Good quality patient information is very important. Here are some resources clinicians, patients, carers and volunteers may find useful:

• NHS Choices – provides information about healthy living and getting the best out of the NHS
• Patient Info – health information used by GPs and nurses for supporting patients and carers
• Youth Health Talk – contains interviews with young people about their experience of illness
• Health Talk – contains interviews of other people’s experiences of health and illness and support information
• Self Management UK -self-management courses to support patients manage long-term health problems
• Testing Treatments – promoting critical thinking about treatment claims
• Understanding Health Research – a tool for making sense of health studies
• How to Read and Understand a Scientific Paper via the Patient Empowerment Network
• Healthwatch — ‘the independent national champion for people who use health and social care services’
• Health A-Z – an NHS guide to conditions, symptoms and treatments.
• Medicines A-Z – an NHS guide to medicines, including how they work, how and when to take them and possible side effects.
• 3 Questions for better health – this is an easy read guide which was co-designed with people with a learning disability and autistic people to help patients make choices about their care
• Getting ready for a talk about your health – this is an easy read guide which was co-designed with people with a learning disability and autistic people to help patients prepare for medical appointments

Books

Reading Well promotes the benefits of reading for health and wellbeing. The programme has two strands: Books on Prescription and Mood-boosting Books.

At CUHT:

• Patient Advice and Liaison
• Patient Information and Consent Forms
• Volunteering at CUHT

To create information for patients

• Finding the Evidence: A key step in the information production process

Research Participants

There are many opportunities to contribute to research that is going on in Cambridge. You can do this as a healthy volunteer, as well as a patient. Read more about the Cambridge NIHR BioResource, and the work that you could contribute to. 

You might prefer to contribute to the Patient Public Involvement Panel – read more.

As a patient, you already understand your disease and needs better than many medical professionals do. Perhaps you could contribute to better understanding of your condition by leading the research yourself. Read more about the Patient Led Research Hub.

Library Services for Volunteers

The Library offers a variety of services to help volunteers in their role or simply to provide a place of rest, relaxation and reflection in a busy day.

• If you are regularly helping patients with long-term conditions, such as dementia, post-stroke or progressive conditions such as Parkinsons, we have a selection of resources that may better help you to understand the needs of these patients.
• We are professionally qualified to search and locate reliable, trustworthy and evidence-based sources of information, on any topic, not just in relation to healthcare.
• We provide a restful, quiet and comfortable environment for you to have a break.