Information for patients and carers
Below are some links to external sources of information for patients and carers.
NHS Choices – The NHS Choices website provides good, easy-to-read information on illnesses and medical conditions. You can also get advice on keeping healthy and find information about NHS services near you.
Patient Info – You can use this website to search for patient leaflets on health and disease.
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS FT website – There is a directory of patient information leaflets on the LSCFT website.
Easyhealth – Easyhealth provides leaflets and information for people who have learning disabilities or who struggle with English. There are leaflets available for lots of common health conditions, and others that explain common medical procedures like having blood taken.
Fifty Websites for Lifestyle Change – resource compiled by NWAS Library signposting to fifty quality websites for improving your health.
Sleep Bulletin – a current awareness blog on sleep-related research produced by the Jet Library at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Many Roads to Wellbeing – a collection of wellbeing themed reading suggestions including poems, short stories, true life stories, quotes and children’s stories created by Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Mental Health Information
Choice and Medication – The Choice and Medication website provides people with information about medicines used in the mental health setting to help people make informed decisions about medication. The site also has a range of user friendly leaflets about medicines and common mental health conditions that can be printed out.
National Centre for Mental Health – The National Centre for Mental Health have produced a library of free mental health leaflets to help individuals, families and carers to learn more about a range of conditions.
Support organisations for people bereaved by suicide – This is a list of useful contacts and resources for people and families who have been bereaved by suicide produced by the LSCFT Library.
Information and Support for Young People with Depression – This is a list of useful contacts and resources for young people who suffer from depression produced by the LSCFT Library.
Mental Health Act Easy Read Guide – An easy-to-read guide for service users about the Mental Health Act produced by NHS England.
Mental Health Foundation – Patient booklets produced by the Mental Health Foundation including guides on looking after yourself.
Royal College of Psychiatrists – User-friendly information and advice from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
MIND – information about different types of mental health problems from the charity MIND.
HeadMeds – easy-to-read information about different types of mental health medications aimed at young people. This has been produced by the charity YoungMinds.
Useful resources for finding work or volunteering – a list of useful resources and organisations if you are looking for work or to volunteer.
Mental Health & Debt 2017 – a guide to managing debt and financial issues for people with mental health problems produced by Money Saving Expert.
Leaflets for Children with Parents admitted to Mental Health wards – A friendly and informative set of leaflets for children whose parents are admitted to a mental health ward which have been developed to support families by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Information for Carers
Carers UK – practical help and advice on looking after someone and looking after yourself from the charity Carers UK.
Age UK – advice for carers of older people from the charity Age UK.
Government information – information for carers from the gov.uk website including information on Carer’s Credit and Carer’s Allowance.
Lancashire Young Carers – support is available from the charity Barnardo’s for young carers in Lancashire.
YoungMinds – information about young carers from the charity YoungMinds.
Alzheimer’s Society – information and advice for carers of people with dementia on looking after someone with dementia and looking after yourself.
Information for Veterans and people who support them
Armed Forces Champions Resource – This resource pack has been developed to assist NHS organisations across the North West, and more widely to support our Armed Forces Community.
Public Libraries
Public Libraries are an excellent source of information. Lancashire Libraries participate in the Books on Prescription programme and can also help provide other types of health information. Many local libraries host memory cafés and other support groups.
Reading for Health – information about ‘reading for health’ from Lancashire Libraries.
Lancashire Libraries – find out what’s on offer at your local library and how to join.