Health literacy means more than just the ability to read and understand health-related information. It also includes the confidence to navigate healthcare services and make well-informed decisions about self-management. Health literacy is a life skill for everyone.

Finding High-Quality Health Information [pdf]

For more information about the library and its services, please visit: https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/library

The impact and cost of health literacy

People with low health literacy may be more likely to miss appointments. Improving health literacy levels can help enhance quality of life, improve patient outcomes and reduce costs for the NHS.

Our health literacy project

Aubrey Keep Library is running a 12-month health literacy project. Contact us (details below) to find out more or to discuss collaboration. Current activities include: 

• Carrying out a survey to raise awareness of health literacy and how it can contribute to Care Quality Commission (CQC) Regulation 9: Person-centred care;
• Partnering with Redbridge Public Libraries to run drop-ins for members of the public on how to access reliable health information;
• Supporting patient reading groups using the Reading Agency’s Reading Well book collections, which cover long-term conditions, mental health in adults and young people (Shelf Help) and dementia;
• Signposting to high-quality consumer health resources.

Watch this space for further updates on this project, including Tweets relating to our work and blogs from young readers involved in our pilot Shelf Help reading group.

We would love to hear from you!

Catherine Jenkins, Health Literacy Project Manager

Aubrey Keep Library, NELFT, Goodmayes Hospital, Barley Lane, Ilford IG3 8XJ

Email: catherine.jenkins@nelft.nhs.uk

Phone: 0300 555 1200 (64504 if internal)