Find your little big thing - doing the little things can make a big difference to your mental health

Get vaccinated this winter against the flu and COVID

When you quit smoking, good things start to happen. You will begin to see almost immediate improvements to your health. Quit smoking for 28 days and you're five times more likely to quit for good.

A stroke strikes every five minutes. Every year in the UK, there are around 100,000 strokes, causing 38,000 stroke-related deaths, and it is a leading cause of disability. The first sign of a stroke might not seem serious. Like not being able to raise your arm, or struggling to smile, or slurring when you speak. Stroke symptoms can be less dramatic, painful or obvious than you might expect. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, any sign of a stroke is always an emergency, so call 999 immediately if you or someone else experiences a single symptom.

Talking therapies, or psychological therapies, are effective and confidential treatments delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners. They can help if you're struggling with things like feelings of depression, excessive worry, social anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Did you know that in many cases you have the legal right to choose where you have your NHS treatment? The NHS is offering more and more options to enable you to make choices that best suit your circumstances, giving you greater control of your care, and hopefully better results.

Blood pressure is recorded with 2 numbers. The systolic pressure (higher number) is the force at which your heart pumps blood around your body.

Heart attack symptoms and signs can vary from person to person, but the most common include pain or squeezing across the chest and a feeling of unease. You might be surprised to hear symptoms don’t always feel severe – some people may have other symptoms such as shortness of breath, feeling or being sick and back or jaw pain without any chest pain. If you think you or somebody you're with is having a heart attack, don’t be tempted to dismiss the signs or wait to see what happens.The faster you act, the better their chances. It’s never too early to call 999 and check. Visit nhs.uk/heartattack for more information.

The eatwell guide highlights the different types of food that make up our diet, and helps children learn the proportions we should eat to have a healthier and more balanced diet. You do not need to achieve this balance with every meal, but try to get the balance right over a day or even a week. Most of us still are not eating enough fruit and vegetables. They should make up just over a third of the food we eat each day. Aim to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg each day. Choose from fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced. Remember that fruit juice and smoothies should be limited to no more than a combined total of 150ml a day. Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Contact your GP if you or a loved one have had a cough for three weeks or more.

Prepare for parenthood, find trusted NHS advice and guidance to help you have a healthy and happy baby during pregnancy, birth and parenthood.

Quit smoking

This is my fresh start

As part of the ongoing response to #poliovirus detected in London sewage, the JCVI has advised that all children in #London aged 1-9 should get a polio vaccine now. The NHS will contact parents when it's time for their child's polio booster or catch-up vaccination

Sickle Cell is an invisible disorder but Sickle Cell crisis can be fatal.

Download the NHS weight loss guide – our free 12-week diet and exercise plan.

If you need treatment for drug addiction, you're entitled to NHS care in the same way as anyone else who has a health problem. With the right help and support, it's possible for you to get drug free and stay that way.

Realising you have a problem with alcohol is the first big step to getting help.

Stopping smoking is one of the best things you will ever do for your health. When you stop, you give your lungs the chance to repair and you will be able to breathe easier. There are lots of other benefits too – and they start almost immediately. It's never too late to quit. Let's do this!