Reading List

A curated Reading List to support safe first-contact escalation for babies, children, pregnancy and recent pregnancy in general practice reception and care-navigation roles.

The sources below are grouped by urgent-care routes, care navigation, and topic-specific public or professional guidance. Follow local protocols alongside national guidance.

1. Core Urgent Care and General Practice Sources

• NHS - When to call 999
  Core public guidance on life-threatening emergencies and when an ambulance is needed. Useful for recognising symptoms that require immediate emergency action.
  https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/when-to-call-999/

• NHS England - How to improve care navigation in general practice
  General practice care-navigation guidance, including safe processes, red flags and the boundary between navigation and clinical decision-making.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/how-to-improve-care-navigation-in-general-practice-2/

• NHS England - You and Your General Practice
  Patient-facing information about general practice access and why staff may ask for details so care can be directed appropriately.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/you-and-your-general-practice-english/

• NHS 24 Scotland - When to phone 111
  Scotland-specific guidance on NHS 24, urgent care and when 999 is more appropriate. Useful where reception staff signpost to Scottish urgent-care routes.
  https://www.nhs24.scot/111/

• NHS 111 Wales - Health advice and information
  Wales urgent-care and health-advice route for non-emergency urgent health concerns.
  https://111.wales.nhs.uk/

• HSCNI - Phone First FAQs
  Northern Ireland information on Phone First and urgent-care pathways. Useful for understanding local routing where Phone First is used.
  https://online.hscni.net/our-work/no-more-silos/phone-first-faqs/

2. Babies and Children

• NHS - Is your baby or toddler seriously ill?
  Public guidance on signs of serious illness in babies and toddlers and when to call 999. Covers poor feeding, floppiness, colour change and reduced responsiveness that need prompt escalation.
  https://www.nhs.uk/baby/health/is-your-baby-or-toddler-seriously-ill/

• NICE - Fever in under 5s: recommendations
  NICE recommendations including red features and urgent assessment for feverish illness in children under 5. Relevant for local protocols involving fever in young children.
  https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng143/chapter/recommendations

• NHS - Symptoms of sepsis
  Public guidance on sepsis symptoms in babies, children and adults. Explains combinations of fever, colour change, breathing problems, rash, confusion or reduced responsiveness that require urgent attention.
  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sepsis/

3. Pregnancy and Recent Pregnancy

• NHS - Your baby's movements in pregnancy
  Guidance on fetal movements and when to contact maternity services. Covers reduced, absent or changed movements that should be reported promptly.
  https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/your-babys-movements/

• NHS - Stomach pain in pregnancy
  Public guidance on abdominal pain, bleeding and severe or persistent pain in pregnancy, including when emergency help is needed.
  https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/common-symptoms/stomach-pain/

• NHS - Your body after the birth
  Public guidance on postnatal physical symptoms and warning signs that need urgent help, relevant to recent pregnancy and postnatal escalation routes.
  https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/after-the-birth/your-body/

Use these sources to inform local protocols, staff training, escalation scripts and reflection on first-contact safety in general practice.