Advice and Information

Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy supports people to raise their concerns and complaints about NHS care and treatment.
Call our helpline on 03003 038037 for information, guidance and support. 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday.

The impact of prescription charges on people living with long term conditions - The Prescription Charges Coalition (PCC) ran a survey between February and March this year.
Click on the link to read their report!

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, The NHS bowel cancer screening kit detects signs of cancer before you notice anything wrong. Detecting it at the earliest stage makes it up to 9 times more likely to be successfully treated. So if you're aged 60 to 74 (lowering to 50 by 2025), live in England and registered with a GP practice, you’ll be sent a kit in the post automatically, every two years. The kit is quick and simple to complete and can be done in the privacy of your own bathroom using the step-by-step instructions on the box. You only need to collect one tiny sample of poo using the plastic stick provided, pop it in the sample bottle and post it for free, to be tested.
The test works by checking for tiny traces of blood, which may not be visible to the naked eye. Blood in your poo is one of the signs of bowel cancer but does not always mean cancer. Instead, it could be a sign of piles or polyps (growths in the bowel). Polyps are not cancer but could develop into cancer over time.

What are the aims of the project?
The research will give autistic people the chance to share their experiences of their autism diagnostic assessment to help us understand the support they received before, during and after the assessment and identify other types of support that might have been helpful. The survey is open to people who: are over 18 and have gone through or are waiting for an autism diagnosis, do not also have a learning disability and live in the North East or North Cumbria region. If this applies to you, please share your experiences with us by completing our online survey using the link below.

Do you look after someone - then who looks after you?
Hartlepool Carers provide support to Carers from 5 years old in Hartlepool, offering information, advice and guidance!

New measures to improve access to dental care
A new package of measures to improve patient access to dental care has been introduced by the government.

Contracting COVID-19 can be a distressing experience that affects people differently, meaning you may have different care and wellbeing needs to others. Although most people who have a mild case of COVID-19 recover quickly, around one in ten patients will report prolonged symptoms that can last for several weeks or even months. These symptoms can include chronic fatigue, shortness of breath, a cough and loss of sense of taste and smell, among others. Where symptoms persist past twelve weeks, this is known as post-Covid syndrome. If your symptoms last for more than twelve weeks, you may require support to ensure that you recover well. NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) have compiled a variety of self-help resources, as well as information on the services available locally that can assist you with post-Covid syndrome. This information covers things like diet, exercise and smoking (if applicable), getting back to work and when to seek further support.

To book an appointment for the 7 Day GP Access Service, please contact your own GP surgery first!

Dispelling the most common rumours relating to NHS dentistry
Healthwatch teams across the North East have seen a significant increase in concerns around getting to see their local dentist.
This is also a big problem across the rest of the country.
These concerns have been made worse by some common myths and
mis-understandings around how dentist practices work.

Click on the link below to read the Dentistry Myth Busting report!

The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may cause you to feel worried, anxious, or scared. Read our tips to looking after your wellbeing when self-isolating.

Do you or a loved one need help with social care? Read the article below and find out answers to key questions about who can access adult social care and how to pay for it.

Waiting for planned medical care or surgery can be a frustrating time. That’s why it’s so important that while you wait, you get regular, clear and accessible updates so that you can plan your next steps.