Has anyone used the BUPA menopause plan?

[CatNamedEaster]

Thinking of signing up for it but I can't decide if it is worth the cost; I don't mean "is it worth £250 to start on the road to the right HRT and stop feeling like a shitty, shouty parent and human in general" (because I'd pay a lot more for that if I had to), I mean more that is it providing anything I can't get from the GP if I had the energy to really push for correct treatment?

Problem is that I am so tired and overwhelmed and unable to make decisions that even if everything it offers is what I should be able to access through the GP then I think maybe I should sign up anyway? As I don't have the ability to fight a GP?

Ha ha can you tell that procrastination is a huge problem for me that's got even worse through peri-menopause?

I don't know anything about the BUPA plan but I do go to a private specialist clinic for my HRT. The advantages are that you have more time with a doctor to talk about your symptoms and treatment is tailored to you. I had blood tests before starting to establish a baseline and then more after three months to see how I was responding. I have needed testosterone in addition to oestrogen (no progesterone as had hysterectomy) and this is not routinely prescribed on NHS.

I think someone was on loose women last week talking about how under-prescribed testosterone is for the menopause.

That's useful to hear, thank you. I just don't think I have the ability to work out exactly what I need (which is what everyone seems to advise before seeing a GP). I can't even remember most of what I've read in books I've borrowed from the library!

It doesn't mention anything about blood tests. I know they aren't required for menopause itself but it would be good to get readings in case of any issues related or unrelated.

It says you do a questionnaire, have an initial 45min appt, a care plan including any prescriptions/referrals to specialists (I guess the referrals themselves aren't included in the price) then a follow up appt after 3 months and access to the helpline for a year.

@CatNamedEaster I did look at this simply as someone here -or elsewhere- mentioned it.

I thought it only included consultations with a GP who listened and gave advice, but didn't prescribe? I'd query that.

It's not cheap but it's slightly cheaper than a private consultant.

I pay for my own and it works out as not much more than £400pa for 2 appts with a top consultant gynaecologist. So I don't just get 'meno' support, it's anything else that might need discussing.

I pay for my own HRT and it's around £12-14 a month which is cheaper than NHS prescriptions.

You ought to find that most private appts with consultants are £250-ish then slightly less for follow-on routine.

Yes I need to look at it in detail as it mentioned that they can sort out any referrals/prescriptions but there was an asterisk so not sure how limited that part of it is!

Thanks for telling me what you do. I need to look at whether the private option might be more worthwhile than the BUPA plan which would only be for 12 months anyway.

@JinglingHellsBells, when you say you pay for your own, what do you mean?
(I recently moved back to the UK from abroad, and I'm having trouble navigating what I think we'll need in terms of healthcare. I recently had Covid with chest pains, and my NHS GP didn't even bother to call me back, so I know I need to take matters into my own hands!)
I like the idea of paying privately for a consultant and prescriptions for things like menopause, rather than paying for private health insurance, where the premiums rise, and you have to reimburse claims anyway (that seems crazy to me).
@CatNamedEaster apologies for the small hijack. I hope you get answers, and I'm very invested in reading them too. I am also shouty, and so anxious I can barely sleep some nights, and I often really hate myself, as well as lots of other people! So I can't be bothered to fight with a GP either...

@CatNamedEaster Private insurance won't cover you for menopause. (Someone did post here recently saying hers did - think it was a company policy- but most won't including mine.)

Pay for my own- my HRT. In the UK you get free prescriptions when you reach 60. Otherwise it's £9-something for each item. So some women are paying £9 x 2 as it's estrogen and progestogen they get.

Having said that they are changing the rules sometime so women using HRT will only pay a single small charge annually no matter how much they get.

But my HRT is prescribed on a private prescription from my consultant.

You can see a consultant once, who then (may) write to your GP with their recommendations (for the prescription) and your GP takes it over. But that means your GP is then responsible for your meno treatment.

Sorry to hear about your experience with chest pain!

Thanks Jingling I appreciate your reply.

I would just talk to your GP in the first instance. Might save you £250. I found mind immensely helpful, she gave me patches which are definitely helping (3 months in)

So many of you sound like me, it’s so hard getting anywhere with the doctors. I’ve not been having a great time, I’m now in antidepressants, 3 sachets of gel every day and then progesterone for 2 weeks which make me feel sick and dizzy. I’m still getting symptoms so now been put on blood pressure tablets which are meant to help with night sweats. I’m fed up with keep trying and failing different things. I’m so tired, stressed and like somebody else said have days I totally hate myself and think what’s the point.

I was looking at the Bupa Menopause Plan today too and decided to come back to Mumsnet to see what advice there is and see what everyone else is doing.
I must be peri. I’m 49, my periods are becoming unpredictable which has never happened before. I’m over a week late and still feel so bloated and, for some of my cycle, if I feel the need to pee I have to get to the loo as soon as possible.
I would just like to chat with a doctor and work out options for now. It’s very hard to get a GP appointment locally with the ongoing Covid restrictions and it seems so hit and miss with GPs if they take menopause seriously or not.
I have no opinion or advice or even question. Just voicing my confusion really.

Going back to the OP @CatNamedEaster and others, it's just not clear if this is a plan you can buy from them if you don't already have insurance with them. It says it's not included in their plan but is an extra.

This suggests you already need to be insured with them- needs clarifying.

Also, the small print is you get a 45 min chat with a GP and any other chats with a nurse for the year.

The GP will write a prescription, but it is a private prescription. you would pay for the items at cost, not the NHS prescription charge.

IMO it's not much better (or maybe worse) value than you might get from a menopause consultant, other than the access to a nurse over the year.

Agree with the last post. Definitely worth trying your regular GP first. Mine was very straightforward and helpful.

Sorry for ignoring this thread, I forgot about it.

I do have BUPA through work but I'm seeing a GP first to see how helpful they will be. Apparently the one I'm seeing is the one that knows more than the others in our practice, so fingers crossed. There's just so much information out there that I hope she will help to break down what options will be right for my circumstances.

Really sympathise with you Queenie24. I was reading another meno thread with women saying how they need to tweak their HRT over several months to get the right fit, and that feels almost as overwhelming a prospect as my current symptoms, to potentially feel shit in different ways and to have to try and use my brain to work out how to tweak and improve it!!

Hi, I had my appointment with bupa and got a prescription for my HRT within 10 minutes of ending the conversation. Also got a referral for to give to my doctor. The doctor was very helpful and gave me lots of information.