Editorial Policy

Clinical statements are written against primary sources: NHS guidance, NICE technology appraisals and guidelines, MHRA materials including the Summary of Product Characteristics, and peer-reviewed clinical trials.

We do not source clinical claims from secondary health content, commercial material or unattributed summaries. Every clinical page lists its sources, with the publisher named.

Clinical pages are reviewed by a named clinician before publication. The reviewer and the date of last review appear on the page.

A page that has not yet been reviewed says so explicitly rather than carrying an unattributed byline or implying review that has not happened.

Where published figures differ between sources, as they do for some trial results, depending on the statistical analysis reported, we state the difference rather than selecting the more favourable number.

If you believe something on this site is inaccurate, tell us and we will check it against the source. Corrections are made to the page and the review date updated.

Our guidance describes treatments, including their limitations, side effects and the circumstances in which they are unsuitable. Content is not written to promote a particular treatment, and a page recommending against treatment for a given person is a legitimate outcome.