Support

At Time to Pause I believe that it is in the best interests of our patients to share information with your GP to ensure continuity of care and the maintenance of your comprehensive medical record. This will involve sharing clinic letters with your GP. I will ask for your consent to do this. 

At Time to Pause, I usually use body identical HRT as my first-line choice for those who opt to trial HRT. Body identical HRT refers to regulated, authorised (by the MHRA) HRT products which are derived from the Yam plant and are molecularly identical to ovarian reproductive hormones. It is deemed the most effective and safest type of HRT currently available for the vast majority of women.

Occasionally other types of HRT may be considered for an individual (e.g. older, synthetic types of HRT) but this would always be carefully explained to the patient and all products prescribed are regulated and authorized. 

I offer face to face at my Holly Grange Clinic and online. If you think you will need an examination then please book a face-to-face appointment and make sure this is mentioned on booking. Thus, I can make sure there will be a chaperone present if needed.  

Contraception consultations can be carried out online but obviously coils and implants will need to be booked face to face and I ask that you email me to book these in as I will need a health care assistant with me.  

Cervical smears can also be booked by emailing me 

My ‘know your numbers clinic’ can be carried out face to face or online. I will ask for your blood results in advance when you email to book in and Blood pressure. 

Occasionally I can arrange a phone call but this will be at my discretion. 

Yes. I have partnered with Nationwide Pathology, who provide phlebotomy clinics all over the UK. Results come direct to us and then I am able to share these with you. I also intend to provide onsite phlebotomy sessions at our clinic in Balsall Common in the very near future. 

For most women the diagnosis of menopause is a clinical one based on age, symptoms and a change in menstrual pattern. In women aged > 45 years, the diagnosis is a clinical one made by the doctor. However young women aged < 40 require blood tests to be taken to establish a diagnosis of Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI).  

Additional blood tests may be suggested to exclude other causes for symptoms such as anaemia or an underactive thyroid gland. This will be discussed in full at the consultation.  

Blood tests may also be requested as part of  ‘Know your numbers’ check up if they are not already available. 

Women who are prescribed Testosterone will require blood tests 3 months after commencing treatment and usually annually thereafter. 

I can refer patients for a private ultrasound at Health Lodge in Knowle or any other private hospital of your choice. 

I have also partnered with Ultrasound Direct giving you access to in excess of 70 ultrasound clinics throughout the UK. I make referrals to them where appropriate and the results come direct to your us who can share them with you.  

A gynaecologist must complete full membership exams with the Royal College of Obstetrics & Gynaecologists and is a registered surgeon. A GP must complete full membership exams with the Royal College of General Practitioners. Those who wish to specialise in women’s health will then generally go on to achieve an additional Diploma with the Royal College of Obstetrics & Gynaecologists and/or the Faculty of Sexual & Reproductive Health. They may also seek to obtain certification in specific women’s health procedures and specialised academic areas of interest. 

If you need a referral, I will write directly to your registered GP informing them of this. This also applies If I feel you need an Urgent referral for Suspicion of Cancer on a 2 week wait pathway. I will aim to contact your GP on the same day. 

Following your initial consultation, I strongly recommend that any prescriptions should initially be provided by me on a private basis. This is so that you can be sure the medication that is prescribed is what has been discussed and agreed with you and so I know you have enough to last you for the next 3 months. This arrangement also enables you to get your HRT and be able to start using it within 24-48 hours.  

Once you are settled on your HRT, then you may choose to approach your GP surgery about them taking over the prescriptions. Whilst I aim to advocate for you in this situation, I must respect the fact that each GP will have their own views and opinions regarding the medical advice I have given you, and I cannot dictate or guarantee any particular outcome. I aim for my clinic letters to be comprehensive and reassuring for any GP to refer to. 

Depending on the individual circumstances, most GPs are willing to consider prescriptions for oestrogen HRT, progesterone and vaginal hormones. However, some specific products I advise may not be on your GP surgery’s local formulary. Testosterone replacement for females remains an area of uncertainty within the NHS currently. There are widespread geographical variations in whether GP surgeries are prepared to issue some of the testosterone products that are licensed for males, at the dose that I advise for females. Currently, GP surgeries cannot prescribe Androfeme. 

No. The Prepayment certificate does not cover private prescriptions. Please also be aware it does not cover testosterone prescriptions. For further details please use the following link: 

https://www.gov.uk/get-a-ppc/hrt-ppc 

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My company is regulated by the Care Quality Commission. I am also licensed with the General Medical Council and registered on the UK National Performers List as a minimum. 

Upon confirmation of your appointment we will ask you to complete 2 short questionnaires ahead of your consultation. One is the Menopause Symptom Questionnaire to give us a record of your current symptoms. This is useful for prioritizing your care and for monitoring your progress. The other contains questions about any significant medical history which helps us better prepare for your consultation. We will also ask you to provide any recent relevant blood test results if you already have some and to obtain an up to date blood pressure reading. At the beginning of your initial consultation, we will also ask for photographic ID in the form of passport or driving license. 

It is very common to have questions after your first consultation, that’s why your initial consultation covers the cost of an email within 8 weeks of your initial appointment. 

We offer full refunds if there is a change or cancellation to your booking three full working days (72 hours, not including weekends) in advance of the appointment. Please see our Terms and Conditions. If you wish to reschedule an appointment within this 72 hour window this may be possible, there will be an administration charge to cover our costs, as we may not be able to fill an appointment at short notice. Should you cancel an appointment with less than three full working days (72 hours, not including weekends) of an appointment then we are unable to offer a refund. This is because it is unlikely, we will be able to rebook the missing slot. Refunds are returned via your original payment method and can take up to 10 days to complete, this is governed by our payment system and cannot be expedited. 

Please see the cancellation policy

The admin charge covers the costs of the time required from a doctor to prepare the script (which is a legal document). There is not an admin fee for your first prescription with your initial consultation at Time To Pause.

Yes there is. There is one allocated parking space for clients right outside the clinic. So you do not need to worry about parking. 

Yes there is. My clinic room is on the ground floor and can be accessed from a ramp at the side of the building. Please let me know if you need disabled access and I make sure I greet you at the right door. 

Unfortunately, new patients who live outside the UK cannot be seen by me because my medical indemnity insurance only covers patients who are on UK soil at the time of the appointment. I will ask you to confirm this as part of my initial questionnaire. 

Menopause consultations are currently not usually covered by private insurance companies as the Peri-Menopause and Menopause are seen as a naturally occurring condition.  

As a result I am not registered with any private insurance companies and all costs are therefore on a self-pay basis, with payment taken at booking. 

I still work in the NHS and I am absolutely dedicated to providing high quality menopause care for all women. I am also passionate about improving women’s health care across the board. I know that sometimes though women would like a bit more time and specialist expertise, time is not available on the NHS including most NHS menopause clinics and this is why I established Time To Pause.