Now, Birmingham... Let's talk Health. I have reviewed my Dentist and my Doctor, but there are a…read morehost of other places in Birmingham which are striving to keep us fighting fit. For my services which are not teeth related, I use the multiple places in Boots. Boots (as you will already know) is a chain pharmacy and beauty store - available in train stations, city centres and most places where you may need to grab a pack of paracetamol or some plasters. This boots, however, offers a whole host of other services you may need for a range of health needs. Upstairs are your beauty counters, hygiene products and gifts (the discount on gifts after christmas is particularly good - offering 50% - 70% off), but on the lower floor are it's other services. If you pop on the escalators and head downstairs you'll find an optician, an NHS walk-in, a doctors surgery, Birmingham Uni dentists and a sexual health clinic. With the doctors surgery and dentist, you will need an appointment. The optician will see walk-ins (depending on how busy they are) and the sexual health clinic and NHS centre are totally walk-in led. This, obviously, can lead to long waiting times - but if you desperately need a doctor and can't get an appointment at your local clinic, this place is a lifesaver (probably quite literally). As well as the various medical services I have mentioned, Boots offers a "stop smoking" clinic and other health led initiatives. When I first moved into Birmingham City Centre I had no idea where my local health services would be (I was dreading having to catch a bus out of town), so for all of those who work or live in the City - this place is your one stop shop for when you're feeling off or need some supplies.

This is a great little Boots situated in the centre of town. It's got all you need from a general…read moreBoots store; cosmetics, perfume, toiletries. food and it has a pharmacy. There's also the more seasonal items. Currently there are sunglasses and lotions located towards the back of the store. It's never been overly busy when i've been there even at 5pm on a weekday which is perfect if you want to spend a bit more time browsing. The meal deal is a good price (£3.49 at last check) and it includes a sandwich/wrap, a drink and a snack (up to the value of £1.25 so go for the larger ones!). The service is always quick as there's never really a queue which is great if you're in a rush.

The pharmacy is great to have in this area, however it can get quite busy in here at lunch times as…read morethey also sell food. The shop is really small and they only ever seem to have limited cashiers on so the queue can sometimes trail around the shop which makes it hard to get around.

There's definitely a few bargains to be had in this place. If you have a shopping list and usually…read moremake a beeline to the Megacorp a few more paces down the hall, check off a few things at this place first and save a few quid at least. Then, go to the 99p Shop and do it again. And *then* you can go to Tesco (if you must!).

You can't miss Shire Pharmacy as you pass through the Edward Road. It's a corner store linking to…read moreCannon Hill Road. They keep a large stock of toiletries and baby products at reasonable prices. They usually have offers on their over-the-counter medications, which is worthwhile stocking up on! The staff are friendly and polite. They're pretty quick at preparing prescriptions and will always warn you if it will take longer than usual. They have repeat prescription and home delivery services, which is very useful. Whilst you wait you could use the interactive television that talks you through common illnesses like the flu, and how to treat it. They are well-stocked with leaflets and pamphlets on STDs, antenatal issues and common cancers. They don't have a car park but you're bound to find parking either on the Cannon Hill Road or Edward Road.

For a Superdrug store, this store is really impressive and certainly did impress me on my trip to…read moreBirmingham, being a large and modern store in the Bullring. Superdrug is a brand which either has good or terrible stores based on past experiences from Manchester to London, Liverpool to Brighton and across England - but this store offers facilities I've never seen in a Superdrug store before including a salon for women, and a barbers for men - normally they just have a small area of the store for women's beauty as this is a health and beauty retailer as well as a pharmacy, but it catered for men in that department too, offering a dry cut for the low price of £14 which is pretty good for the city centre, I've paid a lot more than that back home in Manchester too! The beverage selection was also pretty large, sadly it didn't have any Lipton drinks (these seem to have been replaced with fuze tea in every branch) or Starbucks beverages (some stores have these) The store, in general, was pretty modern and had a good range of products. Service and the queuing process could have been better as well as ensuring every part of the store was modern and stood out, as if not it just appears to be a little mix and match. 4* - Really good facilities for a Superdrug store in a central location, despite its flaws it is probably my favourite Superdrug store.

This store is always busy but I never spend ages waiting in line. The staff are always good,…read morefriendly and quick at serving. I use this Superdrug mainly for skincare and dry shampoo. Out of the Superdrugs in Birmingham city centre I think this is the best one. The layout is very clear and I always know where everything will be. I noticed in other Superdrugs that they don't stock as much of there on offer items as this store does. Herbal Essense and Batiste dry shampoo is always at the entrance when its half price!

I went into Merali Pharmacy to buy some under the counter medications for a cold I had recently…read moresuffered from. I wanted something that would stop the cold dead, but I didn't want it to cause any bad side effects. I walked into the pharmacy to have a look at the selection of products on offer; the shop was quite small so I didn't expect much. The shelves were well packed and the selection of goods was mediocre. I asked the pharmacist what was best and she suggested some over the counter all in one pills. They were quite expensive and I would have preferred to have gone down the generic route, but the product did actually work. I have never been here for a prescription, so I cannot comment on their service here, but I was fairly glad with the selection on offer in store.

Boots at Mell Square is a reasonably large store, serving the town centre of Solihull, it is…read morelocated next to WHSmith and is a short walk away from Touchwood Shopping Centre. It's pretty much your average Boots, it's fairly spacious and the stock is reasonable for a store of its size. The store was clean, and well laid out, again similar to what you'd expect from Boots. The fridge section of to-go food and drinks was smaller than other Boots stores, but still considerably better than at WHSmith, next store. They did appear to be slightly understaffed, with no staff members on the shop floor, but they were fairly quiet when I visited during the afternoon, so I guess they didn't feel it was required. They do close at 6 pm during the week, I do find this to be a little early, but this is in line with most of the other shops nearby. 3*

This is not one of the biggest Boots local to me but the one I visit the most often. The staff are…read morefriendly and helpful, I have had a few make up demonstrations done in the past when I feel in need of some new looks and the Max Factor and Clinique ladies were both great. Boots always has good offers on and is the first place I try to go for lunch on the go as I think there meal deals are great at only £2.99 and the shapers ones are delicious and healthy!