Support for general health and wellbeing

All

NHS Live Well – NHS advice about healthy living, including eating a balanced diet, healthy weight, exercise, quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol.

NHS website – guide to conditions, symptoms and treatments and find NHS services near you. Contact your GP (for non-emergencies phone 111 for the NHS out of hours service)

Here for Health – the Here for Health team offer a free health and wellbeing support service for patients, staff and visitors across Oxford University Hospital NHS Trust sites. They offer telephone and video call support as well as booked face to face appointments.

Social and Health Care team, Oxfordshire County Council – the first point of contact for all adult social care enquiries and referrals from members of the public and professionals. The team provide information and advice on adult social care and care act eligibility, signposting and can order low level equipment to keep individuals safe at home. 

For professionals wishing to raise a safeguarding concern, report it online

Domestic abuse - If you are affected by domestic abuse or stalking and harassment you can contact the Oxfordshire Domestic Abuse Services helpline on:

• Phone: 0800 731 0055 (Monday to Friday, 10am–7pm)
• Email: das@a2dominion.co.uk
• If you are a professional, a volunteer or a resident who works with the public in Oxfordshire, you are able to access domestic abuse training.
• In an emergency call 999 to contact the police.

Adults

Live Well Oxfordshire – list of support services and groups for adults and carers. Click on ‘Choose a category’ OR enter info into ‘Find services’ box, e.g. Dementia / Postcode / Area / Location.

• Phone: 01235 849 410 to speak to someone about what’s available in your local area.
• To order printed copies of Livewell, email MECC@oxfordshire.gov.uk 

Safe and well visits – carried out by a representative from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. The home will be assessed for fire risk, with a view to fitting free smoke detector alarms if required. Home escape plans and advice to lower fire risk will also be given. Anyone can follow the link below to refer a vulnerable person for a safe and well visit:

Age UK Oxfordshire – support and advice service for older adults.

The Silver Line – a 24/7 confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people. Phone: 0800 4 70 80 90

Carers Oxfordshire – provides information, support and resources for carers.

Carers UK – national information and advice service for carers.

Carers Trust – national information and advice service for carers.

Families, young people and children 

Family Information Service – provides free information and support for children, young people and families in Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire Healthier Together – provides free health advice and information for parents.

Oxme – provide information on opportunities, activities and services for children and young people (aged up to 19 years or 25 years for people with a learning difficulty or disability) in Oxfordshire.

Physical health

NHS Health Checks - A free cardiovascular check to eligible adults aged 40–74 years every 5 years. Your GP practice will contact you when you are due your NHS Health Check or you can call them to check your eligibility and make an appointment.

Blood pressure

• One in three adults have high blood pressure in the UK.
• Many do not realise it – high blood pressure does not have any symptoms.
• All adults should know how, and where, to check their blood pressure, what their blood pressure is, and what to do next if their blood pressure is high.
• Check it at home – blood pressure monitors are relatively inexpensive and easy to use.

Community pharmacies and some libraries do offer free blood pressure checks for people over 40 (no appointment needed). A GP can refer anyone of any age to the pharmacy for a blood pressure check. 

Oxfordshire Sexual Health Service – Provision of sexual health services such as STI testing and treatment, contraception (including emergency contraception), HIV care, sexual assault and more. 

Oral health - You should brush your teeth twice daily, once before bedtime and at one other time.

• Spit and do not rinse after brushing, as this washes away the fluoride.
• Minimise consumption of sugar-containing food and drinks as these cause tooth decay.
• Do not use tobacco and keep alcohol intake to recommended levels as these increase the risk of developing oral cancer.
• See your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend.
• Get advice about oral health

Oxfordshire Oral Health Service - The Oral Health Services team at Oxford Health deliver oral health promotion, training for professionals, setting accreditation, and providing information and community support to reduce oral health inequalities. 

For general guidance for maintaining healthy teeth and mouths. 

Air quality – indoor and outdoor is the biggest environmental risk to health. It is linked to breathing problems, stroke, dementia and low birth weight among others.

Find out how to improve air quality in the home using a checklist.

Oxonair – Sign up for Oxfordshire air quality alerts and create your own action plan to prepare for bad air days. E.g. have inhalers ready, avoid going out that day. Review your contribution to air pollution. E.g. can you walk/cycle/wheel/scoot one short journey instead of driving? 

www.oxonair.uk/what-can-you-do/emissions-calculator

Hot weather

• Temperatures are rising in Oxfordshire and the UK due to climate change.
• Hot weather can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, lung problems and other diseases.
• Older people, babies and young children are more likely to be unwell from hot weather because their bodies are less able to regulate temperature.
• People with underlying medical conditions can also be vulnerable to the effects of hot weather.
• Many of the harms linked to heat exposure are preventable if a few simple actions are taken.

Find out how to best prepare and manage in heat waves:

Mental health 

Top tips:

• Ask for help – there’s no need to suffer in silence
• Follow the five ways to wellbeing

1. Connect - with more people around you like family and friends
2. Be active - find activities you enjoy and make them part of your life
3. Keep learning - to boost your confidence and give a sense of achievement
4. Give to others - can be simply smiling at someone, saying thank you or by volunteering and helping others
5. Take notice - be aware of the present moment and the world around you with all your senses

Support services:

NHS Every Mind Matters – wellbeing tips, information on mental health issues, life challenges, how to support others and urgent support.

Oxfordshire Mind – online and phone advice and information.

Oxfordshire Talking Therapies – offer a range of treatment choices such as courses, groups and one-to-ones.

Samaritans - 116 123 – free 24/7 emotional support helpline

Childline - 0800 1111 - a helpline for children and young people in the UK

In urgent need of mental health support? Phone 111 where specialist mental health support workers can assist adults and children/young people.

Smoking

Top tips:

• Just 20 minutes after stopping smoking your pulse rate will start to return to normal. After 72 hours, your breathing will feel easier and energy levels will increase.
• Smokers are three times more likely to quit successfully with the right support.
• Consider using a stop smoking aid, e.g. nicotine gum, patches or e-cigarettes.
• The average smoker can save around £38 a week by quitting smoking. That’s £2,000 a year!
• Make a plan to quit smoking and make a list of reasons to quit - keep what matters to you in mind like your kids or long-term health.

Support services:

Smokefree Oxon - Quitting is the single biggest thing you can do for your health. All smokers in Oxfordshire can access free support to quit from Smokefree Oxon. Smokefree Oxon offers free one-to-one personalised support including the provision of free rechargeable vapes and other appropriate nicotine replacement therapies.

NHS Quit Smoking App Download for free

If you are a professional or volunteer working in Oxfordshire and would like training in Smoking Very Brief Advice please email smokefreeoxon@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

Physical activity

Top tips:

• For over 18s, it’s recommended you get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, or around 20 to 30 minutes a day. Moderate activity is when your breathing increases, but you can still hold a conversation. Remember, physical activity isn’t restricted to the gym! It could be as simple as going for a walk or doing jobs at home like gardening and DIY.
• Older adults (>65yrs) should aim to do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility e.g. yoga, pilates, dancing and heavy gardening like digging.
• Exercise can improve your sleep, clear you mind, boost your energy and help with back and joint pain.

Support services:

You Move – a physical health and wellbeing 12-week free programme for eligible children and their parents/carers. Group and one to one sessions available. Aims to create healthier children and families by supporting them to become more active and eat well. 

Move Together – Move Together is a county-wide pathway into physical activity, designed to provide support, advice and guidance to people living with long-term health conditions, helping them to move more and improve their physical and mental health and well-being. 

Alcohol and drugs

Top tips:

• Lots of us enjoy alcohol now and then to relax but cutting back a bit can have all kinds of benefits to your health, mood and sleep.
• It’s recommended to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across three days or more. That’s around six medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or six pints of four per cent beer.
• Try the free DrinkCoach test to understand your level of drinking and how it relates to your health:
• Try swapping some or all of your drinks for no or low-alcohol alternatives.
• Alcoholic drinks are high in calories so cutting back on the amount you drink can help reduce calorie intake too. One glass of wine = a slice of cake.
• If you or someone you know wants support for alcohol or drug use, a GP can tell you about suitable treatment and support options available. They can also refer you for treatment or you can contact Turning Point or Oxfordshire Here4YOUth directly (see contact information overleaf).
• If someone becomes unresponsive, call 999 straight away, you won’t get into trouble and you could save someone’s life.
• If you are a professional working in Oxfordshire and would like training in Alcohol Identification and Brief Advice please email public.health@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Support services:

Turning Point – support for adults experiencing issues as a result of alcohol and drug use. Turning Point has physical premises in Oxford, Banbury, Witney and Didcot

Oxfordshire Here4YOUth – offers advice, support and guidance to children and young people about drug and alcohol use, and signposts young people to other support services they may need. Here4YOUth also help those affected by someone else’s drug and alcohol use.

Drink Coach test and app – helps you understand and track your level of drinking.

DrinkCoach online coaching – free online coaching with an alcohol specialist for those who’d like to reduce their drinking. Available seven days a week, including evenings.

NHS Live Well – advice about units and calories, risks, and tips to cut down.

Healthy eating

Top tips:

• Small changes (like swapping sugary drinks for water or ditching sugar from your tea) can make a big difference in the long term.
• Eat at least five portions of different fruit and veg a day.
• Vegetables keep you full for longer, they are a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. They make great snacks too.
• Drink between 1.5-2 litres of water a day. Water helps to burn fat, aid digestion and circulation, reduce tiredness and maintain body temperature.
• Follow the Eatwell guide

Support services:

Gloji Energy – a free Healthy Lifestyle programme for eligible children aged 4–12 years old and their parents/carers, run by Achieve Oxfordshire. The programme has free physical activity for the children while parents learn tips and tricks around children’s nutrition and healthy habits.

Beezee by Maximus – provides free personalised support to help people in Oxfordshire build long-term healthy habits, with specialist programmes tailored to adults, children and men.

Beezee Adults – offers 10 to 12 weeks of expert support to help people lose weight, delivered online or in-person.

Beezee Families – provides up to 12 weeks of family-friendly sessions for children aged 4 to 12 who are above their ideal weight and their parents/carers.

Gutless – is a weight management programme just for men, delivered online across ten weekly workshops.

Maximus also offer FREE 12-week access to join one of your local Slimming World groups.

Financial worries

Citizens Advice – For free, confidential, impartial and independent advice on money and debt. 

Resident’s support scheme – support if you are in, or at risk of being in crisis, and are in need of immediate help and have no other source of financial support

Good Food Oxfordshire – advice and resources to help people access healthy food.

Healthy Start – government scheme for extra support for pregnant women & children 0–4 from low-income families. A pre-payment card to use on milk/formula, fruit, vegetables & pulses.

Better Housing Better Health – a support service that will help those in unheated or badly insulated homes. In some cases, advice will be given about accessing financial support to help people maintain a safer environment for their home.

Money Helper – free and impartial help with money, backed by the government

Oxfordshire Advice Partnership – provide expert advice to individuals and professionals, including telephone, email consultancy and face-to-face support focusing on maximising income for the most vulnerable. Visit the Oxfordshire Advice Navigator to access information and support about debts, benefits and entitlements.