinking Down your Drink.
This site gives information about promoting responsible drinking. It is funded by the major drink manufacturers in the UK but has some good information about sensible drinking.
Advice and Counselling on Alcohol and Drugs
Has information on alcohol and its effects and online leaflets to help
It is difficult to find unbiased information on the web regarding allergies. Lots of sites promote unnecessary tests and untested treatments.
Allergy UK is a medical charity in the UK. The site contains good information describing what allergies are and explaining the difference between allergies and intolerances. It also explains about allergy testing. This a good resource.
These sites give information about the alopecia (Hair Loss). It is quite hard to get good advice on the web for this condition as most sites are wanting to sell you their products.
This site is extensive and is realistic about coping with hair loss. It was started by a person who suffered from alopecia. It is impartial and has information about the different types of alopecia and possible treatment options.
National Alopecia Areata Foundation
American site with some useful information on it
These sites look at various types of anaemia. Anaemia can be caused by deficiencies of iron or vitamins such as B12 or folic acid. It can also be caused by medical conditions that affect the red blood cells such as sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia and haemolytic anaemia.
This site gives information about aplastic anaemia and myelodysplastic syndrome which are disorders of the bone marrow. The also have a network of members who support patients who have these conditions.
Clear information is provided on this site by the Sickle Cell Society, a charity based in the UK. It offers information to patients and professionals alike about the condition.
Useful resource on the subject of alpha and beta thalassaemia - with support and advice offered.
NHS Haemoglobinopathy Screening Programme
National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society
NASS is involved in the promotion of help for people suffering from ankylosing spondylitis. The web page has useful information and also information about support groups throughout the country.
Spondylitis Association of America
A non-profit organisation based in America which provides resources for patients.
These websites given information about conditions such as panic attacks, agoraphobia, generalised anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, phobias and OCD (obsessive and compulsive disorder).
This is an excellent site with extensive information on mental health. The text size can be changed easily for better viewing. This is a good resource for all people to use.
This site provides information for sufferers and carers of people with Panic, Anxiety, Phobias and Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD). It discusses the conditions and helps people deal with the symptoms and causes. The site is set up by a sufferer.
This is another informative site on anxiety and its related disorders. It has information about the conditions and also advice about self-help.
These sites look arthritis - conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, temporal arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, systemic lupus erythromatosis (SLE), juvenile idiopathic arthritis and Paget's disease.
UK charity with exhaustive comprehensive information about arthritis and related conditions. It publishes over 70 booklets aimed at sufferers and also supports professionals.
Voluntary organisation that helps to provide greater awareness of arthritis and also supports patients through a large network of local groups.
National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society
A website for adults with rheumatoid arthritis and children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (juvenile chronic arthritis). Good supportive site.
Asthma UK is a charity that provides a great resource for asthma sufferers in the UK along with their families and health professionals.
This resource provides understandable and comprehensive information about asthma and its treatment.
Informative site covering all aspects of the management of asthma.
The National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service which provides information and resources about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to anyone who needs assistance - parents, sufferers, teachers or health professionals. It also provides links to fact sheets written by the Royal College of Psychiatry about the condition.
These sites look at issues regarding autism and Asperger syndrome. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to people around them. Asperger syndrome is a form of autism.
This is a comprehensive website that provides information about the condition of autism. The National Autistic Society is a national organisation that provides help and support for people with the condition and their carers. It has a telephone helpline and local branches throughout the country.
This is a registered charity which provides help and support for people in Scotland with autism.
This is the website of the autism research unit at the University of Sunderland. Provides links to resources regarding autism.
A site with the aim to raise awareness of autism. It is run by a charity called The Disabilities Trust.
Information from the Health and Safety Executive. Comprehensive site looking at the causes, prevention and treatment of low back pain. Good source for employers as well.
This is a registered charity based in the UK that gives advice and support to patients who have this disease.
Charity based in UK that provides support and for sufferers and their families about the condition.
These websites give general information about genetic disorders and birth defects.
Birth Defects Children's Charity
Comprehensive site giving support to parents and professionals alike. It also has a condition information service that enables families, parents and professionals to gather information about genetic conditions.
Good resource for people who are aged 11 to 16 years old and have a site problem.
Royal National Institute of the Blind
Help and support for people from all ages with visual impairment.
National Library for the Blind
Helps provide information for reading resources for visually impaired people
Hugh Sasse's Blindness Resources Page.
Comprehensive list of resources.
Brain tumour information centre : CancerBACUP
Comprehensive site from the UK national charity. Lots of links to other resources as well.
Brain tumour action is a longstanding charity that provides support, counselling and information for patients with brain tumours and help for families as well.
Childhood Brain Tumours from cancerindex.org
Lists numerous links to websites regarding brain tumours in children.
There are numerous sites regarding breast cancer in the UK. All the following links provide information about the condition and also give support to patients.
Breast cancer information centre : CancerBACUP
There are also sites which provide information about research into breast cancer:
If you need more information about screening for breast cancer try the following site:
NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP)
The following are good general sites about the benefits of breast feeding and information to help new mothers.
Good site with clear information and photographs showing how to breast feed.
BabyCentre - Breastfeeding guide
Jane's Breastfeeding Resources
Other sites promote the benefits of breast feeding:
Health benefits of breastfeeding
These sites provide comprehensive information and links regarding cancer.
Comprehensive site providing information to patients and professionals alike. Also ability to phone or email for advice. Great site.
This is a charity that focuses on research into cancer but does provide information about cancer on its CancerHelp UK site.
United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group
Provides information for patients and families regarding children's cancers.
Comprehensive lists of links to sites about cancer in the UK.
These sites provide support for patients diagnosed with cancer.
Information about cancer screening on the NHS can be found on the NHS Cancer Screening website.
The term 'carer' is used to distinguish those who provide care for others on an unpaid basis, apart from those who are paid (care workers, home helps and people employed by someone with a disability).
Useful site for all carers. Advice about benefits and local organisations. Lots of information. They also have a site acecarers that is working to support the inclusion of carers in training and employment.
Provides carer's support services in the UK through a network of Carer's centres.
Department of Health website for carers, including a discussion forum.
Information for carers and employers about work.
Cerebral palsy is a disorder of movement and co-ordination resulting from a injury to the brain before birth. It covers a group of motor impairment conditions, which range from multiple and profound to barely detectable.
There are three main types of cerebral palsy: spastic (where there is increased muscle tone making control of movement difficult); athetoid (where the control of muscles is disrupted by spontaneous and unwanted movements); and ataxic (where there are problems with balance, speech and shaky movements of the hands and feet).
The main charity for cerebral palsy in the UK. The website is comprehensive giving advice to people of all ages and their families.
CP-ISRA - Cerebral Palsy International Sports & Recreation Association
The International Cerebral Palsy Society
Cervical cancer information centre : CancerBACUP
Good quality information site about all aspects of cervical cancer.
Informative site.
Cervical cancer is routinely screened for in the UK via the smear test. This service is offered to all women in the UK routinely between the ages of 25 and 65.
NHS Cervical Screening Programme
This site explains the cervical screening programme in the UK.
These sites provide advice and links to local groups that help children deal with issues in their lives. They also give assistance to parents in bringing up their children.
Great site based in USA. Easy to use. It has sections for parents, children and teenagers which are well written and cover most of the areas that you will need.
Dermatitis Herpetiformis Online Community
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) also known as M.E. (Myalgic encephalomyelitis or encephalopathy) is a chronic illness resulting in severe tiredness, muscle pain and problems with memory and concentration.
Has information about the condition and links to local support groups in the country.
Association of Young People with ME
Charity supporting patients under 25 with M.E.
Good source of information from this long standing organisation.
Provides help, care and support to sufferers and their families.
COPD includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is a condition that causes cough, sputum, breathlessness and wheeze. The main causes are smoking and alpha1-antitrypsin disorder. It is a very disabling condition and is a major cause of death in the UK.
British Lung Foundation - COPD
Good basic information on this site and also provides leaflets about the condition.
This site provides information about the COPD and also discusses the best ways of treating the condition based on the best evidence.
Patient information from the British Thoracic Society which is a group of health professionals with an interest in chest diseases. They also provide links to self help groups and have a patient telephone helpline - 0845 850 5020.
BBC - Health - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Information from the BBC health website.
There are numerous sites regarding colon cancer in the UK. Cancer of the colon (large intestine) is very common in the UK with over 36,000 people developing it each year. It usually presents in people over 50 with a change in bowel habit (diarrhoea or constipation) and/or bleeding from the back passage. The cause of colon cancer in the majority of cases is unknown.
<>Good information as usual from Cancer BACUP. Explains symptoms, investigations and treatments for cancer of the colon.
Another helpful site about colon cancer.
Colon cancer is going to be screened for on the NHS from April 2006. Men and women aged 60 to 69 will be invited to take part in screening every two years.
NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme
Explains the proposed screening programme for bowel cancer in the UK.
It is very difficult to advise people about websites regarding cosmetic surgery. I think it is important that you talk to your GP for advice if you are unsure. There is an extremely useful and comprehensive article on the DOH website:
Cosmetic surgery and non-surgical cosmetic treatments : The Department of Health.
This information should help you make an informed decision about whether or not to opt for cosmetic surgery. It explains about the various procedures, how to be sure the doctors are qualified and to decide if there are non-surgical alternatives.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that causes body secretions to be thick and sticky. This means that organs such as the lungs and the pancreas are affected leading to recurrent chest infections, poor weight gain, diabetes and fertility problems. The condition affects 1 in 2500 births.
Comprehensive site about the condition. The Cystic Fibrosis Trust provides a wealth of information and support for sufferers and their families. It also gives advice to professionals.
Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis & Genetic Disorders Group
European Cystic Fibrosis Society
Dementia is a term that is used to describe progressive degenerative disease of the brain. The main types are Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. Dementia leads to memory loss and confusion.
This charity provides a good online resource for patients and their families with dementia. It also has a helpline for advice. it also runs a network of local branches.
Research charity with some information about Alzheimer's disease.
Scottish charity aimed at people with dementia in Scotland but has good information for all patients.
Diabetes UK is a charity working for people with diabetes. This website offers sensible advice for people who have been diagnosed with diabetes including descriptions of the condition, advice regarding weight and diet and help for patients for whom English isn't their first language. It is simple to navigate and as a health professional I recommend this site to my patients.
The BBC has good basic information on its website about diabetes. The site is pleasant on the eye and the font size can be adjusted which is important. It also includes personal stories of people with the condition.
This site is an extensive and popular resource for diabetes with links to discussion forums. Remember that websites in the USA may talk about drugs not available in the UK.
ARC - learning disability information
British Wheelchair Sports Foundation
Disability Information Services
Canadian Disability Site - Smart Risk
These websites are a useful resource about drug addiction and its treatment. They offer support for people with drug addiction and their families.
Talk to Frank is an informative website on drugs, drug abuse and help for friends and family. There is plenty of information on the site and it also holds online discussions for help and assistance. You can also search via the site for local organisations that can help.
A medical research charity which has good information about alcohol, nicotine and drug abuse.
Addaction is a leading UK charity working solely in the field of drug and alcohol treatment. It has over 70 services across the UK from Glasgow to Penzance. They assess the needs of clients and provide a programme to help them work towards abstinence. They also help family members.
This site provides educational information about drug abuse.
These sites give information about the anorexia nervosa binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia.
Anorexia & Bulimia Information from the Royal College of Psychiatry
Comprehensive resource about the condition.
Informative site for sufferers and friends and family for people with anorexia, binge eating disorder and bulimia.
A non profit organization that provides information about anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other less well-known food and weight disorders. Their material includes self-help tips and information about recovery and prevention.
Eczema (also known as dermatitis) is a chronic skin condition that causes dry, itchy and inflamed skin and has numerous causes.
Website from this longstanding charity. It has numerous fact sheets on the site about eczema that can be downloaded. Useful resource.
Usual comprehensive information from the BBC.
Site that has information about eczema with a discussion board and up to date news about the condition.
The National Society for Epilepsy
British Association of Sport and Exercise
Food for Life Curriculum Pack. Improving school meals
Headaches have many causes. These sites give information about migraines, cluster headaches, tension headache, trigeminal neuralgia, analgesia-induced headaches and daily persistent headaches.
Organisation aimed at sufferers of cluster headaches.
Support and information services for sufferers of migraine.
Charity that provides fact sheets and booklets about migraine and also supports professionals and research into migraine.
Comprehensive site about trigeminal neuralgia including online forums.
Site providing information about facial pain.
Hearing problems such as deafness and tinnitus affect over nine million people in the UK. Deafness can be congenital, as a result of prolonged exposure to noise or due to age. Tinnitus is a condition where noises such as buzzing or ringing are present in the ears. It can be very distressing. Also see Meniere's disease which is a condition where sufferers have vertigo, tinnitus and deafness.
Good resource with lots of information about deafness and tinnitus. Gives advice about how to get the most from hearing aids and also how to get the best from the NHS.
Royal Association for Deaf People
Provides help and support for people with hearing difficulties
After getting through the initial flash screen that needs broadband, this site provides a comprehensive directory of organisations, groups and services in the UK.
National Deaf Children's Society
Site for children with hearing difficulties. Provides support to parents and professionals.
Comprehensive listing of sites regarding hearing difficulties.
Health and Safety Executive site about noise induced hearing. Good site.
Provides support and information about tinnitus.
Information about current research into tinnitus.
This page includes links about conditions such as heart failure, heart attack, myocardial infarction, ischaemic heart disease and angina.
The British Heart Foundation is a UK based charity. It has an excellent site which includes a comprehensive resource of information about the heart, cholesterol and heart disease for patients and professionals alike.
It also has links to its sites that give information to children: CBHF.net for children aged 11 and Yheart.net for those aged over 11.
The BHF provides numerous booklets about heart disease that can be downloaded from the site.
These sites give information about the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). They also provide support for people who have the condition.
The National AIDS Trust (NAT) is the UK's leading independent policy and campaigning voice on HIV and AIDS. The site gives basic information about HIV and AIDS but the emphasis is more about policy making and campaigning regarding HIV/AIDS.
AVERT is an international AIDS charity. The UK site is comprehensive and well designed. There is information on the prevention of spread of HIV and on treatment of HIV. People with HIV also give their stories. There is also a section that is aimed at teenagers.
A UK charity supporting children, teenagers, women, heterosexual men and their families who are living with or closely affected by HIV and AIDS.
Positively Women is a charity that provides support for women living with HIV by women living with HIV. It offers online information and provides a telephone helpline for support.
Good resource for HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Provides comprehensive HIV treatment information for healthcare professionals and HIV-positive people.
Children With AIDS Charity - Supporting families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
UK Coalition of people living with HIV and AIDS
UNAIDS - The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.
Inflammatory bowel disease mainly concerns Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. They are chronic conditions involving inflammation and ulceration of parts of the gastrointestinal tract.
National Association for Colitis and Crohn's Disease
This is a good site with lots of information for patients and their families.
Easily navigated site provide information about inflammatory bowel disease.
This is the website of the Digestive Disorders Foundation and provides a large number of excellent downloadable leaflets about bowel problems, including ones for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
The Crohn's in Childhood Research Association is for children and young adults along with their families and they raise funds to support approved medical research.
These sites look at types of liver disease. The liver can be harmed by alcohol, autoimmune diseases, and drugs. Examples of conditions that affect the liver are cancer, cirrhosis, cysts, gallstones, Gilbert's Syndrome, haemochromatosis, hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), obstetric cholestasis, portal hypertension, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and Wilson's Disease.
Comprehensive website with everything you need to know about the liver, liver disease and treatments for liver conditions.
Children's Liver Disease Foundation
Site looking at the many rare liver diseases that affect children. Has a support service for patients and their families.
Support for patients with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis.
AutoImmune Hepatitis Support Group
Information and support about auto immune disease affecting the liver.
Support for patients and their friends and family with hepatitis C in the UK. They also have a support telephone helpline.
Welcome to the American Liver Foundation
Comprehensive US site about liver disease.
Similar Canadian site.
Meniere's disease is a condition of unknown cause which affects the inner ear and results in deafness, vertigo and tinnitus.
Comprehensive site about this condition.
Meniere's Resource and Information Centre
There is some useful information on this Australian site.
Royal College of Psychiatrists
There 4 me - teenage advice from NSPCC
These links give information and advice about miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth and neonatal death.
Good informative site about miscarriages and ectopic pregnancy. This charity provides support through a helpline that is manned during the week and also links to more than fifty local groups. It has online information for patients and relatives.
Stillborn and Neonatal Death Society
Is a charity that supports bereaved parents and families whose baby is stillborn or who dies soon after birth. They have a national helpline, organise local support groups and offer a range of resources.
National Electronic Library for Health
NHS Executive - Inpatient Waiting Times
NHS Executive Outpatient Waiting Times
NHS Statistics and Surveys Website
St James and Seacroft University Hospital's Obesity Surgery
A site from one of the leading hospitals in the UK. Straightforward information on the site about the gastric bypass procedure for obesity that this centre prefers.
BestTreatments - Obesity Surgery
Explains about some of the procedures used in obesity surgery - gastric bypass, gastroplasty, gastric banding and biliopancreatic diversion.
Osteoporosis is a condition of the bones which affects both men and women. It causes bones to become more fragile and to break more easily.
Comprehensive information for patients and health professionals.
Arthritis Research Campaign - Osteoporosis
Information about the condition from the Arthritis Research Campaign.
Twins and Multiple Births Association
Stillborn and Neonatal Death Society
These sites provide information about sexual health which includes sexual activity, sexually transmitted infections and contraception including emergency contraception. Some of the organisations also deal provide abortion services. Another useful source of information and help is your GP will provide you with confidential advice.
Comprehensive and well designed site. It provides answers to many of the questions that you will ask.
A site aimed at teenagers. Excellent information which is easily accessible.
Another well thought out and comprehensive site. It also has a helpline which gives free confidential advice. There is also a facility for people to find local services for advice.
Provides free and confidential information to under 25s about sexual health. It has seventeen centres across the UK.
The following sites are from national organisations that provide contraception and abortion services.
British Pregnancy Advisory Service
These sites give information about skin cancer. The main types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma (rodent ulcer), squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. If you are concerned about any skin lesion it is important that it is checked out by your General Practitioner.
Skin Cancer - information from CancerBACUP
Useful resource of information about types of skin cancer and treatments.
Information from Cancer Research UK.
Good site with lots of facts about skin cancer including a discussion forum.
Lots of pictures of types of skin cancer if you are into that sort of thing!
Excellent site from Australia - this is the organisation that started the Slip Slop Slap campaign to raise awareness of skin cancer being caused by overexposure to the sun.
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
A stroke is a brain attack where the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off. This can lead to damage of the brain which will affect bodily functions e.g. causing weakness. There are two types of stroke: haemorrhagic and ischaemic. Transient ischaemic attacks (mini-stokes) can also occur where the brain's blood supply is affected for a brief time.
Excellent resource. Lots of information about the condition. Also includes a discussion forum. Easily navigated website.
Website with links to lots of resources.
Comprehensive American website.
Travel Advice from the Department of Health
There 4 me - teenage advice from NSPCC
Connexions Direct advice for 13-19 year olds
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