Further information
We have included the following organisations because, on preliminary investigation, they may be of use to the reader. However, we do not have first-hand experience of each organisation and so cannot guarantee the organisation’s integrity. The reader must therefore exercise his or her own discretion and judgement when making further enquiries.
Benefits Enquiry Line
Tel: 0800 882200
Website: www.dwp.gov.uk
Minicom: 0800 243355
N. Ireland: 0800 220674
Government agency giving information and advice on sickness and disability benefits for people with disabilities and their carers.
British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS)
Royal College of Surgeons 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields London WC2A 3PE
Tel: 020 7430 1840
Helpline: 020 7405 2234
Website: www.baaps.org.uk
Professional body for aesthetic plastic surgeons working within the NHS and privately. To request a list of members of the Association who have undertaken specialist training, please send an s.a.e.
British Association of Dermatologists and British Dermatological Nursing Group
4 Fitzroy Square London W1T 5HQ
Tel: 020 7383 0266
Website: www.skinhealth.co.uk
Professional organisations representing doctors and nurses who have an interest in and/or work directly in dermatology. Provide patient information leaflets about various skin disorders and can supply a list of local NHS dermatologists. Referral needed.
British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAPS)
Royal College of Surgeons 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields London WC2A 3PE
Tel: 020 7831 5161
Website: www.baps.co.uk
Professional body representing surgeons who have undertaken training in plastic surgery and work within the NHS.
Cancer Research (incorporates Imperial Cancer Research Fund)
PO Box 123 Lincoln’s Inn Fields London WC2A 3PX
Tel: 020 7242 0200
Helpline: 020 712 6699
Website: www.cancerresearchuk.org
Funds research into cancer and education. Provides information to people with cancer and their carers.
CancerBACUP
3 Bath Place Rivington Street London EC2A 3JR
Tel: 020 7696 9003
Helpline: 0808 800 1234
Website: www.cancerbacup.org.uk
Offers information service to patients and their families as well as health professionals on every type and every aspect of cancer. Has support groups around the UK.
Macmillan Cancer Relief
89 Albert Embankment London SE1 7UQ
Tel: 020 8563 9800
Helpline: 0808 808 2020
Website: www.macmillan.org.uk
Provides information and support for people with cancer and their families. Funds NHS Macmillan nurses for home care as well as hospital and hospice support. Financial help may also be given. Local support groups.
Marie Curie Cancer Care
89 Albert Embankment London SE1 7TP
Tel: 020 7599 7777
Website: www.mariecurie.org.uk
Runs Marie Curie nursing homes and provides a community nursing service day and night. Also involved in research and the education of health professionals in cancer care and prevention.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
MidCity Place 71 High Holborn London WC1V 6NA
Tel: 020 8067 5800
Website: www.nice.org.uk
Provides national guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill-health. Patient information leaflets are available for each piece of guidance issued.
Psoriasis Association
7 Milton Street Northampton NN2 7JG
Tel: 01604 711129
Website: www.psoriasisassociation.org.uk
Provides information on all aspects of psoriasis, as well as promoting research. Produces a journal four times a year and organises an annual conference. Has self-help support groups.
Vitiligo Society
125 Kennington Road London SE11 6SF
Tel: 020 7840 0855
Website: www.vitiligosociety.org.uk
Provides information on all aspects of vitiligo, produces a regular journal, and organises meetings and events for members with the condition.
THE INTERNET AS A SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION
After reading this text, you may feel that you would like further information on the subject. The internet is of course an excellent place to look and there are many websites with useful information about medical disorders, related charities and support groups. For those who do not have a computer at home some bars and cafes offer facilities for accessing the internet. These are listed in the Yellow Pages under ‘Internet Bars and Cafes’ and ‘Internet Providers’. Your local library offers a similar facility and has staff to help you find the information that you need.
It should always be remembered, however, that the internet is unregulated and anyone is free to set up a website and add information to it. Many websites offer impartial advice and information that has been compiled and checked by qualified medical professionals. Some, on the other hand, are run by commercial organisations with the purpose of promoting their own products. Others still are run by pressure groups, some of which will provide carefully assessed and accurate information whereas others may be suggesting medications or treatments that are not supported by the medical and scientific community.
Unless you know the address of the website you want to visit – for example, www.familydoctor.co.uk – you may find the following guidelines useful when searching the internet for information.
SEARCH ENGINES AND OTHER SEARCHABLE SITES
Google (www.google.co.uk) is the most popular search engine used in the UK, followed by Yahoo! (http://uk.yahoo.com) and MSN (www.msn.co.uk). Also popular are the search engines provided by Internet Service Providers such as Tiscali and other sites such as the BBC site (www.bbc.co.uk).
In addition to the search engines that index the whole web, there are also medical sites with search facilities, which act almost like mini-search engines, but cover only medical topics or even a particular area of medicine. Again, it is wise to look at who is responsible for compiling the information offered to ensure that it is impartial and medically accurate. The NHS Direct site (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk) is an example of a searchable medical site.
Links to many British medical charities can be found at the Association of Medical Research Charities’ website (www.amrc.org.uk) and at Charity Choice (www.charitychoice.co.uk).
SEARCH PHRASES
Be specific when entering a search phrase. Searching for information on ‘cancer’ will return results for many different types of cancer as well as on cancer in general. You may even find sites offering astrological information. More useful results will be returned by using search phrases such as ‘lung cancer’ and ‘treatments for lung cancer’. Both Google and Yahoo! offer an advanced search option that includes the ability to search for the exact phrase; enclosing the search phrase in quotes, that is, ‘treatments for lung cancer’, will have the same effect. Limiting a search to an exact phrase reduces the number of results returned but it is best to refine a search to an exact match only if you are not getting useful results with a normal search.
Adding ‘UK’ to your search term will bring up mainly British sites, so a good phrase might be ‘lung cancer’ UK (don’t include UK within the quotes).
WARNING
Always remember the internet is international and unregulated. It holds a wealth of valuable information but individual sites may be biased, out of date or just plain wrong. Family Doctor Publications accepts no responsibility for the content of links published in this series.
