How we check our health content

Every Health Library guide is written in plain English and checked against current published guidance from established public health sources before it's published, then reviewed again periodically to keep it up to date.

What the Health Library is

The Health Library is a set of general-information guides on common, everyday health topics — the kind of plain-English overview you'd want before deciding whether to self-care, see a pharmacist, or seek more urgent help. It sits alongside HealthBot, our AI chat assistant, and follows the same safety approach: anything that could be urgent is flagged rather than answered as routine.

How each guide is put together

Content is written to reflect widely accepted, current public health guidance — the kind found on national health services and major public health bodies — rather than any single individual's personal opinion or clinical judgement
Each guide is structured the same way throughout: what it usually is, what may help, when to see a pharmacist or GP, and when it could be a medical emergency
Guides link out to official sources for further reading, so you can go straight to the primary information yourself
Content is periodically re-checked against current guidance and updated where published advice has changed; the date each page was last checked is shown at the top of the guide

What the Health Library is not

It is not medical advice, and it does not diagnose or treat any condition
It is not written or reviewed by a doctor, nurse, or other clinician, and it does not claim to be
It cannot account for your individual medical history, medications, or circumstances — for anything specific to you or someone in your care, speak to a qualified professional
It is not a substitute for emergency services — if something feels urgent, use Red Flags and your local emergency number rather than waiting on a guide or a chat answer

Sources

Every guide links to the specific NHS page it has been checked against, plus NHS 111 online. The full list is on our sources page. The NHS is the UK's national health service; if you live elsewhere, your own national health service may give slightly different advice, and the emergency numbers will differ.

Emergency numbers

Our emergency numbers by country pages only list countries where the numbers held in the Be Health Wise app matched published lists, including the European Commission's information on 112. Numbers can change, so always check the latest official travel advice before you travel.

Who prepares the guides

Be Wise Apps is prepared by a commercial lawyer with over 30 years' international experience. The Health Library is not written or reviewed by a clinician, which is why every guide points to its official sources. Read more about Be Wise.

Keeping content current

Health guidance changes over time as new evidence emerges. Each guide shows when it was last checked, and the Health Library is reviewed on an ongoing basis rather than being written once and left untouched. If you spot something you believe is out of date, email hello@bewiseapps.com. Changes are recorded on our recent changes page.

Be Health Wise is a general-information tool, not a healthcare provider. In an emergency, always contact your local emergency services directly.