Useful addresses

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
Minicom: 0800 243355
Website: www.dwp.gov.uk
N. Ireland: 0800 220674
Government agency giving information and advice on sickness and disability benefits for people with disabilities and their carers.

Blood Pressure Association

60 Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0QS
Tel: 020 8772 4994
Information helpline: 0845 241 0989 (11am–3pm, Mon–Fri)
Website: www.bpassoc.org.uk
Offers free information and fact sheets about high blood
pressure and the various ways that it can be treated.

British Heart Foundation

14 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6DH
Tel: 020 7935 0185
Helpline: 0845 070 8070 (Mon, Tues, Fri 9am–5pm; Wed, Thurs 8am–6pm)
Website: www.bhf.org.uk
Funds research, promotes education and raises money to buy equipment to treat heart disease. Information and support available for people with heart conditions. Funds BHF nurses to visit patients with heart conditions at home and, via Heartstart UK, arranges training in emergency life-saving techniques for lay people.

British Nutrition Foundation

High Holborn House, 52–54 High Holborn, London WC1V 6RQ
Tel: 020 7404 6504
Website: www.nutrition.org.uk
Professional association which determines the scientific consensus in nutrition and communicates this through its free publications. An s.a.e. requested for information as no telephone advice is available.

Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland

65 North Castle Street, Edinburgh EH2 3LT
Tel: 0131 225 6963
Helpline: 0845 077 6000
Website: www.chss.org.uk
Aims to improve the quality of life for people in Scotland affected by chest, heart and stroke illness through medical research, advice and information, and support in the community.

Chest, Heart and Stroke, Northern Ireland

21 Dublin Road, Belfast BT2 7HB
Tel: 028 9032 0184
Helpline: 0845 769 7299
Website: www.nichsa.com
Aims to promote the prevention of, and alleviate the suffering resulting from, chest, heart and stroke illnesses in Northern Ireland through advice and information.

Clinical Knowledge Summaries

Sowerby Centre for Health Informatics at Newcastle (SCHIN Ltd), Bede House, All Saints Business Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2ES
Tel: 0191 243 6100
Website: www.cks.library.nhs.uk
A website mainly for GPs giving information for patients listed by disease plus named self-help organisations.

DVLA

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Swansea SA6 7JL
Tel: 0870 600 0301
Website: www.dvla.gov.uk
Provides information about medical conditions, driving licences, learning to drive, entitlement to drive, endorsements/disqualifications, driving abroad and what to do when you have changed your address and/or name.

HEART UK

7 North Road Maidenhead, Berks SL6 1PE
Tel: 0845 450 5988
Website: www.heartuk.org.uk
Offers information, advice and support to people with coronary heart disease and especially those at high risk of familial hypercholesterolaemia. Members receive bimonthly magazine. Merged with British

Hyperlipidaemia Association in June 2002.

Institute for Complementary and Natural Medicine

Can-Mezzanine, 32–36 Loman Street, London SE1 0EH
Tel: 020 7922 7980
Website: www.i-c-m.org.uk
Umbrella group for complementary medicine organisations. Offers informed, safe choice to public.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)

MidCity Place, 71 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NA
Tel: 0845 003 7780
Website: www.nice.org.uk
Provides national guidance on the promotion of good health and treatment of ill-health. Patient information leaflets are available for each piece of guidance issued.

NHS Direct

Tel: 0845 4647 (24 hours, 365 days a year)
Website: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Offers confidential health-care advice, information and referral service. A good first port of call for any health advice.

NHS Smoking Helpline

Freephone: 0800 169 0169 (7am–11pm, 365 days a year)
Website: www.givingupsmoking.co.uk
Pregnancy smoking helpline: 0800 169 9169 (7am–11pm, 365 days a year)
Have advice, help and encouragement on giving up smoking. Specialist advisers available to offer ongoing support to those who genuinely are trying to give up smoking. Can refer to local branches.

Patients’ Association

PO Box 935 Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3YJ
Helpline: 0845 608 4455
Tel: 020 8423 9111
Website: www.patients-association.com
Provides advice on patients’ rights, leaflets and a directory of self-help groups

Quit (Smoking Quitlines)

211 Old Street, London EC1V 9NR
Helpline: 0800 002200 (9am–9pm, 365 days a year)
Tel: 020 7251 1551
Website: www.quit.org.uk
Scotland: 0800 848484
Wales: 0800 169 0169 (NHS)
Offers individual advice on giving up smoking in English and Asian languages. Talks to schools on smoking and pregnancy and can refer to local support groups. Runs training courses for professionals.

Stroke Association

Stroke House, 240 City Road, London EC1V 2PR
Tel: 020 7566 0300
Helpline: 0845 303 3100
Website: www.stroke.org.uk
Funds research and provides information, now specialising only in strokes. Local support groups.

Vegetarian Society

Parkdale, Dunham Road, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 4QG
Tel: 0161 925 2000 (Mon–Fri 8.30am–5pm)
Website: www.vegsoc.org
Provides a starter pack on the vegetarian way of life and information sheet about fats and cholesterol. Send an A5 SAE for a list of local groups and cookery books.

Useful websites

BBC

www.bbc.co.uk/health
A helpful website: easy to navigate and offers lots of useful advice and information. Also contains links to other related topics.