Key health websites
NHS The NHS main site - use this to locate local doctors, dentists, opticians, and pharmacies, and learn how to choose your hospital. There’s also a Health A-Z where you can search symptoms, conditions and treatments, and get self-help information.
Patient Comprehensive, free, up to date health information as provided by GPs to patients during consultations. You can also make, check and cancel doctors’ appointments through this site, with passwords from your local practice.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence An independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on providing good health.
Electronic Medicines Companion Information on thousands of licensed medicines in the UK; includes patient information leaflets, and links to leaflets in large print.
Health Advice for Travellers Advice on how to get medical treatment abroad and health information for travellers.
EasyHealth Simplified health information, including videos, for people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
Official sites
Doctors Register The List of Registered Medical Practitioners, searchable by name
Dentists Register Register of dentists and other dental care professionals such as hygienists (but not dental nurses until 2008).
Health Professions Register The register for other health professions, such as physiotherapists, dietitians, radiographers, occupational therapists, paramedics and more
Care Quality Commission Inspection reports on hospitals, health centres, dental practices and care homes.
NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System From July 2022, the umbrella body for health services in Solihull
Solihull Council Health and Wellbeing information
Healthwatch Solihull Healthwatch is tasked with ensuring that the views and experiences of local people are heard by those who plan, run and regulate health and care services.
Checking the quality of health information
The Internet is vast, and can be added to by anyone on any topic and so some care should be taken when looking at health information.
Better searching
- Be as specific as you can
- Put inverted commas around a phrase to search for that phrase eg “diabetes type 2”
- Put UK in the search to try and narrow down the search results to British ones
Once on a site -
Whose site is it?
- Is it a trustworthy body that is well known and has a good reputation?
- Is it recommended by a doctor or other health professional or support/self-help group?
- Can you contact the site owners with questions or share experiences with other patients?
- Is it trying to sell you something?
Is the information accurate and trustworthy?
- Can the information given be checked elsewhere, such as in independent medical journals?
- Is it up to date? Websites can stay up for years!
- Is it relevant to this country?
The weblink will tell you something about the source - .gov.uk and nhs.uk are government and NHS websites, .ac.uk are UK universities and colleges.
Our Internet Safety page has more information. This helpsheet has information on checking health related news stories.
Translated Health Information
If you are looking for information on health in different languages, this list of helpful websites has been produced by the team behind Health Information Week, held in July every year.