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Patient experience contributions on medical conditions can be viewed here.

See latest update information.

Patient UK now includes PatientPlus - access to more in-depth information

Wherever you see the PatientPlus logo you can access information that is used daily by UK medical professionals, such as your GP or practice nurse. PatientPlus is an extension to Patient UK, covering a wide range of medical subjects in more detail. Although PatientPlus articles were originally written for doctors, some people find that they add depth to the 'plain English' articles found in the patient focused sections of this website which are specifically written for non medical people.

You can find PatientPlus information by doing a search on Patient UK in the normal way, for the health or medical topic that you are interested in. You can also browse through PatientPlus from the Patient UK navigation bar.

PatientPlus information is written by our expert authoring team, consisting of independent GPs, doctors working for producers of GP further education courses, and occasionally reproduced with permission from national organisations such as the British Heart Foundation. For more information on the origin of PatientPlus information, please click here.

How PatientPlus is written

PatientPlus authors refer to the following key sources when writing the articles:

  • Recently published review articles, important RCTs, meta-analyses (e.g. Cochrane) which are identified in standard peer reviewed medical journals such as the BMJ, Lancet, etc, identified following a current Medline search.
  • Any current guidelines produced by reputable UK organisations such as NICE, SCHIN, SIGN, and professional bodies such as the RCGP, RCOG etc.
  • Evidence based sources such as EBM, Clinical evidence, and DTB etc.
  • Latest editions of reputable textbooks.
  • References are given for each leaflet, many of which are linked online directly to the full text source of the article of guideline.

Each article is checked against other detailed sources of reference, and where advice differs, articles are sent for further review to GPs with a special interest for their advice and amendment.

All articles are critically read by at least two doctors, both practicing GPs, to check that the articles are compatible with the most recent national guidelines and current best practice. If an article falls outside the normal experience or expertise of GPs, the subject is referred to appropriate practitioners working in secondary care for confirmation that the advice offered equals current best practice.

Articles are reviewed at least every two years. Most are reviewed earlier or more regularly if new information is published, or new guidance is issued that affects medical practice. New content is regularly created in response to user feedback and changes in clinical practice.





Disclaimer: Patient UK has no control over the content of any external links above. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by Patient UK.

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PS - Health and Poverty

Perhaps the biggest cause of ill health in the world is poverty. Help to Make Poverty History. For example, why not lend some of your money to disadvantaged communities to enable them to trade their way out of poverty through schemes such as Shared Interest.

See also MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY North East for details and links to campaigns against poverty.

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