Methods
References & editorial methodology
Sixpence Support UK is a UK-focused, citation-first reference. Every statistic in the text is linked to a primary source — most often an NHS, NICE, ONS, OHID or UKHSA publication, a Royal College guideline, or a peer-reviewed paper in the BMJ, Lancet or NEJM.
Methodology
Numbers on this site come, in order of preference, from:
- UK government and arm's-length bodies (NHS, NICE, ONS, OHID, UKHSA, NHS Digital).
- UK clinical and professional guidelines (NICE, UK CMOs, Royal Colleges, SACN, JCVI).
- Established UK charities and research bodies (BHF, CRUK, Diabetes UK, Mental Health Foundation, ASH, BDA, EEF, Sport England).
- Peer-reviewed systematic reviews and randomised trials, prioritising UK and European cohorts where available.
Each chapter ends with a numbered reference list; superscripts in the body link directly to the underlying document. International evidence (e.g. WHO, Cochrane) is used only where there is no UK equivalent of comparable quality.
This site is informational and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. For clinical concerns, contact your GP, NHS 111 or, in an emergency, 999.
UK government & agency sources
- NHS — Health A to Z
- Address
- NHS England, Wellington House, 133–155 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8UG
- Phone
- 111 (non-emergency) · 999 (emergency)
- england.contactus@nhs.net
- NHS England
- Address
- PO Box 16738, Redditch B97 9PT
- Phone
- 0300 311 22 33
- england.contactus@nhs.net
- NHS Digital (now part of NHS England) — data and statistics
- Address
- 1 Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane, Leeds LS1 6AE
- Phone
- 0300 303 5678
- enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- Address
- 2nd Floor, 2 Redman Place, Stratford, London E20 1JQ
- Phone
- 0300 323 0140
- nice@nice.org.uk
- UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
- Address
- Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR
- Phone
- 0300 303 8162
- enquiries@ukhsa.gov.uk
- Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID)
- Address
- Department of Health and Social Care, 39 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0EU
- Phone
- 020 7210 4850
- ohid.enquiries@dhsc.gov.uk
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) — Health
- Address
- Government Buildings, Cardiff Road, Newport NP10 8XG
- Phone
- 0845 601 3034
- health.data@ons.gov.uk
- UK National Screening Committee
- Address
- c/o UK NSC Secretariat, Department of Health and Social Care, 39 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0EU
- screening.evidence@dhsc.gov.uk
- Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)
- Address
- SACN Secretariat, OHID, 39 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0EU
- sacn@dhsc.gov.uk
UK charities & professional bodies
- British Heart Foundation — Heart Statistics
- Address
- Greater London House, 180 Hampstead Road, London NW1 7AW
- Phone
- 0300 330 3322 (Heart Helpline)
- supporterservices@bhf.org.uk
- Cancer Research UK
- Address
- 2 Redman Place, London E20 1JQ
- Phone
- 0808 800 4040 (Nurse Helpline) · 0300 123 1022 (Supporter Services)
- supporter.services@cancer.org.uk
- Diabetes UK
- Address
- Wells Lawrence House, 126 Back Church Lane, London E1 1FH
- Phone
- 0345 123 2399 (Helpline) · 0207 424 1000 (Switchboard)
- helpline@diabetes.org.uk
- Mental Health Foundation
- Address
- Studio 2, 1st floor, Chronicle Building, 72-78 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1HY
- Phone
- 020 7803 1100
- info@mentalhealth.org.uk
- Mind
- Address
- Unit 9, Cefn Coed Parc, Nantgarw, Cardiff CF15 7QQ (Infoline) · 2 Redman Place, London E20 1JQ (HQ)
- Phone
- 0300 123 3393 (Infoline) · text 86463
- info@mind.org.uk
- Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
- Address
- Unit 2.9, The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR
- Phone
- 020 7404 0242
- enquiries@ash.org.uk
- British Dyslexia Association (BDA)
- Address
- Access Business Centre, Willoughby Road, Bracknell RG12 8FB
- Phone
- 0333 405 4555 (Helpline) · 0333 405 4567 (Admin)
- helpline@bdadyslexia.org.uk
- Sport England — Active Lives
- Address
- 21 Bloomsbury Street, London WC1B 3HF
- Phone
- 0345 8508 508
- activelives@sportengland.org
- Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)
- Address
- 5th Floor, Millbank Tower, 21–24 Millbank, London SW1P 4QP
- Phone
- 020 7802 1676
- info@eefoundation.org.uk
Peer-reviewed journals cited
- The Lancet
- Address
- Elsevier, 125 London Wall, London EC2Y 5AS
- Phone
- 020 7424 4910
- editorial@lancet.com
- The BMJ
- Address
- BMA House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JR
- Phone
- 020 7387 4410
- editor@bmj.com
- The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)
- Address
- Massachusetts Medical Society, 860 Winter Street, Waltham, MA 02451-1413, USA
- Phone
- +1 800 843 6356
- nejmcust@mms.org
- British Journal of Sports Medicine
- Address
- BMJ Publishing Group, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JR
- Phone
- 020 7383 6244
- editorial.bjsm@bmj.com
- Sleep — Oxford Academic
- Address
- Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP
- Phone
- 01865 353907
- jnls.cust.serv@oup.com
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (ACAMH)
- Address
- ACAMH, 15 Prescott Place, London SW4 6BS
- Phone
- 020 7501 5840
- membership@acamh.org
UK guidelines used as primary anchors
- UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines (2019)
- Address
- Department of Health and Social Care, 39 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0EU
- Phone
- 020 7210 4850
- publications@dhsc.gov.uk
- UK CMOs' Alcohol Guidelines (2016)
- Address
- Department of Health and Social Care, 39 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0EU
- Phone
- 020 7210 4850
- publications@dhsc.gov.uk
- NHS Eatwell Guide
- Address
- Public Health England Publications, c/o OHID, 39 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0EU
- publications@dhsc.gov.uk
- NICE NG28 — Type 2 diabetes in adults: management
- Address
- NICE, 2nd Floor, 2 Redman Place, Stratford, London E20 1JQ
- Phone
- 0300 323 0140
- nice@nice.org.uk
- NICE NG136 — Hypertension in adults
- Address
- NICE, 2nd Floor, 2 Redman Place, Stratford, London E20 1JQ
- Phone
- 0300 323 0140
- nice@nice.org.uk
- NICE NG222 — Depression in adults
- Address
- NICE, 2nd Floor, 2 Redman Place, Stratford, London E20 1JQ
- Phone
- 0300 323 0140
- nice@nice.org.uk
- NICE NG209 — Tobacco: preventing uptake, promoting quitting and treating dependence
- Address
- NICE, 2nd Floor, 2 Redman Place, Stratford, London E20 1JQ
- Phone
- 0300 323 0140
- nice@nice.org.uk
- UKHSA — Immunisation against infectious disease (Green Book)
- Address
- UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR
- Phone
- 0300 303 8162
- immunisation@ukhsa.gov.uk
- Rose Review (2009) — Identifying and Teaching Children with Dyslexia
- Address
- Department for Education, Sanctuary Buildings, 20 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT
- Phone
- 0370 000 2288
- ministers@education.gov.uk
- SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years
- Address
- Department for Education, Sanctuary Buildings, 20 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT
- Phone
- 0370 000 2288
- ministers@education.gov.uk