Due to the recent increase in children’s and young people’s Emergency Department attendances and the predicated rise in respiratory problems, it is now more important than ever that families become familiar with the different illnesses and how to deal with them in the best way.

When children become ill it can be difficult for their parents and carers to always know the best way to care for them, particularly if they are very young and can’t tell you exactly what is wrong.

The NHS Frimley Healthier Together website : https://frimley-healthiertogether.nhs.uk/ is here to support parents and carers to help them manage a range of common childhood illnesses themselves. The site provides information to help them recognise what might be wrong, what to do to help their children whilst at home, and where to go for more help if they do need to see a healthcare professional.

The website has been designed by local and national paediatric experts and based on trusted national guidelines to support parents and carers at a time when they often face the predicament of managing minor illness in their children. When to seek medical advice? When to try over the counter or home remedies? Do they need antibiotics?

The site gives “red flags” of worrying features that need urgent medical review. This way parents and carers can be reassured they are taking appropriate action at home and know when they need more specialist help.

By having all the information in one place and where people know the information has come from trusted health professionals and local service providers, Healthier Together can help parents feel more comfortable to make the right decisions about what to do next for their child’s care. The website also provides:

• Website translation in over 75 languages, including English.
• The ability to SMS text message specific pages to families and friends instantly.
• A user-friendly mobile version with the same accessibility and navigation.

Dr Alexandra Streeter De Diego, Clinical Lead Frimley Healthier Together 0-18, said: “The website is an excellent starting place for parents and carers who are worried about the health and wellbeing of their child. The website is divided into sections for parents/carers, mental health and wellbeing, and a young people’s section. Topics covered include newborns and babies under 3 months, feeding your baby, keeping your child fit and well, should you send your child to nursery or school, young people’s mental and emotional wellbeing and Covid-19.

“The website also links to the Frimley Health Maternity website, which covers the stages of pregnancy, from the planning stage, through the pregnancy itself, to labour and birth and then advice to new mothers on how they can care for their babies and themselves.

Feedback from parents has been positive. One parent said: “It’s like having a mini doctor for you at home, that’s how I see it. It gives so much information on what I should do when they are ill, in what cases I need to get more support or go to hospital, or how I can treat my baby at home.”

For more information, visit the Healthier together website: https://frimley-healthiertogether.nhs.uk/