I'm going to ignore the slightly foreboding exterior for a minute and concentrate on the treatments…read moreoffered here instead because this is a great little place. Based on Harborne Lane just a few minutes from Selly Oak this Complementary Health Clinic offers all sorts of therapies - including a number aimed at pregnant ladies and new Moms - e.g. baby massage and intriguingly toddler yoga. As someone who suffers from a jippy shoulder I tend to use them for massages and particularly love their heated treatment tables. Rooms at the clinic are lovely and there's a generally relaxing and rather peaceful ambiance to the place (I usually fall asleep). The woman who runs the place is absolutely brilliant. Reflexology and Reiki are also offered and come recommended and the notice board is a good place to find out about locally run courses on for example yoga and the Bowen technique - great, smashing super (sorry - bad joke).

I always have an excellent experience at Harborne Medical Practice. This week I needEd a procedure…read moreand completed the appointment request form online. Within 2 hours I had my appointment with Dr Mohammed (as requested) for a day that suited me. My appointment as always was superb, Dr Mohammed always remembers me, gives excellent advice and gives the best (pain free) hydrocortisone injections! I have been with this practice all of my life and seen them grow from Dr Mr and Dr Mrs Mcrann. to the state of the art care they now offer. yes, they get busy, but if needed a doctor will always see you. The reception staff are patient, kind and caring too.

I have been going to Harborne Medical Practice for years. Without wanting to bore you too much with…read moremy medical history (which is rather boring anyway and mainly consists of dodgy throats and the occasional jippy shoulder) I can say that every doctor I've seen here has been absolutely lovely - even when I've got carried away and misdiagnosed myself with something rare and life threatening (the joys of looking up symptoms on Google eh?) and it turns out all I've got is a slight case of tonsillitis. Which kills by the way. It's a big place with regular smoking cessation, diabetes and stress clinics. They have a team of very nice nurses and the reception staff are smiley and kind. They used to play rather annoying muzak but seem to have stopped that in recent years, although the kiddies soft toy play area can sometimes get a bit noisy - not ideal if you are a migraine sufferer. You can always get an appointment - the only downer is the lack of reading material - Golf magazines and leaflets on COPD feature heavily. Hopefully you won't need to use a doctor much, but if you do find yourself looking for one in the Harborne area, then this comes recommended.

As a person who comes from a place that has no local hospitals (the nearest is an hour away, and…read morethat's a country hospital, so it's pretty small), the HUGENESS of the place baffled me at first. The inpatient food isn't bad, especially the puddings, but they only have a two week menu. I'd recommend a jacket potato, and avoid the sandwiches. (sounds silly but when you spend a lot of time In hospital you need to know these things.) Everybody here is supportive and will try their best to keep you in the know about what and why is happening. I have never sat there with an alarm bleeping for more than five mins. This is a fantastic achievement by the busy staff who will do everything to keep you comfortable. I would recommend this place to anyone who doesn't like hospitals, this place knows you don't want to be there, and ensures that your visit will be as short as possible without you having to come back too soon.

The first thing to note about this hospital is that it is huge. If you go through the main…read moreentrance, it's like an airport or train station. There's loads of glass and space, it's very bright. There's a Costa Coffee, a WH Smiths and a cafe right by the doors as well as a handy information desk. Outside is also a fruit and veg stall that's great value for money. The hospital is well sign posted, so you can easily find what department you're looking for. Outpatients has colour coded chairs in the waiting areas so you know where to sit. There are also staff that are very friendly and willing to help you if you need it. The hospital is well served by public transport, with buses to Halesowen, Solihull, Birmingham and West Brom as well as being a couple of minutes walk from University station on the cross city line. There is a car park but it's very expensive. There are disabled spaces by the main entrance but there aren't many of them and the road can get very busy with cars and buses. A couple of years ago I broke my ankle (the "most spectacular broken ankle" according to the doctor in A&E) and was taken here. I was seen quickly by the doctors in A&E and x-rays were done fast as was the setting off the bones and the plaster cast. It took about two hours all together (I think, I was still very drunk at the time). I had to spend a week in hospital before surgery. The wards were clean and the nurses were friendly. The surgeon who fixed my ankle explained the procedure and was very helpful. Now there were some issues with my stay. Firstly, the food is awful. I found myself getting my husband to take me down to Costa to buy panini's in the evening. Secondly, I found the doctors who looked at my ankle talked over me. They would come in, have a poke around and then leave without saying a word to me. Thirdly, the date of my surgery kept changing, which is very frustrating when you just want to go home. Fourthly, I was given crutches but not shown how to use them so the first time I tried to take myself to the bathroom I lost my balance and tried to steady myself with my broken ankle. I've been back regularly since being discharged as an outpatient and for physiotherapy. I've been well looked after and received great care from the staff that I've seen.

It seems a bit odd to review a hospital - particularly if you've ended up in the A&E department -…read moreI'm guessing most people would rather forget their stints there. However, I was pretty impressed with the quality of care that both I and a friend of mine received at the hands of the staff there. First - my friend: he was knocked over by a car in Selly Oak. Despite landing on his head (ouch) he was duly patched up in no time, and, having received immediate care and attention from the staff at Selly Oak, managed to come away with no ongoing injuries other than a slightly broken finger. They were extremely quick to respond, completely sorted him out and were really understanding with both him and us as we all piled down to A & E to see him. I was taken in as I had a bad asthma attack that my inhaler didn't seem to be able to sort out. They immediately shunted me up he queue in terms of seeing a doctor (I think this is policy with asthma) who sorted me out in about 5 mins! He was really attentive and thorough - which can be difficult when you're seeing 10 patients a second in A&E. To compare, I had a similar occurrence in Wolverhampton, and had to wait 3 HOURS before a doctor saw me - and even then he kept drifting in and out. So, well done Selly Oak. It's good to know that the injured of south Birmingham are in safe hands.

Selly Oak Hospital is now exclusively a military hospital and it fills me with a great sense of…read morepride that a Birmingham hospital takes care of the needs of injured servicemen and women. Previously for many years prior to the building of the new super hospital this establishment also took care of civilians. In fact both my mother and grandmother were taken here for different illnesses and I have to say that despite my general aversion to hospitals, Selly Oak always provided wonderful care. A further note, hospital food including that in the canteen is usually notoriously bad. However on more than one occasion I have to admit I actually ENJOYED a canteen meal from this hospital. Hospital's are never are a good place to visit but the people of Birmingham should take pride in the achievements of Selly Oak Hospital as it serves those who make tremendous sacrifices in order to protect our country.

This place smells fantastic when you go in. The staff are friendly and professional and the prices…read moreare very reasonable, the environment is a little plain once you're in the treatment rooms (strip lighting and plain walls) - also the music that is piped in to the rooms whilst having your treatments is, in my opinion, far from relaxing! - but, all said and done, I came out feeling great. I've yet to find a massage/grooming place that gives you the truly royal experience of being utterly pampered. There's pampering, but there's definitely an artform of performing a facial that is more than just applying products in an order; the whole thing should be a ceremony rather than a service. Maybe I've been to too many health spas and this place is below my usual budget... but they could do more here to make you feel like a king (or queen!). That's not to say you should avoid this place, you should definitely give them a go -- but if it isn't your first time, you will end up comparing it to your previous experiences. This place do a lot of treatments other than massage/facial/etc and do treatments for IBS, migraines, and so on, although they are quick to disclaim medical efficacy on their enrollment forms.

Very friendly staff and a beautiful massage left me feeling relaxed. Will definitely be visiting…read moreagain.

Just off the High St Renassaince is on the corner of Station and Clarence Road…read more Renaissance offers a large range of treatments and therapies. Hypnotherapy Counselling The building is new, fresh and comfortable. When you ring the bell your therapist will come to meet you. As you enter the front door you are faced with a very small waiting area to your right and stairs going straight up infront of you to the counselling rooms. If you are less able bodied this could pose a problem as the stairs are narrow and steep. The counselling room is compact but well decorated as this is a new build. The walls are thin. 30 minutes into my Hypnotherapy session it sounded like a hurd of elephants running up the stairs. It was a busy day, glad to say I didnt have that problem at my 3rd session. If you are using public transport get off on the High St. Car drivers will find a place on the road.

After hearing a lot about this gym I decided to try it myself and it was better than I imagined…read more They have TVs and radios in all their cardio machines! I take full advantage of this and watch and listen to a variety of shows. The gym is quiet small but is excellent for what it is. The only thing I found a bit worrying was the fact that I didn't have an induction so it was lucky I've used all the machines before, elsewhere. Unfortunately they only have one of every toning and muscle building machine so you may wait a while if someone is on a one you want to use. On the other hand they have state of the art equipment. So you might be thinking this must cost a lot? The member ships start at forty five pounds a month and fifteen pound for each visit without a membership. The price includes swimming and the sauna and steam room. It also includes all their classes such as spin and yoga. So this offer was too good to refuse for me!

The Gym at the village isn't quite what you expect, for a hotel gym it is incredibly well equipped…read moreand a good size. I would almost put it on par with much large chain gyms, in addition the swimming pool is a good size and the jacuzzi is very large. Throw in a steam room and a sauna plus a full spin studio and 2 aerobics rooms and you have everything you need. Memberships is relative but cheaper than many local gyms and for £10 a month you can upgrade to the black card giving you a towel every time you go and also access to all other Village Gyms. I am impressed but I will say it is due a refit soon so hopefully it will get even better.

I went to see a Speech Therapist here, as I was having trouble with my voice when I was in a band…read more This being a bit of a problem as I was the singer... As it happened, I kept losing my voice and going hoarse, so the band kindly paid for me to go and see a speech therapist to learn how to position my voice better, to sing and speak from either my face or chest rather than my throat. I only had 2 or 3 appointments (as its private healthcare, so, obviously, a bit pricey) but they were really, really fascinating, I have to admit! I learnt a huge amount about vocal issues and all the things that effect voices, from digestion (?!) to posture to psychological factors. It was a really helpful, holistic approach - and also a very practical one as I came away with lots of training to do! I was really impressed by this service - it was really thorough, really interesting and really effective. The voice is an amazing thing, and it's great to have experts like this around to help explore and care for it.