Statement of Purpose
Preventative Health Doctors Ltd,
Trading as ‘The Men’s Health Clinic’
Preventative Health Doctors is a private medical company owned by Medical Director Dr Robert Stevens MBChB MRCGP Dip.FIPT and Company Director Lydia Hughes. Its aim is to help people lead healthy and active lives, allowing them to make informed decisions about their health and improve compliance with increased autonomy. The focus of the company is on prevention rather than cure. Our first project is addressing men’s health and so we are currently trading as ‘The Men’s Health Clinic’, under the umbrella company of Preventative Health Doctors Limited.
The aim of The Men’s Health Clinic is to bring men’s health issues to the forefront and allow men to access medical services in a manner that is acceptable to them and their needs, and at a location convenient and accessible to them. Men are typically poor at engaging with men’s health issues and there are a number of reasons behind this. These include:-
- The lack of awareness surrounding men’s health.
- Preconceived perceptions about the care they will receive.
- Stigma around seeking medical attention when it is available.
- Access to medical services is traditionally in working hours.
The Men’s Health Clinic’s primary focus is diagnosing male hypogonadism and treating men with Testosterone Replacement Therapy where indicated. We also have the potential to offer other medical services within the scope and competence of the clinic. We are looking to provide diagnostic services for both nutritional deficiencies and sleep disorders to provide a more holistic approach to patient care. Again, the focus is on prevention rather than cure so that men can lead both active and healthy lifestyles, improving both quality and quantity of life.
The target population is all men, more specifically males over 30 who are more likely to have health issues such as low testosterone. Patients have access to information surrounding men’s health through a number of sources. These include our website, our blog articles, The Men’s Health Clinic Facebook page, our ‘TRT in the UK’ closed Facebook group (forum), increased media attention surrounding pertinent issues, and more generally word of mouth and internet searches. Increased awareness through education is likely to improve compliance and adherence with the medical services provided.
The NHS is free at point of contact and it provides care to the whole population in need of its service. This is pivotal to its success, however, its generalism can also be its downfall. If a patient is paying for a service, they expect it to be tailored to their particular needs and nothing else. The Men’s Health Clinic provides them with that assurance and will not deviate from this due to government agenda or guidelines, hence a private confidential men’s health clinic is a more attractive proposition to some men.
Part of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) role, is to advise the NHS on the cost-effectiveness of current treatments, the NHS is apportioned a budget which needs to deliver care to all areas of healthcare. Sometimes the perceived benefits to the population override the potential benefits to an individual. It is widely accepted that testosterone is integral to men’s health, the physical and psychological health benefits of having an optimal level can be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively, yet there also seems to be a reluctance to prescribe testosterone even when a patient has a quantified low level.
The success of treatments is also measured by outcomes, if there is already evidence to support the use of another treatment in achieving the desired outcome, then it makes sense to use the treatment with more validated clinical evidence behind it, rather than a newer treatment. That does not mean the older treatment is better, it just means that there is more weighted evidence supporting the use of that treatment to achieve the predetermined measurable outcome.
To demonstrate effectiveness and justify use of treatment the outcomes need be quantifiable. This is rather a simplistic way of looking at overall health, which is a far more complex measurement. Also, the lack of long term data surrounding a newer treatment may make it seem less viable when in fact its benefits far exceed that of a treatment whose sole purpose is to affect one outcome. Testosterone is a hormone, so its effects are wide reaching, there are lots of quantifiable outcomes.
Here at The Men’s Health Clinic we are open and transparent about the services we provide, why we provide them and what benefits and risks there are to the treatments we offer. We are also open and transparent about cost from the outset so that the patient can budget appropriately.
The aims and objectives of The Men’s Health Clinic are clearly defined on our website – www.themenshealthclinic.co.uk. Every care and attention is made to ensure that our patient’s health and well-being is the primary focus of the clinic.
All patient data obtained and stored is done so in accordance with current GDPR guidelines.
Patients have the option of being seen in clinic or at home according to their needs. Appointments are pre-booked by contacting the appointment booking line on (to be confirmed).
We currently offer the following services to our patients:
TRT Consultations
The aim of this consultation is to address Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (TDS). Males do not have a definitive cut off point where the testicles fail to produce testosterone, instead they have a gradual decline in testosterone production typically after the age of 30. This can happen sooner due to TDS and the cause is often multifactorial.
Symptoms of low testosterone include lethargy, low mood, loss of lean muscle mass, increased visceral body fat, decreased bone mass, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction.
The obvious benefits of Testosterone Replacement Therapy include increased energy, improved mood, increased lean muscle mass, decreased body fat, increased bone mass, improved sex drive and erectile function. These can be measured in a qualitative manner through the AMS, IIEF-5 questionnaires and blood investigations such as testosterone.
It seems counter intuitive that we prescribe HRT to females without laboratory confirmation of a quantitative reduction in oestrogen levels, yet we do not routinely offer Testosterone Replacement Therapy to men when we can identify a quantitative drop.
Blood Investigations
Our patients have a choice of blood packages that most suit their needs. The blood sample can either be taken in clinic during their consultation, or via an online diagnostic service such as Medichecks, with whom we have an affiliate relationship.
Additional Diagnostic Services
We are looking to add additional diagnostic services which include specialist nutritional deficiency testing and diagnosis of sleep disturbance issues with home sleep studies. These will be done through affiliate relationships with other external companies.
Registered Manager:
Dr Robert D Stevens MBChB MRCGP Dip.FIPT
Medical Director of Preventative Health Doctors Ltd, trading as ‘The Men’s Health Clinic’
GMC Number: 4426594
Contact Telephone Number: 01202 091593
Contact Email Address: info@themenshealthclinic.co.uk
CQC Manager ID: 1-103250039
Service Provider:
Name: Preventative Health Doctors Limited, trading as ‘The Men’s Health Clinic’
Legal Status: Organisation
Companies House Number: 09325917
Registered Business Address: 4 Eastbrook House, East Street, Wimborne, Dorset, England, BH21 1DX
Telephone Number: 01202 091593
Email Address: info@themenshealthclinic.co.uk
CQC Provider ID: 1-2202225257
Service Location:
The Men’s Health Clinic, 9-10 Longham Business Park, 168 Ringwood Road, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 9BU. Home Visits are also available and are organised on a case by case basis.
Staff:
Staff are treated with dignity and respect at all times. Openness and transparency is encouraged to help maintain a healthy work environment and deliver an effective service. They work in an environment free from discrimination that expects equality and fairness. The service demands a high level of professionalism and teamwork in order to provide a quality service that supports training and professional development. The Men’s Health Clinic is committed to continually improving its service staff as well as patients.
Updated June 2019