Dr Chatterjee’s Do Health

[MiddleAgedButterfly]

Has anyone else signed up to Dr Chatterjee’s “Do Health”?
I had my first bloods taken today along with BP weight height etc.

Not sure why you say ‘good luck with that’ about getting blood tests done with your GP. I have blood tests regularly with my GP to keep an eye on all sorts of things. If you want to spend ££s to get yours done, that’s fine, but please don’t poo-poo the fact that the NHS provides plenty of free support for many of the things you’re paying for. It’s your choice to pay, it’s mine to see my GP.

I’ve just ‘joined’ (if that’s the right word!) Do Health.

I had my blood tests Thursday, and the results were with me Friday afternoon, I had expected it to the early next week given the weekend, so this is excellent.

I had a choice of 3 or 4 clinics within 20 miles of where I live, the two city centre ones were booked up for the foreseeable but my closest one had loads of availability.

The blood test was easy and on time. Lovely nurse (we might have chatted for ages afterwards!). Weight, height, blood pressure and pulse etc plus bloods. All very easy.

I’ve used a couple of these private health/blood tests offerings before. Thriva
and one specific to sports. Do Health is easily the best I’ve used. The App is SO user friendly it’s unreal, the results and explanations of each bio marker are great.

I’m 6 years younger than my biological age - I was expecting to be younger as I run and train an awful lot and my diet is on point. I have things to work on re MH though and these are my action points for the tweak - some breath work related things and also eating my carbs last during a meal.

So far, it’s only been a positive experience.

I’m 6 years younger than my biological age

You really aren't.

Fair enough @GertyFreely, badly worded post. I fully appreciate I’m not actually 6 years younger than my age.

That said, the blood markers measured during the test would indicate the things I do for my own health (that are within my control, obviously) are giving me the best possible chance of living with good quality of life as I age.

This is important to me as I am now a full time carer for my DH, who at 60 had a massive health related life event, some (probably most, in truth) of which were related to lifestyle issues. I’d like to be as fit and strong as possible for as long as possible for him too.

That's perfectly understandable @needastrongone

There are many ways of achieving your aims - and I'm sure you are aware of them. I just worry that Dr C is using his platform and charisma to create a market for something that isn't necessary.

All the best to you and your DH.

Thank you @GertyFreely, I appreciate the post. I’m pretty neutral towards him as a person in truth, no strong feelings either way but the platform (whoever designed it, clearly not him) is good and it suits me personally to access health information for me this way. Some of my habits immediately after DH’s event were less than healthy although perhaps understandable.

There’s a wealth of health ‘optimisation’ stuff out there, I agree.

Since he started, Dr C's schtick has always focused on how you can feel better, get healthier by improving your lifestyle. On his first tv series he helped a woman who had been on painkillers for years, he got her drug free and pain free by looking at her life, diet, exercise - everything. I was impressed by his empathetic and non-judgemental approach, gradually introducing commons-sense, easily manageable changes that can transform lives. There is a podcast for almost every ailment you can think of and I have recommended his books to many friends.

I have annual blood tests, but only the ones needed for the GP to monitor my medication, they are nowhere near as comprehensive as the full range that have been done for Do Health, and I imagine that if I asked the surgery for this full test screening I would be directed to a private clinic. According to the British Blood Testing Service a full blood screening costs from £200-300, so what Do Health are charging seems a fair price. I hardly think he will be raking in millions through this, especially as there are other doctors involved in it as well, plus whoever is running the app and the clinic who is doing the testing.

There are plenty of snake oil salesmen out there scamming people and selling fake wellness and magic cures, Dr C is not one of them, in fact he is the antidote to them.

I would love to do this. I've just joined the waitlist, but if anyone has a referral code I'd be very grateful.

I have annual blood tests, but only the ones needed for the GP to monitor my medication, they are nowhere near as comprehensive as the full range that have been done for Do Health

Maybe that's because they're not necessary?

Join me on Do Health and skip the waitlist! Three blood tests annually with clear, personal action plans. Stop guessing. Start doing.
https://checkout.dohealth.co/invite?code=DH-TKURXNWC

@Carriemacthanks so much! I’m booked for next week as I’ve got a bit of a chesty cough, tail end of the flu, and it says to wait if you’re not feeling well.

Define 'necessary'. These tests aren't life saving but they give useful pointers to people who want to lead as healthy a life as we can, as we age, so as improve our own well being. You would have thought that the NHS would want this too as it has the potential to reduce pressure on the NHS in future for a relatively low cost.

I'm sorry that you have nothing more worthwhile to do than come on here and sneer at those of us who want to be and to stay well, but there we are.

You’re really welcome . I’ve started some small changes and some supplements and adding in one to tow new habits a week so will be interesting to see my tests in 4 months

I'm sorry that you have nothing more worthwhile to do than come on here and sneer at those of us who want to be and to stay well, but there we are.

I haven't sneered at anyone. The fact that you think I have suggests you're not comfortable with your decision. Everyone wants to be healthy but some of us are questioning whether we need Dr C's blood tests and his AI app.

Does anyone know how long the waitlist is? I signed up about 10 days ago and am getting marketing emails but nothing that allows me to book blood tests.

Tbh I find the 'waitlist' aspect really off-putting. He's a doctor and is basing this business (which I absolutely think is filling a really important gap and is a good thing) on his reputation as a trustworthy medical professional. I want to join and I think it'll be really useful for me as a midlife woman with several small issues of concern to keep an eye on, which don't always warrant the rigmarole of trying to get a GP appointment, but I don't like this artificial hype / scarcity element of a waitlist, which can be bypassed if you refer your friends! (thus adding to the waitlist...) It feels a bit off to me, like some dodgy MLM scheme.

(I'm also a bit allergic to the word 'waitlist' which is a social media Americanism. In the NHS they're called waiting lists and are not a good thing!!)

Anyway, that aside - any idea how long I'll be waiting? Does it vary from region to region?

@HumbleWarrior you can use this and see if it offers you faster option Join me on Do Health and skip the waitlist! Three blood tests annually with clear, personal action plans. Stop guessing. Start doing.

https://checkout.dohealth.co/invite?code=DH-PC6JAA4K

I don't fully understand how the wait list works and if it is necessary or not. I waited and joined earlier when there was not any advertising just this thread prompted me. At that stage it seemed quite soft launch and I could understand a list Im not so sure now. I think the region bit determined how long you have to wait between booking and having blood test due to availability in your area. I was London and booked for within a day or two.

Tbh the app isn't live changing for me I signed up it would be I wanted the blood tests and it was cheaper than other places. The results of these have finally got my doctor listening to me and ordering follow up tests and making referrals so in that way it was life changing after after years of being fobbed off. I'm going to keep using the app and login the horrid and see if it does help long term as they are small changes so I expect take longer to have an affect

How much is it op?

Thank you so much for the code @greencrab ! Just signed up - still slightly annoyed at the gatekeeping / insider-club aspect but very grateful to you to for bumping me up the list.

My nearest blood test centre is quite a distance away and they don't have availability until the end of next week, but I've chosen a date in early July as we're going away and I don't want to be stressing about any irregularities while I'm on holiday. I think I'm in peak perimenopause just now and low mood/anxiety have been really problematic lately. It feels good to have this booked in and ready to put into action when I get back. (It'll also encourage me not to go off the rails and and eat like a sugar-crazed toddler while I'm away - a recent high cholesterol test is one of the reasons I'm keen to do this!) Thank you again 💐

As I understand it, it's £249 for a year, which includes 3 blood tests, 4 months apart. I've used Thriva for blood tests before and paid well over £100 (can't remember the exact sum) for about 4 markers to be tested, so this seems like good value to me. I also had to identify which markers I wanted to look at, but obviously you don't know what you don't know and each marker has a cost (some more expensive than others) so I never felt it was that comprehensive.

Yes I was surprised by the waiting list part, and agree with you that personally I’m not a fan of those tactics if they’re used in a manipulative way.

But I think they’re actually doing this at the moment to restrict numbers while they scale the app, and get it working optimally - which makes sense to me. They’ve recently sent out a feedback questionnaire which then linked to a page where people can suggest changes / new features / things that aren’t working etc and seem to be starting to implement these. Doing this with a smaller cohort is much easier than with thousands of people all having the same issues.

If anyone else is in the same situation and wants a code to get them off the waitlist I’ve got 3 that I’m happy to share.

How much does it cost ..

I signed up last month and was moved off the waiting list very quickly, even though I didn't have an introduction code. It may depend whereabouts in the country you are.

I have some codes to pass on if anyone would like them.

£249 for a year with fathers blood tests and the app.

Yes it does seem to, I guess they want a certain minimum number of people using each test centre to check that they all run smoothly.

I would think it's to give an air of exclusivity A common marketing tactic.