Perimenopause, Menopause & Post-Menopause Clinic
Have you read about the symptoms of the perimenopause and menopause, and felt these reflected your own experiences? Have you already tried HRT and some over the counter medications to improve symptoms? Or do you simply want to explore your hormone health further?
Lexie established Minter et Al to help women just like you!
We are all so individual and respond to hormones very differently, and so it can take time to find a treatment plan that suits you. With Lexie’s background working in the NHS and private sector as a nurse practitioner, midwife and in A&E, she is well-place to examine and understand your individual health history. Beth has specialised in women’s health in primary care for 16 years and brings NHS and private practice clinical knowledge to the team, focused on providing the proactive management of perimenopause and menopause. Both Lexie & Beth invest their time updating their clinical practice, studying and attending conferences to ensure they can support you with the most up to date evidence and research in this field! Dr Colinette Margerison is a very experienced GP with specialist training in contraception, women’s health, gynaecology and menopause.
Working with you, the Minter et Al team will help you to navigate the plethora of treatment options available and come to a recommendation based on your own preferences and choices.
Our consultations can cover
- Peri-menopause and the transition to menopause
- Menopause hormone replacement including testosterone supplementation
- Surgical menopause
- Medically induced menopause
- Menopause after cancer
- Menopause for those who have been told they cannot have HRT
- Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) management
- Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS/PMT) care
- Blood tests for hormone checks
- Private prescriptions
- Liaising with your NHS practice for ongoing care
- Annual reviews
- Continuing care from other clinics or specialists.
- Imitation of testosterone
- Corporate care, talks and packages.
The following is an outline of what you can expect on your hormone optimisation journey when working with Minter et Al.
You can book a consultation face-to-face (at Lloyd’s of London or One Ashford Hospital) or virtually at a time to suit you.
You can book via our online booking page at any time of the day or night, or by calling 0333 242 3182.
Please note, payment for your appointment is taken at the time of the booking.
Following your booking, you will receive an email confirmation.
All confirmation emails will include a link to a medical history form and a symptom survey form, which we ask you to complete in advance of your appointment. These questionnaires help us to understand more about you and your medical history so that she can think in advance of your appointment about the best possible treatment plan moving forward, making the best use of your consultation time. Whilst the medical history form takes time to complete it is worth putting in as much detail as you can so we can take a holistic approach to your treatment plan.
If you have chosen a video consultation, your confirmation email will also contain a link for you to click on at the time of the consultation.You do not need to have access to Microsoft Teams or Zoom.
If you have chosen an in-person consultation at Lloyd’s of London or One Ashford Hospital you will receive details on access, transport etc in your confirmation email.
Before your consultation you will receive further reminder emails and SMS messages.
The consultation is unique to you. It is your opportunity to discuss how you feel, your symptoms, what treatments (if any) you have already tried, and what you hope to gain as a result of your consultation.
The Beginning
For video consultations, simply click on the link in the email at your booked time to start your appointment. You will then be taken to a Virtual Waiting Room. We will enter from our side and there you meet – no travel, no parking, no stress!
In person consultations take place at Lloyds of London and One Ashford Hospital.
The Middle
We will ask you a lot of questions! These are to learn about you, your medical history, what medication you take, your allergies, how you live your life, what is important to you, your family and social history and also the story of you as a female through the many hormonal challenges of life. This is all to ensure she can advise you on the best treatment for you.
We will also ask about your own understanding of hormones and menopause, so she can build on what you already know. If you do not know much, that’s not a problem, we are happy to share! She will send information sheets in advance of your consultation and provide links after.
The End
At the end of your consultation, we will clearly explain what treatment we thinks will work best for you. In keeping with British Menopause Society and International Menopause Society guidelines, we’ll prescribe Body Identical HRT. This is backed by research and evidence and can be prescribed on the NHS.
If you agree with the treatment plan, we will write a prescription, which will be sent electronically to an online pharmacy called The Independent Pharmacy.
There is no additional cost for this prescription but we will provide you with the pharmacy’s contact information so you can make payment and agree the delivery address. The cost is variable, but as a rough guide, a 3 month prescription of HRT is currently around £60-£70.
For those patients having their consultation at One Ashford Hospital there is an onsite pharmacy, and your prescription can be paid for and collected after your appointment. They keep a good supply of HRT and will post additional items as needed.
We will advise when you should be seen for a follow up appointment.
After your appointment, you will receive a consultation summary with clear instructions as to how you should use your medication when it arrives. This will come as a shared document from our medical records system.
For online prescriptions and Lloyds’ of London patients, once The Independent Pharmacy have taken payment for the medication, your prescription will be posted to you First Class and will usually arrive within 24-48 hours, ready for you to start.
We will also write a letter to your GP within 10 days following your appointment.
NB: Please note that we are aiming to be more environmentally and security conscious, and will no longer be posting letters. Moving forward we will request your GP’s email address. If you are unable to provide this, we will ask you to print off a copy of your letter and hand it into your surgery.
Please complete the GP email details here:
Blood tests are not always necessary.
For women aged 45 or above, no blood test is needed to diagnose the menopause. Sometimes in women aged 40-45 blood tests are useful to exclude other causes of the symptoms and in women aged 40 or under, blood tests are required to make a diagnosis of Premature Ovarian Insufficiency.
Some women will be advised to have a blood test to exclude anaemia, an under active thyroid gland or Vitamin D deficiency. The symptoms of these conditions are similar to those of the menopause and are common in midlife and can be easily treated.
For the One Ashford clinic, blood tests can be done at the time of your consultation, and the team will take payment onsite.
For the Lloyds’ of London Clinic and Virtual Clinic, blood tests will be requested through our nurse at home service (this is the same price as in-clinic blood tests), who will then be in touch to arrange a time, date and location that suits you. An invoice will be sent for your blood tests when they are requested.
The cost of the blood test is in addition to the consultation fee. You will be told the cost of the blood test before this is booked. Prices for blood tests are available on here.
The results of blood tests are usually received and processed within 7 days. We will share these results with you and if all is well we will discuss them in more detail at your next appointment. If there are any results that are out of the ‘normal’ ranges (bear in mind the ranges are based on men aged between 18-35 so we expect some slightly out of range) we will send explanation of what they mean and advice on a plan of action if this is required.
We recommend a follow up consultation after 3 months, which is the average length of time that it takes for the full effects of HRT to be established.
This follow-up appointment is a chance to assess your response to HRT and to check for any side effects. A discussion about vaginal symptoms, libido, sexual satisfaction etc is often incorporated into this consultation and the role of testosterone in normal female sexual function will be discussed if appropriate.
If required, we will make adjustments to your dose or type of HRT at this appointment. If a change to the HRT regime has been made, you will be recommended to be seen for review again in 3 months to assess your response.
If no alteration has been made to your HRT, we will make a follow up appointment with you for 6 months. At this point, if everything is stable, an annual review is all that is required.
It may be that you will have had an opportunity to discuss your care with your GP. If your GP is happy to continue with prescribing your HRT, you can be discharged to the care of your GP for annual review. Even if you are discharged to be followed up by your GP, you can come back anytime. You are always welcome!
If, however you prefer to be followed up by our team, or your GP has declined to prescribe your HRT, we are very happy to continue to prescribe your medication on an ongoing basis and see you for an annual review or at any time as required.
Please note that prescription requests between appointments carry an admin fee of £35.
