Healthcare staff based in the community have a vested interest in understanding the help-seeking behaviour of patients. They are often the first healthcare professionals encountered by patients and may be the ones who also sustain support and guidance in the longer term after treatment has commenced. Help-seeking behaviour is not a simple process, but nurses are at an advantage if they understand whether, and if so how, patients might make approaches to them. This article summarises the theories associated with help-seeking and offers best-practice responses that will help maximise the chances that patients’ needs are identified and met.