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These online guides take patients through each stage of the journey, from before diagnosis, and through to how to live and self-manage the condition. Throughout the next year, NHS Choices will be rolling out more guides from the 60 most common long-term conditions, giving people the information they require to make their own choices and decisions about their treatment.

The first one's are for diabetes, stroke, asthma, dementia, depression and heart disease.

See links below:

• Asthma: www.nhs.uk/Pathways/asthma
• Heart: www.nhs.uk/Pathways/coronaryheartdisease
• Dementia: www.nhs.uk/pathways/dementia
• Depression: www.nhs.uk/Pathways/depression
• Diabetes: www.nhs.uk/Pathways/diabetes
• Stroke: www.nhs.uk/Pathways/stroke

Providing this level of comprehensive health information from the NHS is crucial in the internet age, where health is the most researched subject, and people need to be able to access safe and reliable online information from a trusted source such as the NHS.

Doctors have helped NHS Choices test these new guides and have said that the information source will improve their consultations with patients, and save them time. Doctors and Practice Nurse can easily print off the information for patients so that they can become more knowledgeable in their own time and own space.

Dr Bhupinder Mangat, a GP from Hounslow, who has been using these guides with his patients as part of testing said:

'People come to my surgery with sheets of paper they've printed out from the internet, and they say: "I want what it says here".

'I'd much prefer them to come in with sound information from NHS Choices. I may have to explain the advice isn't appropriate to them but at least the discussion will be on a sound footing. That's really positive'.

Dr Mangat now advises patients with heart conditions to look at the site's heart disease guide.

'When they come back to me, they seem more positive. Helping patients understand their conditions is the first step to treating it.

'Internet sites are neither a replacement or alternative to a doctor. But nothing is more valuable than a good education.'

NHS Choices is the digital information service of the NHS — the NHS public website that gives ordinary people the tools to make better, more informed choices about their treatments, health and wellbeing. It includes more than 80,000 pages of content, including video, interactive tools, daily news service and lifestyle features. Users can also check and compare hospital and doctors profiles and performance online.

For further information, please contact NHS Choices on: +44(0)207-972-1812