I like to support Marie Curie Nurses, and hope they can keep up the good work…read more I missed their Great Daffodil Appeal this year, and hope they can go ahead with it next year.

This is like no other charity shop I've ever visited. Wandering inside to shelter from heavy…read morerainfall over Gloucester Road, I expected the usual racks of clothes, the usual shelf of books, the usual array of odd trinkets and tea pots. But as I stood in the doorway shaking off my umbrella, I gradually realised I had walked into a wonderland of old furniture, and big, good quality, useful furniture at that: wardrobes, shelving units, a rocking chair, a set of wicker chairs, cabinets, tables. The stock here is really amazing, and it's a huge shop, with everything displayed very well. I recommend coming to have a good rummage in this shop just for the furniture. The clothes and books and stuff - well, I can take them or leave them; they're probably better stocked in the huge Cancer Research shop just over the road. But, really, come here and see if you can't find some great piece of original old furniture to have in your home. More fun than Ikea, that's for sure!

Hampton House Health centre is where you go when you're feeling poorly. The key to booking an…read moreappointment is to ring either first thing at 8.45 or at 2.00. Emergencies are handled differently and the centre offers a number of other services like Chlamydia screening, travel advice, blood tests and the like. The doctors are of course incredibly concerned for your health, but sometimes this verges on preaching; I have never been here without being asked, and then subsequently told off for my drink and smoking habits. However, they are consistently effective, treating any problem you may have. I would stress again the importance of booking appointments early to avoid being turned away.

This NHS walk in centre is a really friendly one. The nurses that you see, from the front desk up…read moreto the ones who chat to you about your health issues are simply so friendly and nice to you. It's location is pretty secluded, and unless you know where it is already, you wouldn't even know that there was an NHS centre right smack in the middle of town. A walk in centre to keep in mind if you ever feel ill and can't get a quick appointment with your GP.

Hurrah for the NHS! It's not perfect, but what is!? Just think you could be stuck in the US without…read morehealth insurance and without a job and fat. This walk-in centre is as close to a community clinic as we get in this country and I am proud to live somewhere that makes this kind of readily-available medical treatment accessible to all regardless of how much you earn and who you work for. Right that's my little rant over...for now...but this walk in centre was specifically brilliant for me in my first year of Uni, as like most students I didn't register with a doctor (I didn't even know where or how to do that) so for all those minor first year university student ailments (the plague and my chronic rhinotillexomania) I would have to visit the brilliant people here. Obviously I would recommend you register with a GP but it is a very handy place to know about if you are just moving to B-town (that's Bristol fool!).

It's rapidly becoming clear that the medical service as we know it is not the only, or indeed the…read morebest, source for healing. Alternative remedies are finally being shed the light that they deserve and institutions like Bristol Natural Health Service are flying the flag. From reflexology to hypnotherapy there is a wide spectrum of help offered here from quality trained professionals. To list all the services and benefits would take an age but the one that really stood out for me was the allergy testing. Using kinesiology and other techniques they were able to pinpoint specific food groups I had problems with. A few alterations to my lifestyle and I'm feeling much more healthy. No appointment necessary and very welcoming, I highly recommend this place.

The Bristol Natural Health Service s a complimentary health clinic situated at the top of…read moreGloucester Road. Being long established it is very good at what it does. Offering a much more comprehensive range of therapies than many other complimentary health centres it's easy to treat The Bristol Natural Health Service as pretty much a one stop shop. I have enjoyed a range of treatments here, from acupuncture to Bowen Technique, always achieving the desired results... restored health and vitality, and an end to pain... always a bonus! The practitioners have always been courteous and genuinely interested in assisting the healing process, always careful to pay attention to the detail. In all cases the therapists I've seen have remembered the ongoing development of my various conditions or complaints without needing to be prompted. But it's the reception staff that have really endeared themselves to me. All mature women, they are really lovely, always warm and devoutly concerned.

On a street off the bottom of Whiteladies Road, Whiteladies Health Centre is an excellent doctors…read moresurgery. Instead of ringing up when unwell, making an appointment, having to wait a couple of days and getting better in the interim all the same, here you just come along and see a doctor when you need to - which seems pretty logical to me. The surgery is clean, tidy, and quite large. They've just installed a new automated call system, so when the doctors ready your name will come up on the screen and be called out in an (slightly robotic) automated voice, which is quite high tech. The doctors are consistently welcoming and will take their time to listen and deal with your ailment, which doesn't always happen at other surgeries I've been to. The reception staff are mostly friendly as well, though as the other reviews reiterate, it's a busy surgery so they might be a tad eager to get you sorted - there's an incredibly friendly American lady, though, who is constantly happy and always serves you with a smile. They operate a morning and afternoon open surgery, which means during the daytime you can see a doctor but that is reserved for emergencies only. The busiest days are usually Monday, and although at busy times you might have to wait a little while, the service is usually swift. I highly recommend this health centre.

Just off Whiteladies Road the Medical Centre has had a recent makeover. The waiting room has not…read morechanged really, there are still plenty of seats that are comfortable enough, but they now have screens, as well as the announcements, to show when it is you turn to see the doctor, interspersed with medical adverts and health advice. Hopefully they'll get my suggestions and start showing DVDs. I have only ever attended the 'drop-in' surgery, which I feel is a bit of a Catch-22; you can always see the doctor on the day, but it can take up to 2 hours and you are not guaranteed to see the doctor each time, or you have to wait up to 2 weeks if you make an appointment! The drop-in surgery can mean you feel your appointment is a little rushed. However, on my last visit this was not the case, unfortunately I did have quite a long wait, I arrived at the surgery just after 8.30 but was not seen until after 9.15. The Doctor I did see, and this was just a general enquiry, ran through different options with me, gave me lots of advice and I felt like I had had my questions answered rather than like I was being a nuisance or wasting their time. There are some lovely doctors here and if you go early enough to the drop in timeslots you shouldn't have to wait too long. A reliable surgery, but remember to take a book with you to help pass the time! Unless you like magazines with pictures of Diana's wedding.

I am visiting Bristol from California and, unfortunately, became ill during my visit. The walk-in…read morestaff were incredibly helpful! They were kind, courteous, and made me feel both welcome and cared for. The NP, Roger, was very friendly and helpful. It was a lovely experience to have given the unhappy circumstances. Thank you very much!

I have used this doctors practice and health centre with my three children for fourteen years.It…read morehas been refurbished in this time and is a lovely facility.There is a car park to the side and great access for wheel chair users,buggies,mobility scooters etc.It has a first floor with lifts and stairs.There is a treatment room staffed by great nurses and reception staff.I have no problem getting an appointment and there is an emergency sit and wait facility most days.There are lots of doctors both male and female and they specialize in differnt areas of medicine[you can check website for more details].There are midwives and a baby clinic on site.

This was my trusted pharmacy as a student at the university a few years ago, mainly because it's…read moreright in the middle of the university precinct and just a hop, skip and jump (if you're well enough; if not, a stagger) from the student health centre. It's very friendly, the pharmacist is eager to advise and reassure, and it's got a lovely, villagey feel to it that is hugely comforting for students away from home. It's also got useful bits and bobs like shampoo, soap, toothpaste, and general first aid stuff. I'm glad small pharmacies like this one still survive in a world full of Superdrug and Boots on every corner. Sometimes a local familiar pharmacist is just what you want.

Although this is a chain store, the place is so intimate and friendly that it feels like any other…read moreindependent pharmacy. The pharmacy stocks more useful things than other pharmacies, which are typically stocked to the ceilings with random and completely useless children's toys. They have racks of leaflets which are good to read while you wait for a new prescription and provide vital information on common diseases, symptoms, viruses etc. The staff were happy to chat and advise you on the latest products of the pharmaceutical world. The Co-operative Pharmacy is down the road from the Student Health Service so is the place to go if you need to get a prescription. The only problem I had was that there was not much privacy because the shop was so small, so everybody knows your problem.