Association of British Insurers

Produce a range of guides including:

• Private Medical Insurance
• A Guide To Critical Illness
• An ABI Guide To Long-Term care Insurance
• Long-Term care Insurance FAQs
• Statement of General Insurance Practice: Health Related Issues

 Guidance on private screening

The UK National Screening Committee has published a guide for the public in England with advice to help people make decisions about private screening tests.

 Dr Foster

Whether NHS or private, Dr Foster gives some help on comparing healthcare between different hospitals and other providers.

 Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. Their aim is to make sure better care is provided for everyone, whether that's in hospital, in care homes, in people's own homes, or elsewhere.

 Private Healthcare UK

A gateway to information and resources about private hospitals, nursing homes,and health insurance in the UK.

 Consultant Search

A consultant-led site that matches patients to the correct specialist via their diagnosis. Simply search the specialist doctor database by diagnosis or speciality to find a selection of the best internationally recognised doctors in the UK.

 British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons

A professional association but their website includes lots of information for the public about plastic surgery and various surgical operations. Check this site out first before embarking on plastic surgery.

 The Insurance Surgery

Specialise in providing life cover, retirement advice and other financial services to UK residents with illness or medical conditions.

 Consulting Room

An independent information resource for both the General Public, The Media and Practitioners interested in Surgical and Non-Surgical Cosmetic treatments available in the UK.

 General Healthcare Group (GHG)

A leading provider of independent health care services in the UK. Their primary focus is treating private patients, while maintaining a position as a dynamic partner of the NHS.

 BMI Healthcare

The acute private hospital division of General Healthcare Group and is the largest independent provider of private health care in the UK.

 Medical Care Direct

For people without medical insurance but who want to go private for some health care. Finds the best deals etc.... "By using the combined purchasing power of our Membership, we are able to negotiate discounts and obtain best value on arange of services and products including medical and surgical procedures, healthcare-related consumable items, home services and equipment".

 121 Healthcare Ltd

Price comparison for all major health care companies with on-line purchase facility.

 Medical Pages

Medical portal of private health care. Find a specialist, find a hospital etc.

 AXA PPP Healthcare

One of the UK's leading healthcare companies.

 BUPA

A varied site with private health care info, medical facts, online travel insurance and UK hospital and health facility locator. Updated regularly.

 Cygnet Health

Private treatment and confidential help for psychological and emotional problems.

 Dental Insurance Guide

Everything you need to know about Dental Insurance.

 Ramsay Healthcare

A large independent provider of healthcare in the UK and Europe.

 IHC - Independent Healthcare Consultants

They say about themselves..."As one of the UK's largest independent healthcare specialists, we offer a unique solution, showing how investing in your employees' health can make a real contribution to the success of your business."

 Nuffield Hospitals

Comprehensive website offering full information about the Nuffield Hospitals group of 40 hospitals across the UK, with details of all services and treatments available.

 PMI quote service

UK private medical insurance quotes and independent health insurance advice.

 Hospital Management Trust

Runs independent hospitals and care homes around the UK. Its objectives are to promote and develop the services of charitable and religious hospitals and care homes in ways that are economically viable, protective of the founding ethos and socially valid.

 Private Ambulance Services for UK and Eire

A nationwide and European private ambulance service.

 Cover My Travels

Specialist travel insurance for people with pre-existing medical conditions.

See also the Patient UK plastic surgery page of links.

Further sources / more detailed information

Some non-UK sites

The following list popular non-UK health information sites with content aimed at the general public. They are mainly from the US. They have not been checked to see if information about the above topic is included but these large sites are comprehensive.

• Non-UK disease / illness sites
• Non-UK self-help / support group sites

More detailed medical information

The following list online sources of more detailed medical information, mainly from the UK. These sites are mainly aimed at health professionals, but are of interest to all. They have not been checked to see if information about the above topic is included, but information about most medical topics can usually be found.

• PatientPlus - hundreds of medical reference articles provided by Patient UK.
• Evidence Based Medicine - such as from Clinical Evidence, The Cochrane Library, etc.
• Database of UK Clinical Guidelines - from NICE, SIGN, etc.
• Medline - abstracts available from thousands of journals.
• Sites listing free online medical textbooks and journals.
• Sites listing free medical images - pictures, atlases, anatomy, skin diseases, etc.