Alternative and complementary medicine

www.thinknatural.com

www.gcc-uk.org

www.osteopath.org.uk

www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk

www.demon.co.uk/acupuncture/bacc.html

www.patient.co.uk

altmed.od.nih.gov

www.noah.cuny.edu/alternative/alternative.html

www.fimed.org

Childbirth and parenthood

www.nct-online.org - National Childbirth Trust.

www.activebirthcentre.com Active Birth Centre.

www.motherandbaby.co.uk Commercial site.

Commercial health

www.netdoctor.co.uk

www.healthinfocus.co.uk

www.surgerydoor.co.uk

www.doctorpatient.org.uk

www.mediconsult.com

Consultations online (of various sorts and quality)

UK

www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

www.netdoctor.co.uk

www.britmed.com

www.e-med.co.uk

US

www.doctorgeorge.com

www.cyberdocs.com

www.doctorglobal.com

www.consult.iperweb.com

Disability and carers

www.dlf.org.uk

www.pharmacy2u.co.uk

www.carers.gov.uk/index.htm

General health

www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk The government site. Online self-diagnosis, links to patient support groups and much else about the NHS.

www.patient.co.uk Excellent non-profit health website run by two GPs. It covers private sector and alternative medicine.

www.healthfinder.gov US government equivalent of NHS Direct. Big, rich site.

www.medlineplus.gov For serious research. Lots of good, easily accessible patient information. Also offers online access to US National Library for Medicine.

www.wellcome.ac.uk/healthinfo The Wellcome Trust has information on what's new, what's available and what's good. Invaluable for staying up to date with the health world.

www.mentalhealth.com Best site for all things to do with mental health.

www.bbc.co.uk/health/ BBC news, contacts, advice and features on health.

NHS and related sites

www.nice.org.uk Guidelines for doctors.

www.tagish.co.uk/links/#health Find health authorities and hospitals, and their websites if they have them.

www.tagish.co.uk Local authority social services.

www.internet-gp.com Is your GP online?

www.doh.gov.uk/nhsorg.htm Contacts for all NHS bodies in England.

ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/chesterchc/ Excellent community health council site.

www.patient.co.uk Find a local doctor, pharmacist, chiropodist etc, plus most NHS organisations.

www.doh.gov.uk Main Department of Health site.

www.wales.nhs.uk/index.cfm NHS in Wales.

www.hsw.wales.nhs.uk/ipd/home page.htm Waiting times for every consultant in Wales.

www.open.gov.uk/doh/tables96.htm Rough guide to how long you might wait in England, plus some performance data on trusts and health authorities.

www.doh.gov.uk/indicat/indicat.htm Death rates after surgery, re-admission rates and other performance data.

www.show.scot.nhs.uk NHS in Scotland.

www.northernireland.gov.uk/hss.htm NHS in Northern Ireland.

www.ombudsman.org.uk Health ombudsman's site - clear and useful.

www.doh.gov.uk/chi Commission for Health Improvement - the NHS inspectorate.

www.carers.gov.uk/index.htm Masses of useful information for carers.

www.open.gov.uk/pau/paupoint.htm Membership of health authority and trust boards.

www.hebs.scot.nhs.uk NHS Scottish health education.

www.gmc-uk.org Doctors' disciplinary body.

www.ukcc.org.uk Disciplinary body for nurses, midwives and health visitors.

Private health insurers

www.bupa.co.uk

www.ppphealthcare.co.uk

www.norwichunion.co.uk/products/healthcare/index.htm

www.xshealth.co.uk

www.standardlifehealthcare.com

www.legalandgeneral.co.uk

www.bcwa.co.uk

www.hsahealthcare.org

www.denplan.co.uk

Providers

ww.bupa.co.uk

www.bmihealthcare.co.uk

www.nuffieldhospitals.org.uk

www.columbiahealthcare.co.uk

www.surgicare.co.uk

www.prioryhealthcare.co.uk

www.partnershipsincare.co.uk

Pharmaceuticals

emc.vhn.net/ Prescribing information, including side-effects.

bnf.org/ Full prescribing data from British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

www.pharmacy2u.co.uk UK pharmacy site approved by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

www.pharmweb.net Big international resource.

www.abpi.org.uk UK trade body for the drugs industry.