SELF HELP ADVICE AND TOOLS
Looking for your NHS number?
Did you know you can get your NHS number without contacting the surgery. Simply follow this link, You can also get your NHS number by the NHS App, Appointment letters or Prescriptions.
For 24 hours General Medical Advice telephone 111 or visit the NHS111 website.
Click any of the images or titles below to visit the relevant website
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NHS Health A-Z | |
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Advice and Guidance on 100+ most common conditions. This site clearly explains symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, complications and preventative methods. Information on how the health and social care system works. Sign posting you to the most appropriate service/s. |
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NHS Tools, Apps and Podcasts | |
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A wide range of NHS approved healthcare apps to help you monitor your conditions or achieve your goals. for example fitness, smoking, alcohol, weight loss, pregnancy, depression, blood pressure, sexual health, etc. |
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Patient | |
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Advice and Guidance on 100+ most common conditions. This site clearly explains symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, complications and preventative methods. Symptom checker Wellbeing = health, fitness, nutrition, parenting Medications |
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Self help connect uk | |
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National self help forum support groups
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Self help Forum | |
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The Self Care Forum aims to further the reach of self care and embed it into everyday life. Self Care is the actions that individuals take for themselves, on behalf of and with others in order to develop, protect, maintain and improve their health, wellbeing or wellness. |
Search over 500 Patient Information Leaflets as well as details of 2000+self-help/patient support groups and similar organisations.
You can also select one of the topics below:
Alcohol / Drug Support
ESCAPE-pain is a group-based rehabilitation programme for the management of osteoarthritis of the knee and/or hip. It is available widely across the UK and is supported by NHS England and Versus Arthritis.
Patient criteria:
- Aged 45 or over
- Chronic joint pain for at least 3 months
- Needing a supervised exercise programme
- Independently mobile and able to carry out regular exercise
- Available to attend classes for 6 weeks
Please see this information on ESCAPE-pain for more information or contact the surgery if you are interested in this programme.
Babies and Parenting
- Dad Pad - DadPad is an essential guide for new dads, developed with the NHS. It can help by giving Dads the knowledge and practical skills that they need. The resource will support them and their partners to give their baby the best possible start in life.
- ICON - Infant crying and how to cope
- Safe Sleep for Babies - Every Sleep Counts - Safe Sleep is important to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
- ChatHealth 0-5 - ChatHealth 0-5 is a text messaging service by Southern Health set up to support parents, carers and families of under 5s in Hampshire. Text CHAT health on 07520615720.
Back Pain
- Back pain causes 13 million working days to be lost in Britain each year.
- Symptoms usually respond to 24 hours rest lying on a firm bed followed by gentle exercise and return to normal activities.
- Paracetamol or Ibuprofen will help to relieve pain and local heat from a hot water bottle may also help.
- Avoid straining your back while exercising and take great care with lifting even when the pain has subsided
- When sitting, an upright chair with support for the small of the back lessens strain on the spine.
- If the pain does not start to improve within a few days, then consult your doctor for advice.
Insect Bites and Stings
- Most need no treatment.
- Anti-histamine tablets and/or cream can be obtained from the chemist without prescriptions and will relieve most symptoms.
Burns
- Apply large quantities of cold water to the affected area as soon as possible and continue until the pain subsides: but running cold water is the most effective.
- This may take some time. If the skin is unbroken but blisters, apply a loose dry dressing.
- If the burn is larger than 10cm (4 inches) in diameter or if the skin is broken, consult your doctor as soon as possible.
- Do not use creams such as Germoline or Savlon
Chicken Pox
- On the first day a rash appears with small red spots.
- Within a few hours these develop small blisters at the centre.
- Over the next 3 or 4 days further spots will appear and the earlier ones will turn crusty and fall off.
- Calamine lotion will soothe the itching and cool baths may help.
- The most infectious period is 2 or 3 days before the rash appears and until the last crusts have formed dry centres, usually 7-10 days after the onset of the rash.
- Children may return to school as soon as the last crusts have dropped off.
- The incubation period of chicken pox is 14-21 days.
Colds and Flu
- These usually start with a runny nose, cough, temperature and muscular aches.
- They are usually caused by viruses for which antibiotics will have no effect.
- Paracetamol helps the temperature and aches whilst decongestants and throat lozenges may also help to relieve symptoms.
- It is important to drink plenty of fluid, but do not worry if you do not eat for a few days - you will come to no harm
- However no more than eight paracetamols should be taken within any 24 hours
Diarrhoea and Vomiting
In adults and older children, diarrhoea and vomiting is usually caused by a virus.
- Treatment consists of replacing fluid lost with small amounts of water, or fizzy lemonade taken frequently and not eating for 24 hours.
- If the diarrhoea contains blood, if there is severe pain or high fever you should consult your doctor.
- Diarrhoea and vomiting in small babies and young children should be treated with caution and your doctor will be happy to advise you over the phone and arrange to see you if necessary.
- Elderly people and those with medical conditions (e.g. diabetes) should consult a doctor.
- Women taking the oral contraceptive pill may need to take extra precautions.
Headlice
- These creatures prefer clean hair and are not a sign of poor hygiene.
- Daily combing with a fine tooth comb after application of conditioner is also effective
Healthy Living
- Weight management
- Smoking Cessation
- Exercise/Staying active
Meningitis
- This is an infection of the covering of the brain and the most serious from is caused by the meningococcus bacteria and requires urgent medical attention.
- Warning signs include a "blood spot" rash that does not blanch under pressure, and neck stiffness.
- In infants there may be drowsiness, change in the cry, irritability, fever, diarrhoea or vomiting.
- In adults, as well as neck stiffness and rash there may be high temperature, vomiting, headache and back or joint pains
For more detailed information visit the Meningitis Now website.
Blanch = press the side of a clear drinking glass onto the rash or bruises and checking that they fade.
Mental Health - Silver Cloud
We know that waiting times for local services are going up and that in-person support is not for everyone. So, we’ve invested in SilverCloud® by Amwell® mental health programmes. Backed by 20 years of research, they use clinically proven digital Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help you feel better, sooner.
Take a look at our new online mental health programmes.
SilverCloud® programmes are completely free to patients of Romsey and North Baddesley Primary Care Network Practices, and they are available any time of day and from any device, including a tablet or your mobile phone.
Don’t worry if you’re already on a waiting list for in-person therapy. Signing up to use SilverCloud doesn’t mean that you’ll lose your place.
Find out more about the programmes on offer
Nose Bleeds
- Sit in a chair (leaning forward with your mouth open) and pinch your nose just below the bone for 10 minutes, by which time the bleeding should have stopped.
- If the bleeding continues or if your are taking blood-thinning tablets (anticoagulants): consult your doctor.
- Avoid blowing your nose for 48 hours and hot food and drink for 24 hours.
Sprains and Strains
- Apply a cold compress (e.g. a packet of frozen peas wrapped in a wet tea towel) to reduce swelling: then apply a firm crepe bandage and give the sprain plenty of rest until the discomfort has subsided.
Sunburn
- Try to prevent this by avoiding exposure to the sun in the heat of the day and using sun screens.
- Treat sunburn by cooling the skin with cool water or calamine lotion and take Paracetamol or anti-histamine tablets as necessary.
Teenagers and Young Adults
ChatHealth 11-19 is a confidential text messaging service for those aged 11 - 19 years, which is staffed by your local school nursing team.
If you’d like some extra support text your local School Nurse on: 07507332160 Monday-Friday 09.00 – 16.30
Temperature
- A raised temperature occurs commonly even with mild infections.
- In small children it is important to stop the temperature rising too quickly and they should be given Paracetamol syrup which may be bought from the chemist.
- If they are still feverish they should be gently sponged with tepid water as in a bath or shower to cool them (this may take up to 20 minutes)
- If a temperature is very high and does not come down with this treatment or the child appears very unwell you should consult your doctor.
- A child or adult with a temperature will not come to any harm being brought by car or by pram to the surgery.
