My first time at this hospital bringing a relative for treatment. As I was sat there all day…read morewaiting, I was in a position to observe the everyday bustle which goes on in all NHS hospitals. ALL staff I spoke to were very very pleasant and helpful. Walking through the corridors I am so impressed with the cleaniness and how diligent the cleaners are. Even the receptionists cleaned their work area. The restaurant was also very clean, and were clearing and cleaning the seating areas regularly. I have unfortunately had regular visits to Heartlands and Solihull and they are filthy dirty and rarely saw a cleaner. Well done to you all. Susan Robinson, Solihull

No problem with the hospital itself (I mean, it's a hospital, there are good and bad in every one,…read morebut no-one likes being there) however, I would like to say something about the shop in the outpatients department. This is a hospital where there are sick people, miserable relatives, and hundreds of people who have been waiting hours and hours to see a consultant / get an x-ray etc. If you're going to volunteer to work in a hospital shop, do it because you want to help out. You don't have to make small talk, but at least smile. Unfortunately, the women running this shop were just downright rude. They were patronizing, had no patience when I couldn't find my purse, and tutted when my brother asked to add something at the last minute. Very disappointing. The rest of the hospital staff were great, though.

As a person who comes from a place that has no local hospitals (the nearest is an hour away, and…read morethat's a country hospital, so it's pretty small), the HUGENESS of the place baffled me at first. The inpatient food isn't bad, especially the puddings, but they only have a two week menu. I'd recommend a jacket potato, and avoid the sandwiches. (sounds silly but when you spend a lot of time In hospital you need to know these things.) Everybody here is supportive and will try their best to keep you in the know about what and why is happening. I have never sat there with an alarm bleeping for more than five mins. This is a fantastic achievement by the busy staff who will do everything to keep you comfortable. I would recommend this place to anyone who doesn't like hospitals, this place knows you don't want to be there, and ensures that your visit will be as short as possible without you having to come back too soon.

The first thing to note about this hospital is that it is huge. If you go through the main…read moreentrance, it's like an airport or train station. There's loads of glass and space, it's very bright. There's a Costa Coffee, a WH Smiths and a cafe right by the doors as well as a handy information desk. Outside is also a fruit and veg stall that's great value for money. The hospital is well sign posted, so you can easily find what department you're looking for. Outpatients has colour coded chairs in the waiting areas so you know where to sit. There are also staff that are very friendly and willing to help you if you need it. The hospital is well served by public transport, with buses to Halesowen, Solihull, Birmingham and West Brom as well as being a couple of minutes walk from University station on the cross city line. There is a car park but it's very expensive. There are disabled spaces by the main entrance but there aren't many of them and the road can get very busy with cars and buses. A couple of years ago I broke my ankle (the "most spectacular broken ankle" according to the doctor in A&E) and was taken here. I was seen quickly by the doctors in A&E and x-rays were done fast as was the setting off the bones and the plaster cast. It took about two hours all together (I think, I was still very drunk at the time). I had to spend a week in hospital before surgery. The wards were clean and the nurses were friendly. The surgeon who fixed my ankle explained the procedure and was very helpful. Now there were some issues with my stay. Firstly, the food is awful. I found myself getting my husband to take me down to Costa to buy panini's in the evening. Secondly, I found the doctors who looked at my ankle talked over me. They would come in, have a poke around and then leave without saying a word to me. Thirdly, the date of my surgery kept changing, which is very frustrating when you just want to go home. Fourthly, I was given crutches but not shown how to use them so the first time I tried to take myself to the bathroom I lost my balance and tried to steady myself with my broken ankle. I've been back regularly since being discharged as an outpatient and for physiotherapy. I've been well looked after and received great care from the staff that I've seen.

I went to see a Speech Therapist here, as I was having trouble with my voice when I was in a band…read more This being a bit of a problem as I was the singer... As it happened, I kept losing my voice and going hoarse, so the band kindly paid for me to go and see a speech therapist to learn how to position my voice better, to sing and speak from either my face or chest rather than my throat. I only had 2 or 3 appointments (as its private healthcare, so, obviously, a bit pricey) but they were really, really fascinating, I have to admit! I learnt a huge amount about vocal issues and all the things that effect voices, from digestion (?!) to posture to psychological factors. It was a really helpful, holistic approach - and also a very practical one as I came away with lots of training to do! I was really impressed by this service - it was really thorough, really interesting and really effective. The voice is an amazing thing, and it's great to have experts like this around to help explore and care for it.

The first time I visited Shifa herbs I was going with an open mind, they were both so welcoming,…read moreand Shaf spent such a long time explaining everything to me, he is so passionate about what he does and is so good at it, the warmth and care is there right from the minute you walk in the door! But the results are what have obviously helped me the most, my stiffness in my knees has eased, my guts regular and not painful in any way, my headaches have lessened and the only ones I have had have not been as debilitating as they were, and usually because I have not drunk enough water! I sleep well, have more energy and feel less sluggish during the day, my motivation has improved, thought, clarity and focus seems better at work he is just an amazing healer and so full of passion and information to empower you further to heal yourself, I have made some small life changes which have had massive impacts thanks to you Amazing and wonderful human being who has helped me more than he could ever know. Thank you Shifa Herbs Claire Simon

Entering Shifa Herbs was an unforgettable experience. I…read morewalked into the shop and was struck by how dark it was, I could just about make out some sort of partitioned booth which I presume was for treatments. A figure appeared from within this cubicle and approached the front of the shop where I was standing. Dressed in a suit with tightly cropped hair and striking eyes this was my introduction to Shaf Khan, the man behind Shifa Herbs. Shaf has a few different means of analysis, the most immediate of which is the examination of a patients iris and Shaf was happy to provide this service and offer an initial diagnosis before the mention of any money. Shaf seems like an absolute gent and I must say there is something about him which gives one a sense that he is a genuine character.

Just had my teeth whitened at Newtown dental practice, dentist was great explained the treatment…read morestart to end, which was great. The best thing was my teeth had lifted 8 shades lighter and they look wonderful. I would highly recommend this practice to my family and friends!

I had alot of pain. I have put it off as I am really scared of dentists. I got the number of…read moreNewtown dental clinic from friend. It had free private parking near the medical centre so easy to get to. They booked me in on the day. It was busy but the dentist took time to listen to me told me what needed to be done and got it out literally within 2 minutes. This dentist i now go for my white fillings which look beautiful.

Before I discovered Smiles in the City Centre, I had really struggled in Birmingham to find a good…read moredentist. When I was a student I had scoured my local NHS dentists, only to have my teeth butchered and then be robbed by the cost by the one most local to myself. The whole experience left me pretty traumatised and (I'm sorry to say) led me not to go to the dentist at regular intervals for a few years... On hearing about a fantastic private dentist (that just happened to be over the road from my old work), I decided it was time to get back on it and have my first appointment with this so-called magician... Well, they weren't wrong. I came across Dr Ruth in 2011 and haven't looked back. Smiles dental in the City Centre sadly closed down, but I was relieved to hear my favourite dentist had moved to a new practise in Solihull. Now, Solihull is a bit of a trek from us, but after some deliberation we decided we would make the journey (it is only about 30 minutes by car, after all) to go and check out the new clinic and get our 6 monthly checkups. First thing to note is that Smiles is now Oasis Dental care. Cue us, in the carpark very confused... We weren't told that Smiles had been bought out and wondered if we had come to the right place, luckily (after a brief phone call), we wandered inside in the nick of time for our appointments. The new building looks like an old converted Manor house. It has a little conservatory on the front of the building and the reception area has a TV and is clean, modern and fresh. We were greeted as if we were old friends and I was shown through the labyrinth of a building to the examination room. Unlike many dentists, these guys have a tool to "sandblast" your teeth with a nice tasting lemony concoction. I got the all clear and had my scale and polish within about 25 minutes (with Dr Ruth checking every aspect of my mouth for any warning signs). She explained every part of the process as she went and supplied me with warnings and tips as to where I might see work needing to be done later on. Once I had been sorted, I went to reception to pay. A scale and polish is £65 and the guys always supply the correct paperwork to enable a claim on health cover. The receptionist was helpful and friendly and we made our next appointment straight away. The venue gets bonus points as we were told we could leave our car in the generous car park whilst we pootled about Solihull (saving us a fortune in parking). This dentist may be a trek, but it's worth the journey for excellent care, great staff and a fantastically kitted out surgery. Bravo, Oasis.

I was a bit gutted when I found out my dentists was closing it's doors, but fortunately Dr. Ruth…read morewas relocating to their branch in Solihull. After not going to the dentist for many years, mainly due to being unable to find a decent one locally that I could fit around work, there was no way I was going to let a good one slip through my fingers. So off to Solihull it was for me. Somewhat confused we (Vicky and I) arrived at what we thought was Smiles Dental on Manor Road in Solihull but instead of the familiar green logos emblazoning the place it had been replaced by cool blue signage and a new name - Oasis Dental Care. After some continued confusion all was put to rest as this was in fact the right place and our trusted dental surgeon Dr. Ruth was waiting for us inside with her usual beaming smile and hungry for updates on our wedding last July. After filling in a medical history form and a brief wait while Vicky went it I was called in. I honestly can't recommend the quality of service here enough. Yes, you may be able to get dental cover cheaper on the NHS but the overall care provided by Dr. Ruth and her team is second to none. My full treatment consisted of a check up as well as scale and polish - no mean feat with my mouth as I have inherited my father's hyper-sensitive gums (cheers Dad!) and as such a full gum numbing was required to really scrape away the inevitable detritus that builds up over 6 months. Even though the process is a bit uncomfortable (especially the lidocaine injection in the roof of the mouth - oww!) Dr. Ruth and the team make it as pleasant as possible and after about half an hour I left with my teeth feeling like new (well, they did when I could feel my mouth again!) and already booked in for my next appointment. Hell, they even let us leave our car there so we could have a bit of a wander into Solihull town centre. If you've spotted my review of the aforementioned Smiles before you'll know I can't recommend Dr. Ruth any more as a dentist. If you're on the lookout for someone to take care of your gnashers then there is probably nobody better to turn to.

I came here to pick up my Aunt's new set of dentures. When she was a child she was given a diet of…read moresugar to placate her naughtiness and she was never made to brush her teeth. When I went in they didn't have the dentures ready and the pricing had changed. I had to wait for a while and came back a few hours later to pick them up. The service was friendlier and my Aunt was happy with her new set of false teeth. I'd recommend brushing your teeth three times a day. Once in the morning, after you main meal and at bedtime. That way you can avoid having dentures like my Aunt.

Mr Brown and Mr Turner are very respectable dentists and this is their surgery. The practise has…read morebeen running for many many years and they are still going strong with the NHS. The reception staff are really nice and helpful, and the two dentists are lovely men who take pride in their work. The surgery has undergone some refurbishments outside and now looks as good as it should.