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Linking from the NHS website

We take great care over the websites we link to and review them regularly, but we are not responsible for the content of those sites.

The inclusion of a link to an external website from the NHS website should not, therefore, be interpreted as an endorsement of that site, its content or any product or service it may provide.

Transactions between users and any external site are not the responsibility of the NHS website.

Read our terms and conditions.

Removal of links

If you would like us to remove a link to your website from the NHS website, please email us at nhswebsite.servicedesk@nhs.net.

Note that unless you have a legal right to demand removal, such removal will be at our discretion.

How our links are chosen

We decide when, where and how we link to other websites from the NHS website, taking into consideration the usefulness, appropriateness and quality of links for our users.

We only include links that provide a useful onward journey for our users, based on what we know about their needs and how they use the NHS website.

We only link to websites that:

  • are free to access​
  • do not require registration to view basic content​
  • are not intended for the sole or main purpose of selling products or services​
  • present a responsible perspective, reflecting the existence of choice or alternatives when relevant​
  • make a clear distinction between standard content and any advertising​
  • are appropriate for users in England​
  • contain information beyond that which is available on the NHS website ​

We also consider the following criteria when deciding whether to add links from the NHS website:​

  • the linked content aligns with NHS standards for creating health content, including standards for quality assurance, usability and accessibility​
  • the linked content is suitable for a national audience​
  • any sources of funding for the website or organisation are clearly stated​
  • the website has a valid security (SSL) certificate​
  • the website is compliant with legislation regarding cookie consent

Adding or removing links is at the discretion of the NHS website team. We do not link to websites in return for money, services or any other consideration in kind.​

We are not responsible for the content on external websites and the inclusion of a link on the NHS website is not an endorsement of that website, its content, or any product or service it may provide.

Information:

Links added on the NHS website should align with the links guidance in the NHS digital service manual. For example, link text should be descriptive and linking to PDFs should be avoided wherever possible.

Social media links

In addition to linking to specific websites, we may also link to content hosted on various social media platforms.

Although we choose the pages and communities we link to carefully, it's important to understand:

  • We do not review the pages and communities we link to at a frequency that would constitute routine or continual monitoring of their content. Individual users are free to post whatever they want on these platforms – their comments may not necessarily reflect reality, and should never be taken as medical advice.
  • Anything you post on these platforms may be publicly visible. Do not share anything you would not feel comfortable talking about with a stranger, and avoid giving away too much personal information.
  • If you would like to let us know what you think about the communities we link to, or report a problem, you can give feedback about the NHS website.

Where we link to social media platforms, we highlight the nature of the linked content and its likely basis in unvalidated personal experience on the page containing the links.

Understanding how social networks use your data

Social networks use information about your online activity to build a profile of you. This data is then used to send you targeted adverts across various digital platforms.

You should be aware that interacting with health-related content on social media may help to build the profile of you that social networks maintain, and could result in you receiving adverts related to health issues.

This process of collecting data for advertising purposes is not controlled by the NHS website and we do not have access to the data stored by social networks about you.

You can find out more about how we manage data in the NHS website privacy policy.

Page last reviewed: 19 October 2022
Next review due: 19 October 2025