Live Well

It’s important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection, but if you or your child missed a vaccine, contact your GP to catch up.

NHS Vaccination Schedule

Here’s a checklist of the vaccines that are routinely offered to everyone in the UK for free on the NHS, and the age at which you should ideally have them.

8 weeks:

6-in-1 vaccine
Rotavirus vaccine
MenB vaccine

12 Weeks:

6-in-1 vaccine (2nd dose)
Pneumococcal vaccine
Rotavirus vaccine (2nd dose)

16 Weeks:

6-in-1 vaccine (3rd dose)
MenB vaccine (2nd dose)

1 Year:

Hib/MenC vaccine (1st dose)
MMR vaccine (1st dose)
Pneumococcal vaccine (2nd dose)
MenB vaccine (3rd dose)

2 to 15 years:

Children’s flu vaccine (every year until children finish Year 11 of secondary school)

3 years and 4 months:

MMR vaccine (2nd dose)
4-in-1 pre-school booster vaccine

12 to 13 years:

HPV vaccine

14 years:

Td/IPV vaccine (3-in-1 teenage booster)
MenACWY vaccine

65 years:

Flu vaccine (given every year after turning 65)
Pneumococcal vaccine
Shingles vaccine (if you turned 65 on or after 1 September 2023)

70 to 79 years:

Shingles vaccine

75 to 79 years:

RSV vaccine

75 years and over:

COVID-19 vaccine (usually given in spring and winter)

Vaccines for pregnant women:

Flu vaccine in pregnancy
Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine
RSV vaccine

Extra vaccines for at-risk people

Some vaccines are only available on the NHS for groups of people who need extra protection. For example at-risk babies and children or people with underlying health conditions.

Want to quit?

You can self refer to your Sunderland stop smoking service.

GPs are delighted to help people who have decided to quit smoking. About 40% of smokers will die from a smoking-related condition, so they know that stopping is one change that will make a big difference to your life.

Patients will see health benefits within days, such as improved taste and smell, while important benefits, such as lower risks of heart attack, stroke, lung cancer and improvements in breathing will happen in the first year or two.

Your GP will probably have been chasing you to stop smoking if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, circulation problems or history of stroke, heart attack, angina, asthma or chronic lung disorders.

Read more at NHS Quit Smoking

Or call the free Smokefree National Helpline on 0300 123 1044

For most people, the easiest way to get moving is to make activity part of everyday life, like walking for health or cycling instead of using the car to get around. However, the more you do, the better, and taking part in activities such as sports and exercise will make you even healthier.

The NHS have put together a variety of resources that are free to use to help you get more exercise. Whatever your age, there’s strong scientific evidence that being physically active can help you lead a healthier and happier life and can reduce your risk of major illnesses.

Read more at NHS Benefits of Exercise

Your NHS guide to parenting in the early years

Whether your child is a newborn, a toddler or a pre-schooler, this Start for Life guide is for you. It contains NHS-accredited information, videos and interactive tools to help you through the parenting process.

They answer all your questions, from how to bond with your baby to weening advice and guidance.

And they haven’t forgotten about you: as a parent or carer, your wellbeing is crucial too. The site covers all you need to know about managing your mental health after having a baby.

NHS – Start For Life

Sunderland’s Start for Life offer

Sunderland has 5 Family Hubs across the city. Family Hubs will:

• Bring services together to improve access to services
• Improve the connections between families, professionals, services and providers
• Put relationships at the heart of family support

At the core of every Family Hub network is a great Start for Life for babies, from conception through to 2 years old. Support is also available to families of children aged up to 19, or to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aged up to 25.

Family Hubs deliver a variety of activities and support sessions. Find your local family hub.

It’s easy to think that mental health issues don’t concern us, but in fact a quarter of us will have problems with our mental wellbeing at some time in our lives.

Mental health problems are equally common in men and women, but the types of problems differ. Women are one-and-a-half times more likely to be affected by anxiety and depression, while men suffer more from substance abuse (one in eight men is dependent on alcohol) and anti-social personality disorders. Men are also more prone to suicide: British men are three times more likely than British women to die as a result of suicide.

Self Help

CNTW – Local NHS Mental Health Service have produced a range of self help guides which offer users the opportunity to find out more about the causes of mental health issues and provide tools to work through feelings and emotions.

Talking Therapies

Sunderland Talking Therapies (formally Sunderland Psychological Wellbeing Service) provide a range of treatments for people with common mental health problems. They offer a number of therapies, classes and groups. Self refer at Sunderland Talking Therapies

Crisis Support

The Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team is a team of experienced  mental health staff, which includes nurses, social workers, psychiatrists and pharmacy staff. We offer assessment and home treatment for people over 16 experiencing a mental health crisis, as an alternative to hospital admission.

The telephone number for the team is freephone 0800 652 2867

There is a text number for people who are Deaf and/or have communication difficulties: 07889 036 280

The team operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  However, the crisis team does not provide an ’emergency’ service such as a 999 response.

Further Local Mental Health Services

Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels. It usually affects women between the ages of 45 and 55, but it can happen earlier. Menopause – You are not alone, are a local organisation that provide helpful information and support for Sunderland residents.

It can be helpful to understand possible menopause symptoms and what treatment may be available, so that you can discuss this with your GP or Women’s Health Nurse.

Contraception is free for most people in the UK. With 15 methods to choose from, you’ll find one that suits you.

Contraceptive methods allow you to choose when and if you want to have a baby, but they don’t protect you from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Condoms help to protect against STIs and pregnancy, so whatever other method of contraception you’re using to prevent pregnancy, use condoms as well to protect your and your partner’s health.

Where to get it

Contraceptive services are free and confidential, including to people under 16 as long as they are mature enough to understand the information and decisions involved. There are strict guidelines to for care professionals who work with people under 16.

You can get contraception free from:

• most GP surgeries (talk to your GP or practice nurse),
• community contraceptive clinics,
• some genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics,
• sexual health clinics (these offer contraceptive and STI testing services), and
• NHS National Sexual Health Helpline. Provides free support and advice on sexual health. Freephone – open 24 hours a day. 0800 567 123.

Find local sexual health services.

Many of these places also offer information, testing and treatment for STIs. If you’ve been exposed to the risk of pregnancy, you’re also at risk of catching an STI.

Before you make an appointment, make sure you’re as informed as possible about the contraceptive options available. People’s choice of contraception may vary over time, depending on their lifestyle and circumstances.

There are some things you can do to help yourself stay well in winter. This includes getting your flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. See Immunisations above for details.

Keep warm

Keep warm with hot drinks and hot food. Wear warm clothes and shoes and aim to keep your home between 18C and 21C (or 64F and 70F degrees). If you are struggling with your energy bills the government have put together information on cost of living support that is available.

Make sure your home is fire safe. For fire safety advice specific to you and your home you can have a home fire safety check completed by Tyne and Wear Fire service.

Be Prepared

Make sure you get any prescription medicines before the holiday period starts and if bad weather is forecast.

If they need help over the holiday period when the GP surgery or pharmacy is closed or they’re not sure what to do, go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.

If you’re worried about a relative or elderly neighbour, contact the local council or call the Age UK helpline on 0800 678 1602 (8am to 7pm every day).

Hay Fever 

Hay fever affects around 20% of people in the UK.

The main triggers of hay fever are tree and grass pollen. Below are tips that may help to reduce symptoms.

• If grass makes you sneeze, get someone else to mow your lawn. If you react to grass and you spend time on the lawn, you’ll get symptoms.
• Create a barrier by smearing Vaseline inside your nostrils.
• Don’t sit outside between 4pm and 7pm or in the early morning, as the pollen count is highest at these times.
• Don’t sleep or drive with the windows open, as this will allow pollen to come in.
• Damp dust regularly.
• Wash your hair. Pollen is sticky and may be in your hair.
• Vacuum. Pollen can live in carpet for up to three months.
• Talk to your GP or pharmacist about any treatment you’re taking for hay fever as it might be worth trying a new treatment. The same antihistamine [anti-allergy treatment] doesn’t always work for someone year after year. Try something different, such as a nasal spray or a new antihistamine.

Sun Safety

It’s important to protect your and your children’s skin in the sun to avoid sunburn and heat exhaustion. Think about sunscreen and sun safety.

Stings

Knowing how to treat an insect sting and how to recognise when it needs medical attention will help you do the right thing if you or your child are stung.

Insects such as wasps and bees sting as a defence mechanism (when they feel in danger) by injecting poisonous venom into the skin. For most people, stings are painful but harmless. But some people can have an immediate allergic reaction to being stung, which can be very dangerous.

Heatwave

During heatwaves, more people than usual get seriously ill or die. If hot weather hits this summer, knowing how to cope with hot weather can be helpful for you and those you know.

Make sure you are aware of the signs of heatstroke and heat exhaustion and when to get help.

There’s no point spending hours choosing your swimwear, beach bag and flip-flops if you barely think about the bugs and other health risks that could ruin your holiday.

Almost one in four UK holidaymakers don’t get any vaccinations despite travelling to areas that have life-threatening infectious disease.

Find out which travel jabs you need for your destination.

If possible, see the GP or a private travel clinic at least 6 to 8 weeks before you’re due to travel.

Some vaccines need to be given well in advance to allow your body to develop immunity.

And some vaccines involve a number of doses spread over several weeks or months.

The GP practice can advise you on the travel vaccines you need but they may not all be available on the NHS, you can ask for:

• written information on what vaccines are needed
• the cost of each dose or course
• any other charges you may have to pay, such as for some certificates of vaccination

You can also get travel vaccines from; pharmacies offering travel healthcare services or private travel vaccination clinics.

Looking after someone?

Caring for someone can be very difficult and many people find that they need extra help with the care they provide.

General local support is provided by Sunderland Carers Centre alongside other organisations that may provide more tailored support.

National advice and guidance is provided by Carers UK