Support
Dr Hazel Skin Solutions
Everything practical: how prescriptions work, what to expect from the admin side of your care, and where to find trustworthy information between appointments.
Prescriptions
Your first prescription
After your initial consultation, Dr Hazel will normally issue your first prescription herself, privately, covering around three months. There are good reasons for doing it this way. You receive exactly what was discussed and agreed in your appointment rather than a variation of it. Dr Hazel knows you have enough to get you comfortably to your first review. And in practical terms it means you can usually start treatment within a day or two, instead of waiting.Moving your prescription to your GP
Once you are settled on treatment, you may want to ask your GP surgery to take over prescribing. Many women do, and Dr Hazel will support you in it. Her clinic letters are written to be thorough enough for any GP to prescribe from with confidence. What she cannot do is guarantee the outcome. Every GP forms their own clinical view, and some products are not on every surgery’s local formulary. In practice, most surgeries will consider taking over oestrogen, progestogen and vaginal hormone treatment. Testosterone is more variable. Prescribing testosterone for women is still an area of uncertainty within the NHS, and practice differs considerably from one part of the country to another. Some surgeries will take it on and others will not. If yours will not, Dr Hazel can continue to prescribe it privately. Furthermore certain testosterone prescriptions (those aimed for women) are not available at all on the NHS and so would need to be prescribed privately.Repeat prescriptions
Existing patients can request a repeat prescription using the online form below. Before a repeat can be issued:- You must have had your three month review
- You must have had a consultation within the past twelve months
- Prescriptions are issued for up to three months at a time
- A £25 administration fee applies. There is no fee for a prescription issued during a consultation
- Please write the exact medication and dose you need on the form, to avoid any error
- Please allow one to five working days for your request to be processed
- Tell us about any side effects, or any change to your medical or family history, so that prescribing stays safe
Request a Repeat Prescription
Testosterone monitoring
If you are prescribed testosterone, you will need a blood test around three months after starting. Provided your level is within the therapeutic range at that point, it is then checked annually. If your dose is being adjusted, the test will be done sooner.The NHS HRT prepayment certificate
The HRT prepayment certificate applies to NHS prescriptions only, so it does not cover anything prescribed privately. It also does not cover testosterone. If prescription costs are a concern, this is worth raising at your appointment. For many women, moving prescribing across to the GP once treatment is settled is the sensible route, and Dr Hazel will help you do it.Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a referral from my GP?
No. You can book directly.
If you have any recent blood results, clinic letters or hospital correspondence that might be relevant, have them to hand for your appointment. They often save a good deal of time.
How should I prepare for my first appointment?
You will be sent a questionnaire in advance covering your symptoms, your medical and family history, and what you have already tried. Completing it properly means your appointment is spent on you rather than on paperwork.
Please also bring photographic identification, either a passport or a driving licence, to your first appointment.
Will you write to my GP?
With your consent, yes, and it is included in your consultation fee.
Sharing a clinic letter keeps your NHS record accurate and complete, which matters if you are ever seen by anyone else. If you would prefer no letter to be sent, that is entirely your decision and it will be respected.
What if I need to see a specialist?
If a referral is needed, Dr Hazel will write directly to your registered GP to arrange it.
The same applies if anything found at your appointment needs urgent investigation. If an urgent referral on the two week cancer pathway is required, she will aim to contact your GP the same day.
Will I need an examination?
Not usually, but sometimes. If you think an examination is likely to be needed, please book an in-person appointment rather than a video one, and tell us when you book so that a chaperone can be arranged in advance.
A chaperone is always available for any intimate examination. If one is not available on the day and an examination is needed, we will rebook you at no extra cost rather than go ahead without one.
Where do I have blood tests done?
Blood can be taken at the clinic, or arranged through our pathology provider, either at a phlebotomy clinic near you or at home.
Can I be seen if I am abroad?
Unfortunately not. Medical indemnity cover requires you to be physically in the UK at the time of your appointment, including video appointments. You will be asked to confirm this before your consultation.
Is there a minimum age?
Women’s health consultations are available from age 16. Menopause consultations are for patients aged 18 and over.
Clinical dermatology is available from age 5, which is stated on the dermatology page rather than here.
Can I claim on private health insurance?
No. The clinic is self-pay.
Insurers generally treat perimenopause and menopause as a natural stage of life rather than a medical condition, which means menopause care is not usually covered by private health insurance. For that reason Dr Hazel is not registered with any insurer and all fees are paid directly.
What if I need to cancel or rearrange?
A £50 booking fee is taken when you book. It is not an extra charge: it comes off the cost of your consultation on the day.
If you need to change or cancel your appointment, please give us at least 48 hours’ notice. With more than 48 hours’ notice your booking fee can be moved to a new appointment or refunded. With less than 48 hours’ notice, or if you do not attend, the booking fee is retained, and a new booking fee will be needed to rebook.
Appointments here are long and are held exclusively for you, so a late cancellation usually means the slot cannot be filled. Exceptional circumstances do arise, and any decision to waive the policy is made at the clinic’s discretion.
What if I have a question after my appointment?
It is very common to think of something afterwards. Your initial consultation fee includes one follow-up email within eight weeks of your appointment, so straightforward questions are covered.
Please allow up to five working days for a reply. If there are a lot of questions, or the answer is complicated, Dr Hazel will usually suggest a follow-up appointment instead, because some things are much better talked through than typed.
How is the clinic regulated?
Dr Hazel Skin Solutions Ltd is registered with and regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
Dr Hazel Parkinson is registered with the General Medical Council with a licence to practise, and is on the National Performers List.
Why is this not available on the NHS?
Much of it is, and Dr Hazel still works in the NHS herself, in the primary care gynaecology service.
The difference is time. NHS appointments are short, and menopause and women’s health are subjects that rarely fit into ten minutes. A first appointment here lasts up to an hour, which is enough to hear the whole history and get the plan right. That is what you are paying for.
How do I get my results?
Results come back to Dr Hazel at the clinic. She reviews them herself and goes through them with you at your follow-up appointment, so you get the interpretation rather than a set of numbers and a normal range.
If you would like a copy of your results for your own records, just ask and they will be emailed to you.
Can you arrange scans?
Private ultrasound scans can be arranged at whichever private hospital suits you best, and I’m happy to make that referral.
I also work with Ultrasound Direct, who have more than 70 clinics nationwide, so there’s usually one within easy reach. Where a scan through them is appropriate, I’ll refer you and the report comes straight back to me, which means we can sit down and discuss the findings together.
Useful links
Trustworthy, evidence-based information you can rely on between appointments. Dr Hazel has no connection to these organisations and receives nothing from them. They are simply the sources she would point you to herself.
Menopause and midlife health
British Menopause Society
thebms.org.uk
The specialist authority on menopause and post-reproductive health in the UK, and the body Dr Hazel trains with.
Women’s Health Concern
womens-health-concern.org
The patient arm of the British Menopause Society. Clear, evidence-based factsheets and a wellness hub covering menopause, gynaecological and post-reproductive health.
Rock My Menopause
rockmymenopause.com
The public awareness campaign run by the Primary Care Women’s Health Society, aimed at getting menopause talked about openly.
Menopause Matters
menopausematters.co.uk
Founded by a consultant gynaecologist and former BMS chair. Reliable information, a magazine and an active patient forum.
Daisy Network
daisynetwork.org
Support for women with premature ovarian insufficiency, meaning menopause under the age of 40.
Menopause and Cancer
menopauseandcancer.org
Support and information for women going through menopause as a result of cancer treatment, an area where reliable guidance is hard to find.
Long-term health after menopause
Royal Osteoporosis Society
theros.org.uk
Bone health, fracture risk and what actually helps. Falling oestrogen affects bone density, so this matters more after menopause than most women are told.
HEART UK
heartuk.org.uk
Cholesterol and cardiovascular risk, which changes for women in midlife and is frequently overlooked.
Wellbeing of Women
wellbeingofwomen.org.uk
The UK charity funding research into women’s health, with clear explanations of what the evidence currently says.
Gynaecological and sexual health
Verity
verity-pcos.org.uk
The UK charity supporting women with PMOS, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the condition previously called PCOS.
Endometriosis UK
endometriosis-uk.org
Support, information and a helpline for women living with endometriosis.
The Eve Appeal
eveappeal.org.uk
The UK charity for the five gynaecological cancers, with an Ask Eve nurse information service.
Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy
thepogp.co.uk
Pelvic floor and bladder health, including how to find a specialist physiotherapist. Genuinely useful alongside treatment for vaginal and bladder symptoms.
Contraception Choices
contraceptionchoices.org
Independent, research-based information on every method of contraception, with a comparison tool.
Skin
British Association of Dermatologists patient information
skinhealthinfo.org.uk
Patient leaflets on skin conditions written by dermatologists, covering acne, rosacea, eczema and much else.
British Skin Foundation
britishskinfoundation.org.uk
The UK charity funding skin disease research, with accessible information for patients.