Articles
On how we work, and on getting the most from UK healthcare. Written by our clinical team.
Health | Care | Convenience
Our articles are short, practical pieces answering the questions patients most commonly ask. Grouped by service and by theme. Browse below.
Article series
Weight Management
Our Weight Management service uses GLP-1 medications (Mounjaro and Wegovy) alongside practical lifestyle support. Assessments are available online (£249) or in person at Westfield London (£495), with your first month's medication included and dispensed same day. Ongoing care from £245 per month including your medication from our own pharmacy. Begin your assessment.
Understanding GLP-1 treatment
Article series
Menopause
Twelve articles on what is happening to your body, the treatment options including HRT, and how to weigh the risks and benefits clearly. Written to help you make informed decisions, whether you choose to be seen by us, your NHS GP, or both.
For a full overview see our menopause service page.
Understanding menopause
Perimenopause and menopause: what is actually happening
The hormones, the timeline, and what counts as normal.
The symptoms of menopause, and the ones people miss
The common symptoms, and the ones routinely blamed on something else.
Why menopause is so often under-treated
The history behind the caution, and what the evidence says now.
Practicalities
NHS or private menopause care: an honest guide
An even-handed look at both routes, including when the NHS is right for you.
What happens in a menopause assessment, and the Greene Climacteric Scale
The questionnaire, the conversation, the safety checks, and your plan.
Staying with your NHS GP: shared care and the HRT prepayment certificate
Combine private continuity with low-cost NHS prescribing.
HRT and treatment
Body-identical HRT explained: estradiol and progesterone
The two hormones modern HRT is built from, and how they are given.
Vaginal oestrogen for dryness and urinary symptoms
What it is, how it differs from HRT, and how safe it is.
Lifestyle and non-hormonal options for menopause symptoms
The evidence-based non-hormonal options, and what does not work.
Article series
Testosterone
Our Andropause and TRT service is GP-led with endocrinology oversight, integrated with our in-house pharmacy at Westfield London. Assessments are available online (£295) or in person (£495). Full male hormone panel and first month of testosterone included. Ongoing care from £125 per month. Begin your assessment.
Article series
ADHD Assessment, Treatment and Monitoring
12 articles all about adult ADHD. What you need to know and whether you should get assessed.
Article series
Sleep Optimisation
Our Sleep Optimisation service is GP-led with respiratory and sleep consultant oversight. Assessments are available online (£395, WatchPAT One home sleep study included) or in person at Westfield London (£595). Ongoing care from £95 per month, or a structured 12-week Full Sleep Reset programme for £895. Begin your assessment.
Article series
The Sinclair Method
Twelve articles on naltrexone, the evidence, the practicalities, and what to expect.
For a full overview see our Sinclair Method service page.
Article series
Erectile Dysfunction
Nine articles on what causes erectile difficulties, the treatment options, and how to use them safely. No judgement, no assumptions.
For a full overview see our erectile dysfunction service page.
Understanding ED
Erectile dysfunction: what causes it
The physical, medication, and psychological causes, and how we tell them apart.
When ED is a warning sign for your heart
Why ED often shows up before heart trouble, and what to check.
ED and low testosterone: how they overlap
When low testosterone is the cause, when it is not, and when to test.
Treatments
Sildenafil, tadalafil and avanafil compared
Onset, duration, and how to pick the tablet that fits your life.
On-demand vs daily tadalafil: which suits you
The same medicine, two rhythms: spontaneity or simplicity.
What to do when the first ED treatment does not work
Correct use, the right dose, the right drug, and the cause underneath.
Safety
ED medication and nitrates: the one combination to avoid
The one absolute rule, the medicines it covers, and why.
ED medication side effects and how to manage them
The common, mild effects, how to manage them, and the rare emergencies.
ED, alcohol and recreational drugs
What mixes safely, what does not, and the one to avoid completely.
Article series
Contraception
Nine articles on choosing a contraceptive pill, how the different methods work, and how to use them safely. No judgement, no assumptions.
For a full overview see our contraception service page.
Choosing
Choosing a contraceptive pill: combined or progestogen-only
The first decision is whether oestrogen is right for you.
Switching or restarting the pill
How to change pill, or come back to it, without a gap in cover.
Contraception after pregnancy and while breastfeeding
What is safe, and when, from birth through breastfeeding.
The methods
Combined pills: who they suit and who they do not
The benefits beyond contraception, and who should choose differently.
Progestogen-only pills and the modern 24-hour window
Why the newer mini-pill is far more forgiving than its reputation.
Emergency contraception: levonorgestrel vs ulipristal
Which morning-after pill, how long you have, and what works best.
Safety
The pill and blood-clot risk, in proportion
What the VTE numbers actually are, set against everyday risks.
Migraine and the pill: aura is the dividing line
Why aura changes everything, and what you can take instead.
UKMEC explained: how we decide what is safe for you
The national framework behind every contraception decision.
Article series
Hair Loss
Nine articles on what pattern hair loss is, the treatments that work for men and women, and the safety questions worth understanding before you start.
For a full overview see our hair loss service page.
Understanding hair loss
Male and female pattern hair loss: what is happening
The same hormone, acting on follicles that are primed to respond.
Reversible causes of hair loss worth ruling out
Sometimes the thinning has a cause you can put right.
What to realistically expect from hair-loss treatment
Keeping what you have, slowly regrowing some, and the timeline.
Treatments
Finasteride and dutasteride for hair loss
How the DHT-blocking tablets work, and how they differ.
Minoxidil, and the early shedding phase
Why a little more shedding at the start is a good sign.
Combination treatment, and treatment for women
Using treatments together, and what suits female pattern hair loss.
Safety
Finasteride side effects and post-finasteride syndrome, honestly
The real numbers, and the unsettled question we take seriously.
Finasteride and pregnancy: why it matters
The teratogenic risk, and the rule we will not bend.
Hair transplants and medical treatment: how they fit together
Why surgery and tablets usually belong on the same plan.
Article series
STI testing
Nine articles on when to test for STIs, how testing and results actually work, and what treatment involves. No judgement, no assumptions.
For a full overview see our STI testing service page.
When to test
When to test for STIs, and the window periods that matter
The window periods for each STI, and how to time your test.
Testing without symptoms: why it is normal
Why most testing happens with no symptoms at all.
Which STIs to test for, and how each is sampled
What a standard screen covers and how each test is taken.
Testing and results
At-home self-sampling vs testing at the clinic
When home self-sampling works, and when to come in.
What happens if an STI result is positive
Exactly what happens, step by step, after a positive result.
Telling a partner: how partner notification works
How to tell partners, including the anonymous option.
Treatment and safety
STI treatment, and what is included
How each infection is treated and what your care includes.
How often should you test for STIs
How to find a testing rhythm that fits your life.
STIs we refer on: HIV, hepatitis, and where PrEP and PEP come from
HIV, hepatitis, and where to get PrEP and PEP on the NHS.
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Understanding UK healthcare
Written by Dr Seth Rankin. Explaining the system, without taking sides.
How UK healthcare works
How the NHS is structured, funded and staffed, and how the private system fits alongside it.
Navigating UK healthcare
Registering, accessing specialists, prescriptions, and your options as a patient.
A GP's view, from outside and in
Dr Seth Rankin on the NHS and private practice, after years inside both.