The Colne Practice - Useful links to health and illness websites

The Colne Practice
Colne House
99A Uxbridge Road
Rickmansworth
Hertfordshire, WD3 7DJ
Tel: 01923 776295

Health Charities

Marie Curie Cancer Care is a UK charity dedicated to the care of people with terminal cancer and other illnesses. Over the financial year 2010/11, we reached a total of 31,799 patients

01 Dec - 28 Feb
YouthHealthTalk

Youthhealthtalk enables young people, their family and friends, and professionals such as doctors and teachers to understand young people's experiences of health, illness and life in general. The website feature real-life accounts of issues such as effect on work and education, social life and relationships, consulting health professionals and treatment.

03 Sep - 28 Feb
Macmillan Cancer Support

One in three of us will get cancer and it’s the toughest thing most of us will ever face. If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, or a loved one has, you’ll want a team of people in your corner supporting you every step of the way. Macmillan provide practical, medical and financial support and push for better cancer care.

BBC Health

Government defeat over NHS bill

The government loses the first of a series of votes in the House of Lords on its controversial plans to overhaul the NHS in England.

Gene therapy 'gave me sight back'

Three US citizens who lost their sight in childhood have reported a dramatic improvement in vision after having gene therapy in both eyes.

Bug found in more hospital taps

Pseudomonas is detected in water outlets in the neonatal units at three more hospitals in Northern Ireland.

Man seeks assisted suicide ruling

A severely disabled man with "locked-in syndrome" has urged a judge not to decide to halt his High Court action to let a doctor end his life.

Care provider in new debt talks

The UK's largest care provider, Four Seasons, is in talks to find money to refinance its debts, but it denies union claims it is in financial difficulty.

Parkinson's cells 'made in lab'

Scientists in the US have successfully made human brain cells in the lab that are an exact replica of genetically caused Parkinson's disease.

Suicidal woman 'failed' by trust

A Stockport couple whose depressed daughter hanged herself after being allowed home from hospital win a six-year court battle.

Call for 'joined-up' elderly care

Older people needing social care are being let down and "passed like parcels" between fragmented services, a group of MPs says.

Hundreds seek NHS implant advice

Almost 1,000 private patients with PIP breast implants have contacted the NHS, according to MPs.

Lansley 'has PM's full support'

Andrew Lansley has David Cameron's "full support", despite a Downing Street source reportedly saying the health secretary "should be taken out and shot".

Health Protection Agency

Development made in breakdown of a Meningitis B vaccine component

Scientists from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) are a step closer to ensuring the stability of a component of a vaccine that may one day be used to protect against Meningitis B. The research is published today (Tuesday) in Vaccine.

Current alert level: Level 3 - Cold Weather Action in one or more regions of England

There is a 100% probability of severe cold weather/icy conditions between 1000 on Wednesday and 1100 on Saturday in parts of England. This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.

Update on Legionnaires’ Cluster Associated with a Hotel in Spain

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is aware of nine cases of Legionnaires’ disease in English holiday makers associated with the Diamante Beach Hotel in Calpe, Costa Blanca since January 2012, in addition to four Spanish cases so far reported. Subsequently two of the English patients are reported to have died from their illness.

Outbreak of Salmonella Newport

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is investigating an outbreak of a strain of Salmonella Newport infection among 30 people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since the beginning of December 2011. Cases of illness caused by the same strain have been confirmed in Scotland, Ireland and Germany.

Health Protection Agency confirms new incinerator study

A new study to further extend the evidence base as to whether emissions from modern well run Municipal Waste Incinerators affect human health has been approved by the Health Protection Agency.

HPA helps solve radon problems in West Oxfordshire homes

Hundreds of homes across West Oxfordshire have been found to have high levels of radioactive gas radon. Last summer, the Health Protection Agency invited about 9,000 householders across West Oxfordshire to apply for a free test for radon, a naturally occurring gas present in all homes.

HPA helps solve radon problems in Orkney homes

Hundreds of householders across Orkney are being advised to act to protect their health, after HPA tests detected high levels of radioactive gas radon.

Cornish radon hotspot targeted

Thousands of households in a part of Cornwall with historic radon problems are being offered a free test for levels of the radioactive gas radon.

New Guidelines to Control Group A Streptococcal (GAS) Infections in UK Hospitals Launched

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) together with the group A streptococcal (GAS) Working Group* has today launched new guidelines for the investigation, control and prevention of GAS infection in acute healthcare settings, including maternity units, in the UK.

Whooping cough cases increase

Cases of whooping cough (pertussis) reported to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in England and Wales have more than doubled from 421 cases in 2010 to 1040 in 2011. Increases in levels of whooping cough are seen every three to four years and figures in 2011 are in line with cases reported in the last peak year of 2008.

Where do I go for clinical or disease information?

cold Best Treatments
Information is researched from the British Medical Journal and displyed in an easy to understand format.

Patient UK
Designed by GPs and EMIS and is a useful source of Patient information Leaflets amongst other things.

Net Doctor
Attempts to break the language barrier between Doctors and patients regarding disease and illnesses.

Information on Healthier Living

BBC - Healthy Living
Simple, accurate advice from the BBC. Helps you to establish the do's & dont's of living healthily.

lime Male Health
Fast, free independent information from the Men's Health Forum.

Women’s Health Concern
Women's Health Concern is a charitable organisation which aims to help educate and support women with their healthcare by providing unbiased, accurate information.

My simple guide to high blood pressure
An attempt by the European Society of Hypertension to ensure access to credible, reliable information about high blodd pressure.

Charity Websites

Cancerhelp
Free information service provided by Cancer Research UK about cancer and cancer care for people with cancer and their families. Information is formatted in such a way that makes understanding the website an easy process

Cancer Backup
ribbons Europe's leading cancer information charity, with over 4,500 pages of up-to-date cancer information, practical advice and support for cancer patients, their families and carers.

Diabetes UK
largest charity in the UK devoted to the care and treatment of people with diabetes in order to improve the quality of life for people with the condition

Asthma UK
This website has been revamped to meet the needs of the thousands of people with asthma who visit the site each day, either to find important information about asthma and how to control it

Alzheimer’s Society
Comprehensive information for people with all forms of dementia.