CaRi-heart technology
Revolutionary new technology to assess the risk of a serious heart condition or heart attack – many years before anything happens.
Holistic menopause support
Menopause may be the hot topic of the moment, but until recently it was largely ignored by health practitioners. As Dr Robyn Cohen, a GP with a special interest in women’s and occupational health, puts it “something had to change.” Dr Cohen herself has done much to help drive that change – and pave the way for the Women’s Health Centre.
In 2018, while working as a GP at what is now HCA UK’s Baker Street Medical Centre, Dr Cohen saw many female patients struggling at work, being signed off sick or referred to occupational health. “Yet no-one was talking about the role of the menopause,” she says.
That’s when Dr Cohen teamed up with Dr Gavin Webb-Wilson to create HCA UK’s dedicated Menopause Service in the City of London. “We started with twelve GPs and the demand just kept growing,” she says. Today, Dr Cohen co-leads the service with Dr Jane Benjamin. They now run a team of 38 GPs delivering almost 1,000 consultations a year.
So successful has their menopause service become that it now forms the cornerstone of HCA UK’s new flagship Women’s Health Centre. “Growing awareness means that GPs are handling menopause issues much better today,” says Dr Cohen.
Following British Menopause Society guidelines, her HCA UK primary care menopause service takes an audited, evidence-based approach to menopause management.
“To help us get to the bottom of each woman’s symptoms, we offer a doublelength GP appointment, with a 30-minute initial consultation and a 15-minute followup appointment within 8-12 weeks,” adds Dr Benjamin. “This gives us time to fully assess each patient’s medical lifestyle needs and decide on the best, personalised treatment strategy.”
Creating a smart menopause policy for corporates
Dr Benjamin and Dr Cohen also work closely with HCA UK’s top corporate clients, including some of the biggest names in international finance, to help them better support their female employees. “Our interest in occupational health means we can educate HR teams on corporate wellbeing and help drive real change through policy and wellbeing programmes,” says Dr Cohen.
“Getting an appointment with a menopause specialist can be difficult, so we also run inhouse dedicated clinics for corporate clients,” says Dr Benjamin. “To improve accessibility for working women, we offer telemedicine appointments alongside our in-person service.”
Proactive health screening
Catching things early is key to optimal health, so the team offer women a comprehensive health check at the Women’s Health Centre, with a range of reAssure health screening packages to suit their needs.
“A pre-appointment questionnaire gathers insight on family health history and factors such as sleep, emotional well-being, exercise patterns and diet, says Dr Cohen. “One of our GPs then conducts a head-to-toe examination, including breast check, cervical smear, blood tests for liver, kidney and thyroid function, cholesterol, diabetes, inflammation and Vitamin D.”
“It’s all tailored to the individual,” adds Dr Benjamin, “so some patients will also get a pelvic ultrasound or mammogram. And with the HCA UK lab close by, we get results back the same day and can fast-track patients onto the right clinical pathway if an issue comes up.”
They can also add in advanced blood tests and pulse wave velocity (PWV) tests to check for coronary artery disease, directing patients to an endocrinologist, rheumatologist or cardiologist, as required.
“As a first port of call, our GPs have a holistic view and can direct patients to the best specialist for them,” says Dr Cohen. “We help with endometriosis, menstrual cycle issues, breast cancer management and much more. Beyond focusing on breast and gynaecological health, we look at lifestyle, personal and family situations and professional life.”
Collaboration in W1
Excellence is at the heart of HCA UK’s new Women’s Health Centre and, for both doctors, collaboration is key. “We’ll work with oncologists and nutritionists to ensure that patients facing chemotherapy are in their best possible shape and that any underlying conditions such as gastrointestinal issues are dealt with,” Dr Benjamin continues.
“We also have regular meetings to discuss cases, both within the practice and with other medical organisations,” says Dr Cohen. “It ensures we keep expanding our expertise.”
“For our patients’ convenience, we have started working with ‘Pharmacierge’, on Wimpole Street, just one street away from our Harley Street base. They keep good stocks of key medication such as HRT and can deliver prescriptions to the office or home, ideal for working women,” Dr Benjamin concludes. “We’re just so excited about what this new holistic and collaborative approach makes possible.”