Clinicians should check for depression in people with chronic physical health problems and ensure that any drugs they prescribe have a low risk of side effects and interactions, says the clinical watchdog for England and Wales.

Clinical guidance published this week by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recognises the fact that depression can be three times more common in patients with long term physical health problems than in patients without and affects as many as one in five people.

Awareness of this, however, is sometimes lacking, …