The Willow Tree Web Links

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Jargon Buster

For any medical abbreviations and acronyms you don’t understand in any of the links below!

General Health Information

 

NHS Direct

The Official NHS portal to everything in the NHS and for health information including an encyclopaedia

Patient UK

Excellent source of hundreds of excellent information leaflets and source for research into any conditions and treatment

BBC Health Pages

Sensible (reasonably main-stream) and wide-ranging with useful links

Web Health

Truly encyclopaedic site giving information, advice and links including complementary medicine.

Best Treatments

Where to find the best treatments and the supporting scientific evidence.  Excellent site from the British Medical Journal

Embarrasing Problems

Advice on life’s more embarrassing problems.

Netdoctor

Independent medical and general health advice and links

Family Health Resource

Useful research tool for all the family’s health

Being a Patient

 

Patients' Association

Health consumer site- you and your rights. Helpline

Expert Patients

Become an expert patient and help take control of your chronic condition and communicate more effectively with health professionals. Courses and information

DIPEx

Sharing and talking about the experience of illness for both patients and healthcare professionals. An excellent, award-winning site

Mis-information

 

Dr.Fraud

A family doctor investigates and reports on web health frauds

National Council Against Health Fraud

Focuses upon health misinformation, fraud, and quackery as public health problems

Quackwatch

An American non-profit corporation whose purpose is to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, and fallacies.

Travel

 

Fit for Travel

Free NHS (Scotland) site for travel information including vaccination

Masta (travel advice)

Set up by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine it is now an international travel advice and supply organisation

DoH Travel Advice

The official Dept. of Health site incl. downloadable E111 and masses of really useful advice

Disability

 

Disabled Living Foundation

Vast amount of information on choosing equipment for  independent living for those with disabilities

Disability UK

Useful portal to many sites dealing with disability issues, benefits, services, information and products

Keep Able

A company (NB not the only one) selling a huge variety of disability aids (local branch in Mill Hill). Useful site to see what’s available

Royal National Institute for the Deaf

Masses of information, leaflets and advice for all hearing related problems and relatives of sufferers. Helpline. Excellent site.

Royal National Institute for the Blind

Huge site for all visual problems, including a shop for all sorts of visual aids and publications

 

 
Specific Conditions &  Specialised Organisations

 

Allergy UK

Sensible up to date information and advice + Help-Line for all types of allergy

Age Concern

The UK's largest organisation working with and for older people

Alzheimer's Society

Useful information, news and advice

Arthritis Research Campaign

Excellent site for all types of arthritis, joint and back pains. Latest news and information

Diabetes UK

The official diabetes site for everything diabetic

Cancerbacup

Information, news and links about all cancers. Helpline. An invaluable site for sufferers, relatives, friends, carers.

NHS Cancer Screening

Info about the  national screening programmes for Breast and Cervical cancer and Colon and Prostate cancer screening news

National Asthma Campaign

The official asthma site – news, advice and information

National Eczema Society

Information and Help-Line

Psoriasis Association

A new site, rather basic but worth watching

Psoriasis Forum

A useful self-help and information site set up by a sufferer

British Thoracic Society

For information about lung and chest conditions

British Heart Foundation

All about your heart and heart disease

The Stroke Association

Information, support and campaigns for sufferers and carers

British Hypertension Society

Advice about your blood pressure

IBS Network

Information for sufferers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome

British Liver Trust

All you ever wanted to know about the liver, hepatitis etc

Playing Safely

NHS sexually transmitted diseases site – frank (and fun)

National Kidney Federation

Run by patients for patients with kidney problems. Includes local groups.

National Kidney Research Fund

Source of advice booklets on kidney conditions and a Help-Line. Not much on-line yet.

Meningitis Reasearch Foundation

Excellent source of information including pictures of the typical rashes and a telephone helpline

 

Migraine Trust

Research news, information and support including help-line

Moorfields Eye Health

 

Information and advice about eye care and eye conditions from the experts

Continence Foundation

Information, advice and links regarding incontinence

Terence Higgins Trust

The leading HIV & AIDS charity in the UK and the largest in Europe. Valuable resources and information.

Smoking, Drugs & Alcohol

 

Giving up Smoking

The NHS smoking cessation advice and information site

Alcoholics Anonymous

One source of help – not for everyone but can be a life saver

Addaction

A national charity with excellent informative website and Addaction Brent provides free advice, information, support, and complementary therapies to drug and alcohol users, families and friends, plus needle exchange scheme and drop-in. For anyone living in the borough of Brent.

Exchange Supplies

Useful source of drug paraphernalia and advice of all sorts for harm reduction

Methadone Alliance

Advice, information and advocacy for those using drug replacement therapy such as methadone and subutex

Recovery

The web-site of a Welsh drug and alcohol treatment agency offering useful advice for sufferers and their families and friends. Lots of links to treatment.

Mental Health, Emotional & Psychological Problems and Counselling

 

N W London Mental Health Trust

Services for our patients living in Brent and Harrow

Royal College of Psychiatrists

Useful information leaflets and resources – the ‘official’ word!

Mental Health Resource Centre

Hundreds of links to sites dealing with mental health issues and services such as counselling and other therapies. Great starting point!

Samaritans

24 Hr telephone support when in need

Relate

Relationship, sexual and marital counselling and conciliation

Find a Counsellor or Therapist

British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists search engine to find a private counsellor or psychotherapist

Westminster Pastoral Foundation

Largest charitable provider of counselling and psychotherapy available at a reasonable cost

Depression Alliance

Self help group, information and advice

Seasonal Affective Disorder Asscn.

The SAD Association is a voluntary organisation and charity which informs the public and health professions about SAD and supports and advises sufferers

Rethink

Was the National Schizophrenic Fellowship, now deals with all severe mental illness

Mind

The leading mental health charity for policy, advice and news + confidential helpline

Brent Mind

Local counselling

Sleep Council

Commercial site selling stuff for insomnia sufferers but also a lot of useful advice and a help-line

Manic Depressive Fellowship

Information, support and pressure group

Mens’ Health

 

BBC Mens' Health Pages

from the BBC so it’s sensible and well organised

Mens’ Health Forum

An independent pressure group setting a UK Male health policy agenda and useful advice and information.

Male Health

Free independent information of all sorts, not all of it mainstream

Marie Stopes

Information and vasectomies for a reasonable fee.

Prostate Cancer Charity

Support and contacts for those with Prostate Cancer

Womens’ Health

 

BBC Womens' Health Pages

from the BBC so it’s sensible and well organised

Emma's Diary

Step by step pregnancy guide

National Childbirth Trust

Everything you ever wanted to know about making, growing and looking after a baby. For Mums and Dads

Womens’ Health Information

A guide to selective womens’ health problems run by a gynaecologist

Womens' Health

Voluntary org. Excellent info on gynaecological issues such as heavy bleeding, fibroids, hysterectomy, menopause and HRT, pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian problems etc.

Womens Health Concern

A charity concerned with disseminating information about women’s health – excellent. Helpline, fact-sheets etc

Womens Aid Federation

Support for women experiencing abuse

Family Planning Association

Contraception and sexual health advice and information

Marie Stopes

Help and advice about contraception, abortion, sterilisation. Reasonably priced private services

Menopause Matters

An excellent clinician led site of advice and information

Miscarriage Association

Information on the loss of a pregnancy

Thrush Advice Bureau

Commercial site but useful self-help advice and information

Breast Cancer Care

Information and support from the main Breast Cancer charity

Childrens’ Health

 

Childcare Link

Set up by the government: links to local and national organisations involved in child care

Immunisation.org

NHS information site about all childhood immunisations – pros, cons, side effects, whatever. Including up to date news. A good starting point

MMR - The Facts

Official NHS site giving all the FACTS about the MMR story and balancing the rubbish in the press and on the net

Life Bytes

Information for 11-14 year olds as above

UK Mums

Online magazine aimed at mothers

The Baby Registry

Thousands of pages of guidance and fact sheets organised by parents

Parents Online

Advice about learning and education for children of all ages

Bedwetting.co.uk

A commercial site selling solutions to the problems of bed wetting with some useful advice

Meningitis Research Foundation

Excellent source of information including pictures of the typical rashes and a telephone helpline

 

Hyperactive Childrens' Support Group

Some children with hyperactivity may respond to dietary changes. This group provides advice and support

 

Young Peoples’ Health

 

Student Health

Comprehensive student health advice written by doctors

Mind, Body and Soul

Information for 14-16 year olds from DoH but surprisingly cool

Complementary Therapies

 

Osteopathy in the UK

Osteopathy information and finding a therapist

British Homeopathic Association

About homeopathy and where to find a therapist

British Acupuncture Council

Information about traditional acupuncture and where to find an acupuncturist

 

British Medical Acupuncture Society

 

 

Information from and about doctors who practice acupuncture

Soc.of Teachers of the Alexander Technique

 

 

 

Information about the Alexander Technique (postural education to improve many aspects of health and performance) and finding an AT teacher

British Autogenic Society

Useful technique for tension and anxiety

British Reflexology Association

Representative organisation for reflexologists. Useful information and register.

 

 

Local NHS and London Borough of Brent  services

 

Brent PCT

Your Primary Care Trust – the local NHS organisation

London Borough of Brent

All council and social services provided by Brent

Brent Community Website

All the local community groups and activities

NW London Hospitals Trust

Northwick Park & Central Middlesex Hospitals

St Lukes Hospice

Our fantastic local hospice and services plus opportunities for voluntary help

GUM Clinics in London

Find a local NHS GUM clinic for your STD checks

Caring and Voluntary Sector

 

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers

National charity for providing information, resources and support for carers

Dept.of Health Carers' pages

Information about legislation, rights and benefits

Carers' National Association

Pressure group + information to support carers

National Centre for Volunteering

An on-line resource for potential volunteers and anyone seeking up to date information on volunteering.

 

Brent Community Transport

Voluntary transport for the sick and needy- training given

Crossroads

National charity for supporting carers caring at home. Local scheme info available (Brent, Barnet)

General Related Sites

 

Benefits Agency

Details of all benefits available

Citizens Advice Bureau

Find your local outlet + lots of useful general advice

Medicalert

Charity providing alert bracelets for those with hidden medical conditions and allergies

Barn Hill Conservation Group

Local group of volunteers looking after the beautiful Fryent Country Park; why not join them?