Urgent & safeguarding
Immediate risk to life or serious harm: always 999. Police non-emergency: 101.
Emergency — immediate risk to life or serious harm
Call 999. Police non-emergency: 101.
Hampshire Adult Services — safeguarding & adult social care
In hours 0300 555 1386 (Mon 8:30–17:00, Tue–Thu 9:30–17:00, Fri 8:30–16:30 — expect long waits). Out of hours 0300 555 1373. Professionals' referral route and guidance on the safeguarding page.
Children — Inter-Agency Referral Form (IARF), Hampshire
Level 3/4 need or immediate safeguarding concerns → complete the IARF online. Children's Services 0300 555 1384 (in hours), 0300 555 1371 (out of hours).
Family Help / early help — referral pathway & Level 2 forms
Thresholds, intervention pathway and district Level 2 request-for-support forms (including Eastleigh & Winchester).
National Domestic Abuse Helpline
24/7 freephone 0808 2000 247. Free, confidential, run by Refuge.
Hourglass — older victims of abuse
Helpline 0808 808 8141 for older people experiencing (or at risk of) harm, abuse or exploitation.
Modern Slavery Helpline
24/7 0800 0121 700.
Prevent (counter-terrorism / radicalisation concerns)
Non-urgent: call 101 and ask for the Hampshire police Prevent team, or refer via ACT. Emergency: 999.
Community teams & referrals
Local teams and services you can refer into.
CHAT — Children's Home Acute Team Basingstoke & Winchester
Experienced paediatric nurses who look after acutely unwell children at home with phone support and home visits, so they don't need to re-attend or be admitted. Takes referrals from GP practices in North & Mid Hampshire (Hampshire Hospitals).
Who they see: the child must be seen face to face and diagnosed by you, referred the same day, and meet amber criteria on the Wessex Healthier Together pathway for one of:
- Bronchiolitis
- Chest infection
- Chickenpox
- COVID
- Croup
- Gastroenteritis
- Hand, foot & mouth
- Otitis media
- Scarlet fever
- Tonsillitis
- UTI (over 6 months)
- Viral-induced wheeze (1–9 years)
- Viral URTI
They also do prolonged jaundice screen (PJS) bloods at home, on referral from midwives, health visitors and GPs.
To refer, phone: Basingstoke 07785 283846 · Winchester 07884 090739
Mon–Fri 08:00–20:00, Sat–Sun 09:00–17:00. If the line is busy, email [email protected]. Always include observations.
What happens next, and tips before referring
- CHAT contact the family within 2 hours of referral (during opening hours): nursing assessment plus advice on fever, fluids, breathing and medicines — by phone, home visit, or into the hospital assessment unit if needed.
- Children stay on the caseload for about 3 days on average, and are discharged once improving or after 48+ hours with no contact. Families get their own parent line, covered 24/7 (diverted to the hospital ward out of hours).
- CHAT may redirect you to paediatrics, or hand back to the GP if a new, unrelated problem comes up or a medical review is needed but the child isn't unwell enough for hospital.
- Ask parents whether they want a CHAT referral — it's optional.
- Gastroenteritis: check a BM, even in babies.
- Drinking less than 50% of normal: start a fluid challenge before referring — CHAT will follow it up.
- Viral-induced wheeze: give the Healthier Together wheeze leaflet. Some 6–9-year-olds now follow a MART plan (Symbicort Turbohaler 100/6) instead of the salbutamol weaning plan.
- Under 1 year: inhalers aren't effective — if you think one is needed, discuss with paediatrics before referring.
Frailty team referrals
Referral line 0300 121 2594.
MSK physiotherapy — self-referral (HIOW Healthcare)
Patient self-referral (or GP referral) into community MSK physio; area-specific forms under the referrals page. Red-flag exclusions listed on the form.
Adult social care — Hampshire County Council
Care needs assessments, care at home, Connect to Support directory and contact routes.
Mental health
Talking therapies aren't crisis services. Urgent mental health help: NHS 111, mental health option. Immediate risk to life: 999.
Adults (16+)
italk — NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire
Free NHS CBT, counselling for depression and guided self-help for anxiety, low mood, stress, PTSD and OCD; age 16+. Patients self-refer online (or call 023 8038 3920 for help referring). Professional referrals: form to [email protected]. For online CBT without waiting for an assessment, see SilverCloud below.
SilverCloud — online CBT, start straight away
Free NHS online CBT through italk. Patients sign up themselves and can start the same day — no assessment, so no wait for the italk assessment list (a supporter can take a few weeks to be allocated). Programmes for anxiety, depression, panic, stress, sleep and money worries, plus versions for anxiety or low mood alongside heart disease, diabetes or lung conditions. Age 16+.
Children & young people
EYCS — youth counselling service 11–19
Free, confidential 1:1 counselling for 11–19s in the borough and southern parishes (venues include local GP surgeries and community centres); 6 sessions. Referral form on their site.
No Limits — young people's support 16–25
Free counselling, advice and drop-in support for young people aged 16 to 25 across Southampton and Hampshire.
ADHD & autism
ADHD & autism questionnaires internal
Screening questionnaires are held on practice email. Standard tools: ASRS (adult ADHD), AQ-10 (adult autism), SNAP-IV (child ADHD).
Lifestyle changes
Stopping smoking, cutting down alcohol or drugs, getting active and preventing falls. Most accept self-referral.
Smoking, alcohol & drugs
Smokefree Hampshire — stop smoking service
Free 12-week 1:1 support with NRT or vape allowance; self-referral or professional referral. Covers Hampshire (excludes Southampton and Portsmouth city residents).
Inclusion Recovery Hampshire — drug & alcohol service
Free, confidential NHS recovery service (25+; under-25s via Hampshire 24/7 on the same number). Self-referral or GP referral. 0300 124 0103. Local hub: 41 High Street, SO50 5LG.
Activity & falls prevention
Steady and Strong — strength & balance classes
Hampshire CC falls-prevention exercise classes (Otago-based); 100+ venues plus online. No referral needed, but a fall in the last 3 months → consider the NHS falls pathway first.
WalkTogether — borough health walks (formerly Health Walks)
Free volunteer-led weekly walks, ~1 hour / 2–3 miles with slower options; suitable for long-term conditions and mobility issues. Just turn up.
Southampton wellbeing walks — My Journey
Free led walks across the city (Common, Weston Shore and more), graded by pace; new walkers register on arrival.
Long-term conditions
Diabetes
West & North Hampshire Community Diabetes Service
Specialist diabetes nurses, dietitians and consultants (Hampshire & IOW Healthcare, formerly Southern Health). Advice line and patient education courses (New to Type 2, WISER, DiaMOND, SHINE, carb counting) — sign patients up via e-referral.
Tel 0300 003 0120 — option 1 specialist nurses, option 2 admin/bookings. Helpline Mon–Wed & Fri 9:00–15:00, Thu 9:00–13:00.
West Hants: [email protected] · North Hants: [email protected]
EDEN diabetes — clinician resources
Practical diabetes education resources for primary care (Leicester Diabetes Centre).
PITstop diabetes verify URL
Primary-care diabetes training and resources.
Diabetes UK
Patient information, Learning Zone and helpline for people living with diabetes.
Respiratory
Asthma + Lung UK
Patient support for asthma, COPD and lung cancer — helpline, inhaler technique videos, condition information.
GINA — Global Initiative for Asthma
Current GINA strategy report and pocket guides for asthma diagnosis and stepwise management.
Home oxygen — Vivisol
Regional home oxygen provider. Order via HOOF Part A for non-specialist/temporary supply. Oxygen enquiries 0800 833 531; patient line 0800 917 9840.
ME/CFS
South Coast Fatigue — ME/CFS service
NHS-commissioned service for mild–moderate ME/CFS, age 16+, Hampshire & IOW. GP or consultant referral only; diagnosis must be made (and screening bloods done) before referral.
Cancer support
Macmillan Cancer Support
Support line 0808 808 00 00 (7 days) — emotional, practical and financial support for anyone affected by cancer.
Maggie's
Free drop-in cancer support centres (nearest: Southampton, at the general hospital) — no referral or appointment needed.
Women's & sexual health
EPAU — Winchester confirm criteria
01962 824484. Typical indications (confirm local criteria): confirmed early pregnancy (positive test, roughly <16 weeks) with pain and/or bleeding; suspected ectopic — discuss same day (haemodynamically unstable → 999/ED); recurrent miscarriage follow-up or hyperemesis per local pathway.
BPAS — abortion care
Self-referral for NHS-funded abortion care and pregnancy counselling. Booking line 03457 30 40 30.
Guides, prescribing & admin
HIOW Joint Medicines Formulary
What's actually stocked, approved or restricted locally — traffic-light status across primary care, hospital, community and mental health providers.
CESEL guides
Clinical Effectiveness South East London — concise, practical primary-care guides across most general medical topics.
PCDS — Primary Care Dermatology Society
A–Z of skin conditions with photos and primary-care management guidance.
The Green Book — Palliative Care Handbook (RUH)
Symptom control doses, syringe drivers and end-of-life prescribing in one PDF.
Death certification & coroner referral — Wessex LMCs
Current process (medical examiner system, MCCD, when coroner notification is required) with decision-making flowchart.
AI tools
Decision support only — verify against the cited source, and never enter patient-identifiable data outside approved, information-governance-cleared tools.
Medwise AI
Clinical question-answering search built for healthcare professionals: retrieves bite-sized answers from trusted sources (NICE, CKS, SIGN and integrated local guidelines) with the source shown, rather than free-generating text. Free tier for UK clinicians.
Microsoft Copilot
General-purpose LLM assistant — useful for drafting letters, summarising documents and admin. Not a clinical knowledge source; only use an NHS-tenanted/enterprise version for anything touching patient data.
Heidi Health
AI medical scribe — transcribes the consultation and drafts structured notes/letters for your review. Requires practice sign-off (DPIA/IG, patient consent process) before clinical use.
HRT quick reference
Working summary and dose-equivalence data drawn from NICE NG23 (2024), BMS Tools for Clinicians and the BNF. Prescribing decisions and dose checks remain with the clinician — check the BNF for doses, interactions and licensing before prescribing.
Choosing the regimen — 3 questions
1. Uterus? No → oestrogen-only (unless sub-total hysterectomy, or hysterectomy for moderate/severe endometriosis → combined). Yes → progestogen is mandatory. 2. Contraception still needed? (<55y, sexually active, menstruating; not needed if amenorrhoeic ≥2y when ≤50, or ≥1y when >50) → options include oestrogen + 52 mg IUS, CHC if eligible, or sequential HRT + progestogen-only contraception. Stop hormonal contraception at 55. 3. Amenorrhoeic >1y? Yes → continuous combined. No → sequential combined; switch to continuous within 5y of starting or by age 54.
Oestrogen dose bands by preparation
Re-set from BMS Tools for Clinicians dose-equivalence data. * = off-licence (higher doses rarely needed for symptom control).
| Preparation | Ultra-low | Low | Standard | Moderate | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oestrogel (pump) | ½ pump | 1 pump | 2 pumps | 3 pumps | 4 pumps |
| Sandrena (gel) | 0.25 mg | 0.5 mg | 1 mg | 1.5–2 mg | 3 mg* |
| Lenzetto (spray) | 1 spray | 2 sprays | 3 sprays | 4–5 sprays* | 6 sprays* |
| Patch | 12.5 µg | 25 µg | 50 µg | 75 µg | 100 µg |
| Oral estradiol | 0.5 mg | 1 mg | 2 mg | 3 mg* | 4 mg* |
Start low, uptitrate to symptom control. Prefer transdermal if >60y, raised BMI, migraine, or VTE/CVA risk factors.
Progestogen dose per oestrogen dose band (endometrial protection)
Re-set from BMS Tools for Clinicians: Progestogens and endometrial protection. Cont = continuous (daily); Seq = sequential (12–14 d/cycle).
| Oestrogen dose | Micronised progesterone | Medroxyprogesterone acetate | Norethisterone | 52 mg LNG-IUS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cont | Seq | Cont | Seq | Cont | Seq | ||
| Ultra-low / Low | 100 mg | 200 mg | 2.5 mg | 10 mg | 5 mg† | 5 mg† | One device covers up to 5 years' use |
| Standard | 100 mg | 200 mg | 2.5–5 mg | 10 mg | 5 mg† | 5 mg† | |
| Moderate | 100 mg | 200 mg | 5 mg | 10 mg | 5 mg | 5 mg | |
| High | 200 mg | 300 mg | 10 mg^ | 20 mg^ | 5 mg | 5 mg | |
† 1 mg norethisterone protects the endometrium for ultra-low to standard dose oestrogen, but the lowest stand-alone dose available in the UK is 5 mg (off-licence use of three-a-day Noriday POP ≈ 1.05 mg can be considered if 5 mg is not tolerated). ^ Limited evidence on optimal MPA dosing with high-dose oestrogen; advised dose based on studies reporting 10 mg continuous providing protection with up-to-moderate dose oestrogen.
NICE NG23 — Menopause (2024)
Diagnosis, treatment and review; the underlying national guideline.
BMS Tools for Clinicians
Free British Menopause Society tools: HRT preparations & equivalent alternatives, progestogens & endometrial protection, unscheduled bleeding on HRT — the source documents behind the tables above.
High triglycerides — local pathway
Redrawn summary of the local hypertriglyceridaemia pathway (aligned with NICE CG181). Verify against the original guideline before relying on thresholds.
Repeat with a fasting sample to confirm, and review for secondary causes: alcohol excess, poorly controlled diabetes, hypothyroidism, renal or liver disease, obesity, and drugs (steroids, thiazides, beta-blockers, oestrogens, antipsychotics, retinoids).
CVD risk is underestimated by QRISK at these levels. Optimise lifestyle (alcohol, weight, glycaemic control) and treat secondary causes; manage overall CVD risk (statin per usual criteria). Seek specialist advice if persistently elevated despite this.
Repeat fasting measurement after an interval of 5 days but within 2 weeks; review for secondary causes. If it remains above 10 mmol/L → refer for / seek specialist (lipid clinic) advice.
Urgent specialist (lipid clinic) referral — significant acute pancreatitis risk — unless explained by alcohol excess or poor glycaemic control (address these and re-check promptly). Safety-net for abdominal pain.