Radio 4 and Sheffield on the Menopause All This Week. 15/1

[Terrylene]

Womans Hour on BBC R4 and Paulette on BBC Radio Sheffield are covering menopause all week.

You can catch up here www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb/episodes/player

and here www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05rt54l

It has been very informative so far, and today has been quite useful on the mental health front.

Hi - yesterday featured the results of a survey and GP menopause specialist, Louise Newson who was very informative and helpful. I wish I lived near Birmingham!

Today, we have Mental Health and Relationships and Heather Currie (always worth listening to)

Popular private drs and consultants have patients who come from all over the UK and even overseas. Brum is pretty central is someone wanted a one-off appt.

It is a good 3 hours for me. I live in the arse-end.

Someone highlighted the lack of menopause clinics in the South West of the country on Monday. There was also some interesting information about how and where GPs got their training.

There are private meno consultants in the SW but not NHS. Not a cat in hell's chance of meno clinics being set up by the NHS as things stand. Anyone who is desperate should try to get to London for a one-off private appt if they can.

Do you know what the best things to look for in a Private Consultant are?

I am interested because my GP surgery is not very good for Women's health (except for the smears of course - they all say that under Womens Health, and some of them only say that.)

At the moment, my best method has to been to read up extensively on Menopause Matters, BMS and Womens Health Concern, NICE etc, and then to go to the locum and ask for what I want.

well first of all you need one who has an interest in menopause (because not all gynaes do...some specialise more in surgery, endo, that kind of thing...)

Word of mouth is a good way- recommendation but I don't think it's a good idea to put names on forums because there is a risk of people discussing the consultant (positively and negatively) which can get into libel territory if it turns nasty.

It's best to look at the private hospitals or women's health centres (if any) in your area, look under the headings of Consultants, and see who they have or do a google search putting in search terms ' eg menopause gynaecologists Exeter, Bristol, Taunton, wherever you happen to be. Most consultants have their own websites now.

If you want to PM me I may be able to help further- depends where you are in the SW or if you are able to get to LOndon.

I may well take you up on that in the next year, when I am anticipating problems

Meanwhile, I hope the information helps others in the same boat.

Looking forward to tomorrow's broadcast: Menopause and Work.

Thank you for the links: looking forward to listening.