The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has warned the public of the dangers of self-diagnosis in light of a survey which revealed that 78 per cent of people seek medical advice from the internet when they require a diagnosis.

The survey also revealed that 43 per cent of people had used analgesics prescribed for someone else after self-diagnosing. And that over half of GB adults self-diagnose when feeling unwell or experiencing a medical symptom.

“DIY diagnosis can be downright dangerous," said Neal Patel, RPS head of communications. "You could be missing something a pharmacist or doctor would know was important. Whilst there are good online sites, there’s an awful lot of nonsense out there too."

The Society's warning achieved national media coverage.