A DOCTOR who spoke to a sell-out audience at The Haymarket theatre in Basingstoke on Sunday and who is appearing in Winchester in October was the focus of a BBC Panorama investigation into her prescribing of high doses of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Dr Louise Newson appeared at the Basingstoke theatre on Sunday evening where she spoke to a packed audience of hundreds of women, and few men, about the menopause.
However, the following day on Monday, September 30, the doctor was the subject of a Panorama episode titled The Menopause Industry Uncovered in which Dr Newson’s prescribing of HRT was questioned.
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The BBC reported that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is looking into ‘information of concern’ at clinics run by the well-known TV doctor, who has also written books about the menopause.
Dr Newson has also lost her British Menopause Society accreditation over the prescribing of high doses of HRT, according to Panorama. It spoke to more than a dozen patients from her privately-run clinics, Newson Health, who told the BBC they had experienced complications from high doses of HRT, with some developing a thickening of their womb linings, which is a potential precursor to cancer.
Newson Health told the BBC it used a “wealth of clinical experience and data” to treat patients on an individualised basis to “provide the best possible menopause care”.
It also said its approach was consistent with national guidelines and that the British Menopause Society (BMS) was a charity and not a regulatory body.
The CQC told Panorama it was following up information it had received “to understand if there are any risks to people using the service and whether further action is warranted”.
Newson Health says it has addressed all points raised by the CQC and has not been notified of any resulting concerns. It also says it is confident in the quality of care it provides and maintains a Good CQC rating.
Dr Newson is appearing at another sell-out show at The Theatre Royal in Winchester on October 20 as part of her inaugural UK theatre tour, accompanied by Dublin-based comedian Anne Gildea.
The show, called Hormones and Menopause – The Great Debate, is said to educate and challenge misconceptions about menopause and ‘advocate for better healthcare for women’.
Information about the show says that Dr Newson has ‘transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of women and their families through her pioneering work as a GP and menopause specialist’.
A spokesperson for Dr Newson said it had not received any requests for refunds for either show and the tour is going to continue as normal.
They added: "It is essential to safeguard a diverse range of informed views within medicine and, as the UK’s leading menopause clinic, Newson Health utilises a wealth of clinical experience and data, as well as the available scientific evidence, to treat every patient on an individualised basis and provide the best possible menopause care.
"Newson Health collates this valuable information to contribute rich data to scientific journals and leading medical conferences. This is particularly important in an area of health that is chronically underfunded, undervalued and under-researched.
"Newson Health operates a shared decision-making framework, as provided by NICE, and adheres to the GMC’s guidelines for decision making and consent."
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