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General health advice to support you while you wait

We know that because of the impact of the Covid pandemic, sometimes patients are waiting longer than we would like and it is not always possible to identify when treatment will take place.

While you are waiting, it is important that you keep healthy and well. This can also help you to recover better after you have had your procedure.

This document provides you with information to help you stay healthy while waiting to attend hospital and should be read in conjunction with the specialty level guidance appropriate for your condition.

Watch: How to wait well for surgery (opens in a new tab)

nurse's caring for an elderly patient at the bedside

Fit 4 Surgery

Our Fit 4 Surgery programme is for patients due to have major surgery at our hospitals. Please speak to your clinical team to discuss a referral.

Fit 4 Surgery

Access to support where you live

While Addenbrooke's and the Rosie hospitals are based in Cambridge, our patients come to us from many different counties.

Here you will find further support available to you in the location you live.

Cambridgeshire

Waiting Well (opens in a new tab)

  • Supporting your heath and wellbeing whilst you wait for treatment

Be Well Cambridgeshire (opens in a new tab)

  • Mental health and wellbeing
  • Smoking
  • Active living
  • Healthy eating
  • Alcohol

Healthy You (opens in a new tab)

  • Improving health across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

H.A.Y. Home (opens in a new tab)

  • How Are You Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (haycambspboro.co.uk)
Suffolk

Healthy Suffolk (opens in a new tab)

  • Blood pressure
  • Drugs and alcohol
  • Eating
  • Exercise
  • Mental health
  • Smoking

OneLife Suffolk (opens in a new tab)

  • Stop smoking
  • Adult weight management programme
  • Health walks
  • Get active
  • NHS health checks
Norfolk

Health and Wellbeing – Adults health (opens in a new tab)

  • Healthy eating
  • Diabetes prevention
  • Help with weight management
  • Getting active
  • Smoking
  • Drug and alcohol use
  • Mental health
  • Later life – Advice on staying healthy and active in later years
Hertfordshire

Health in Herts (opens in a new tab)

  • Wellbeing and mental health
  • Healthy weight
  • Keep active
  • Stop smoking
  • Drugs and alcohol
  • Long term conditions
Essex

Live Well (opens in a new tab)

  • Local activities
  • Mental wellbeing
  • Nutrition and weight management
  • Ageing well
  • Stop smoking
  • Staying active
  • Alcohol and drugs
  • Patient education videos (diabetes, back pain & dementia)

Wellbeing service (opens in a new tab)

  • Stop smoking
  • Improve physical activity
  • Strength and balance
  • Mental health
  • Alcohol reduction
  • Healthy eating – Weight management
  • Health checks

Bedfordshire – Public health

Public health (opens in a new tab)

Lincolnshire

One You (opens in a new tab)

  • Smoking
  • Weight loss
  • Exercise
  • Alcohol
National – One You

NHS - One you (opens in a new tab)

  • One You provides tips, tools, support and encouragement every step of the way, to help improve your health right away.
  • You are not alone – One You can help you make small changes yourself, or with friends and family.

Lifestyle and health advice

When you're preparing to have surgery, you will likely have been advised on the areas of your health and wellbeing that would be beneficial for you to focus on.

Picture of a lemon, kiwi and lime lined up
Photo by Lukas from Pexels

Surgical specialties

Dr Ifti Hossain in the surgical theatre with his team
Hepatobiliary and pancreatic (HPB)

Psychological well-being service

Waiting for treatment can be extremely challenging psychologically and we all need support at times. If you or a family member needs psychological wellbeing support, patients can self-refer to the Psychological Wellbeing Service run by CPFT (opens in a new tab)