There's lots of official information about the NHS available on the internet - which Trust got 2-stars and - if you're persistent and have a mind like a ferret - what the MRSA infection rate is.

But what people often want is to find out what other patients thought of local services. If I've got to go and see someone about my lupus then it would be nice to know how previous patients with lupus rated the service at a particular hospital. After all you can go on the net nowadays and read how people rated their holiday or their camera. Why not the NHS?

Patient Opinion is a website - http://www.patientopinion.org.uk/ - where you can do just that. Patients can share the story of what happened to them at a particular hospital. Or you can rate a service and see how/what others thought of it.

Patient Opinion covers all hospitals in England and can accept stories and rating of many private sector providers and mental health services as well.

Patient Opinion is free to use and is run on a not-for-profit basis. It aims to make the collective wisdom of patients available to other patients and to the NHS. So go and log on now at http://www.patientopinion.org.uk/. Of if you don't have access to the internet but still want to share your story phone 0845 113 0012 and tell us what happened to you or someone you care for. After all, this is our NHS - let's make it better!