Frequently Asked Questions
Last revised
The questions we are asked most often, answered plainly.
Is this site a substitute for seeing a doctor?
No, and it is not designed to be. Everything here is general information written for a general audience. It cannot account for your history, your medication or your circumstances, and every article carries a section naming the symptoms that mean you should stop reading and get assessed.
Who writes the articles?
A small editorial team with backgrounds in dietetics, strength and conditioning, clinical psychology, public health and health journalism. Every article carries a byline, and the author box tells you what that person actually does.
What does "medically reviewed" mean?
That a named clinician has read the finished article against current UK guidance and confirmed the clinical content was accurate on the date shown. Reviewers do not write the articles they check. Articles are re-reviewed on a twelve-month cycle, and the next review date is shown on the page.
Why do some articles say they have not been reviewed?
Because they have not been, and hiding that would be worse than showing it. An article awaiting review has been written and edited to the same standard but has not yet been through the clinical panel. We would rather tell you which is which.
Where do your figures come from?
Named public guidelines — usually the NHS, NICE, the UK Chief Medical Officers, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition or the World Health Organization. Every article lists its sources at the foot. If a claim cannot be traced to one of those, it does not get published.
Do you sell supplements, or take money for coverage?
No. We do not sell products, we do not run affiliate product round-ups as health advice, and we do not take payment for coverage. If that ever changes it will be disclosed at the top of the article in question.
The advice here contradicts something my doctor told me. Who is right?
Your doctor. They know your history and we do not. General guidance is written for populations and is routinely, correctly, overridden for individuals. Take any contradiction back to them rather than acting on what you read here.
Is your advice UK-specific?
Largely, yes. Thresholds, screening ages, vaccination schedules, units and service names all follow UK practice. Much of the underlying physiology travels; the numbers and the services often do not.
I think you have got something wrong.
Please tell us. Email the desk at hello@freegethealth.com with the article and, if you have it, the guideline you think we have misread. Corrections are made on the page with a note saying what changed.
Can you tell me what is wrong with me?
No. We cannot give individual medical advice by email, comment or social media, and we will not attempt to. Contact your GP, call NHS 111 for urgent advice, or call 999 in an emergency.