If you have consent, you can speak about a friend or relative's health with their GP.
If you do not have consent
You can raise concerns about a friend or relative's health with their GP without their consent, but because of patient confidentiality, the GP will not be able to discuss any details.
Getting information and advice
If you're concerned about a friend or relative's health, there are many ways for you to get information and advice. For example, you can:
- find information about hundreds of different health conditions on NHS.UK
- call NHSÂ 111 to speak to a health adviser
You could talk to your friend or relative directly if you wish to discuss their condition or treatment. Tell them about your concerns about their health, and offer help and support.
Sometimes it can be difficult for someone to talk about their health problem.
For more information about some specific problems, see:
- Supporting someone with an eating disorder
- Mind: helping someone with a mental health problem
- Mind: helping someone with drug and alcohol problems
- FRANK: what to do if you think a friend has a drug problem
- Alzheimer's Society: understanding and supporting someone with dementia
- Samaritans: how to support someone you're worried about