Physical Health

Overview

Understanding physical health

Physical health includes prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term management of conditions affecting the body. NHS.uk has a Health A-Z for symptoms, medicines, tests, treatments, and when to seek help.

Heart health

Heart and circulatory problems include coronary heart disease, heart failure, angina, heart rhythm problems, high cholesterol, heart attack, and inherited heart conditions.

Seek urgent help for:

• chest pain or pressure
• pain spreading to arm, jaw, back, neck or stomach
• breathlessness
• collapse or fainting
• sudden sweating, nausea or grey/pale appearance

Prevention includes not smoking, blood pressure checks, cholesterol checks, physical activity, weight support, diabetes control, healthy eating, and taking prescribed medication.

Diabetes

Diabetes needs regular monitoring and support. Care may include:

• blood glucose checks
• HbA1c reviews
• blood pressure checks
• cholesterol checks
• kidney, foot and eye screening
• medication or insulin
• diet and activity support
• education programmes

Ask your GP or diabetes team for a written care plan and what to do if blood sugars are too high or too low.

Cancer

Contact your GP urgently if you notice unexplained symptoms such as:

• a new lump
• unexplained bleeding
• unexplained weight loss
• persistent cough
• change in bowel habit
• unusual mole changes
• ongoing pain, tiredness or swallowing problems

NHS cancer pathways include urgent suspected cancer referrals where clinically appropriate. Keep records of symptoms, dates, test results, referrals and appointment letters.

Respiratory conditions

Respiratory conditions include asthma, COPD, pneumonia, bronchitis, long COVID and other breathing problems.

Seek urgent help for:

• severe breathlessness
• blue lips
• confusion
• chest pain
• asthma attack not improving with reliever inhaler
• oxygen levels lower than advised by your clinician

Ask for an asthma/COPD action plan, inhaler technique review, vaccinations, smoking support and medication review.

Arthritis and chronic pain

Arthritis can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, fatigue and reduced mobility. Support may include:

• GP review
• physiotherapy
• occupational therapy
• pain management
• medication
• blood tests or scans
• rheumatology referral
• mobility aids or home adaptations

Ask for reasonable adjustments if pain or disability affects appointments, work, school, travel or communication.

Stroke

Use FAST:

• Face: has the face fallen on one side?
• Arms: can they raise both arms?
• Speech: is speech slurred?
• Time: call 999 immediately.

Other stroke symptoms can include sudden vision loss, severe headache, confusion, dizziness, weakness, numbness or collapse.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure often has no symptoms but increases risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney disease and dementia. Checks may happen at GP surgeries, pharmacies, NHS Health Checks or at home.

Support may include:

• lifestyle advice
• medication
• blood tests
• urine tests
• ECG
• home blood pressure monitoring
• review of weight, alcohol, smoking, salt and activity

Obesity and weight management

Weight support should be respectful, non-judgemental and based on health needs. The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme supports adults living with obesity who also have diabetes, hypertension, or both, through a 12-week online lifestyle programme.

Support may include:

• GP advice
• dietitian referral
• community weight management
• diabetes prevention support
• physical activity support
• mental health support
• specialist weight management services
• medication or surgery assessment where clinically appropriate

Long-term conditions

A long-term physical health condition is a health problem needing ongoing management over years or decades, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, asthma, COPD, arthritis, chronic pain, cancer, long COVID, IBS or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ask for:

• named clinician or care coordinator
• annual review
• medication review
• care plan
• crisis/escalation plan
• referral updates
• reasonable adjustments
• carer involvement
• social prescribing or community support
• school or workplace letters where needed

Children and parents

Parents and carers should seek medical advice if a child has:

• breathing difficulty
• blue lips
• dehydration
• high fever with worrying symptoms
• seizure
• severe pain
• unexplained rash that does not fade under pressure
• drowsiness or confusion
• sudden weakness
• weight loss, persistent vomiting or poor growth

Ask for written advice, safety-netting, follow-up plans, school support letters, medication plans, allergy plans, asthma plans or diabetes plans where relevant.

Legal rights

The NHS Constitution sets out patient rights, including access to NHS services, dignity and respect, involvement in decisions, informed consent, confidentiality, access to records, and the right to complain. NHS bodies and providers of NHS-funded care must take account of it.

You may also have rights under:

• Equality Act 2010: reasonable adjustments and protection from disability discrimination
• Mental Capacity Act 2005: support with decision-making
• Children Act 1989/2004: safeguarding and welfare duties
• Data protection law: access to health records and correction of inaccurate information

Accessible support

Ask NHS services for:

• Easy Read information
• large print, Braille or audio
• BSL interpreter
• spoken language interpreter
• longer appointments
• quiet waiting area
• wheelchair access
• carer involvement
• support for autism, ADHD, learning disability, dementia, sensory needs or anxiety

The Accessible Information Standard requires NHS and publicly funded adult social care services to identify, record, flag, share and meet communication needs.

Evidence standards and accountability

Keep:

• symptom diary
• photos where relevant
• blood pressure, glucose, peak flow or weight records
• appointment letters
• test results
• referral dates
• medication lists
• side effects
• school or work impact
• hospital discharge summaries
• names of staff spoken to
• copies of emails and complaints

Ask for:

• diagnosis or working diagnosis
• treatment plan
• review date
• red flag symptoms
• referral confirmation
• test result explanation
• written safety-netting advice

If something goes wrong, speak to the service first, contact PALS for hospital issues, make a formal NHS complaint, and escalate unresolved complaints to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Official NHS and GOV.UK links

• NHS Health A-Z: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/
• NHS 111: https://111.nhs.uk/
• NHS heart health: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cardiovascular-disease/
• NHS diabetes: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diabetes/
• NHS cancer: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer/
• NHS asthma: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/asthma/
• NHS COPD: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-copd/
• NHS arthritis: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/arthritis/
• NHS stroke: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/
• NHS high blood pressure: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/
• NHS weight management: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight/
• NHS Constitution: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-constitution-for-england
• NHS complaints: https://www.nhs.uk/contact-us/how-to-complain-to-the-nhs/

Best rule: act fast for red flags, keep records, attend reviews, ask for written plans, request reasonable adjustments, and escalate if care is delayed or unsafe.