In response to the findings of a report on the Future of Parenting, Calpol, the children’s medicines specialist, has developed a new guide to help parents get the most from their local health services.

Research carried out by the Future Foundation, sponsored by Calpol, reveals there is growing concern amongst parents over the state of the healthcare system as well as an increasing demand for more information about their children’s health.

Responding to the research, Calpol has developed The Parent’s Guide to the NHS which includes a directory of NHS services and offers useful information on how to access them, where to find them, what each service offers and how to get the best from the NHS.

“Parents in particular may find navigating their way around the healthcare system difficult. In recent years the NHS has diversified to offer a broader range of facilities which can mean it’s not always clear where to go with an illness or medical problem,” says Dr Phil Koczan, a GP who helped research the guide.

The directory in the guide covers NHS Direct, midwives, health visitors, breast-feeding counsellors, hospital walk-in centres and dentists amongst others.

To help parents seek the right course of action for their child, the guide includes a section that provides advice on recognising what’s wrong as well as tips on getting the best information from your GP. With recent white papers, published by the Department of Health, which demonstrate strong public support for pharmacists to take a greater role, the guide also highlights the increasing importance of pharmacists.

“Many parents are unaware that a pharmacist can often be a more appropriate healthcare professional to consult on minor ailments than a GP,” says Raj Rohilla, pharmacist. “We can tell a parent whether they can treat their child themselves, if they need to go to a GP or if they should go to A&E. What’s more, since you don’t need an appointment to see us, we are highly accessible and easy to contact.”

With over 40 years experience in treating fever and pain, millions of mums turn to Calpol when their child is unwell. The Parent’s Guide to the NHS offers an additional source of trusted, reliable information for parent’s dealing with anything from a grazed knee in the playground to a fever or broken leg. To obtain a free copy of the 20 page guide send an A4 self addressed envelope to Munro & Forster, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP or visit www.calpol.co.uk to download a free copy.