PATIENTGUIDE

@weightmedics

@weightmedicsclinics

GUIDE TO PATIENT SERVICESThank you for choosing to become a patient at Weightmedics.

This guide sets out our approach to treatment and will hopefully answer anyquestions that you may have. It will also help as a memory jogger since it is not

always easy to remember everything that is discussed during your consultations withthe doctor. In choosing to reduce your weight you have made one of the most

important decisions of your life.

With our help and support, you now have the means of reaching your target weightand to make a permanent change to your eating and lifestyle so you can maintain

that weight in the long term. Many of our patients have been kind enough to give us atestimonial about their experience as a patient at the clinic. We look forward to

hearing about your success in achieving your weight loss objectives.

Most of our new patients are referred to us by existing patients, so if you benefit fromyour experience at the clinic, please tell your friends, colleagues, and family and

support them in achieving their weight loss goals.

IntroductionWe are a group of private medical clinicsspecialising in weight loss and weightmanagement. We have been establishedsince 1988, and are very pleased to saythat most of our new patients come to theclinic because of positive feedback from friends andfamily who have visited us before.

We aim to be friendly, flexible andsupportive in helping you meet yourweight loss objectives.

Our Doctors and nurses are highlyqualified and very experienced indetermining the most appropriate form oftreatment for each patient. Contrary towhat you might believe from thenewspapers and the bestselling diet books,there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution tomanaging weight. It depends on a rangeof factors including your age, gender,build, genetic background, lifestyle andmedical history. We have a wide range ofmeal plans and treatments available tohelp you make a permanent

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change to your eating habits. First, wehelp you reach your agreed target weight,then we provide maintenanceprogrammes to ensure that you stay atyour ideal weight.

Our aim is to ensure that we provide thehighest standard of care and service toour patients. Appointments are availablein the clinic face to face or via the phone,and courier delivery of medication.

The Care Quality Commission require us tofollow a rigorous set of proceduresincluding asking for certain informationfrom you and ensuring that you are givenall the information you need to understandthe treatment we are providing. Incomplying with these standards we seek toensure that:

– Our staff are highly experienced to carryout their role and fully trained in weightloss.

– Patient feedback is regularly androutinely requested, recorded, reviewedand where appropriate, acted upon.

– All our main practice procedures aredocumented. The procedures aredesigned with patient care as the centraltheme.

Procedures are reviewed periodically andimproved as required.

In addition, we are leading members of theObesity Management Association, aregistered charity established to regulatethe private slimming sector and promotethe medical study and treatment ofobesity.

This guide sets out the way in which ourservices will be provided, the terms andconditions which apply and the process tofollow if you are unhappy with any aspectof the service you receive.

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Total weight loss on our injections will bemuch more. If you have been pre- scribedmedication in the form of tablets you willbe required to take a 2 week break after 12weeks. We have natural supplements andhigh protein products to help you duringany break from your medication. If youare prescribed Weight Loss Injections, thenno break is needed.

Restrictions on Treatment - Given our aimto put you, the patient, at the heart ofeverything we do, there may be someoccasions when we are unable to offertreatment. If you are currently beingtreated for another condition by yourdoctor/nurse, or we find a condition thatneeds expertise, the advice, the moralsupport and encouragement andtreatment by your doctor/nurse, we maynot be able to treat you without thatdoctor’s permission.

There may be another reason the doctoror nurse feels that you are not suitable fortreatment at our clinic, we will tell you so.Any treatment will only be provided at thediscretion of our doctors/nurses. If we areunable to treat you, we will not charge.

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Following your first appointment, thedoctor or nurse will normally ask you tobook a review in one or two weeks time tocheck that you are happy with the mealplan and any medication, answer anyquestions arising from your treatment andcheck that you are starting to lose weight.

This process of regular consultation withthe doctor or nurse is at the heart of ourtreatment plans, enabling you to feelcomfortable that you are progressing withall the support and encouragement youneed.

Our experience shows that the patientswho speak to the doctor/nurse mostregularly are more likely to be successfulin achieving their weight loss goals.

Depending on your weight at the start ofyour programme, you should expect tolose between 7 and 14 pounds (3 to 6 kilos)in the first month, then 6 or 7 pounds (3kilos) a month thereafter, depending onhow well you manage to keep to theprogramme.

Eating Plans and Guides

Our main objective is to achieve apermanent change to your eating, as thisis the only way to achieve a long term,sustainable reduction in your weight. Wehave a range of different plans availableto suit your lifestyle including Blood Sugar,Vegetarian, Afro-Caribbean, Ramadan,Mediterranean and Asian, vegan, low-carband gluten-free plans.

Eating Diary and Exercise Log

If the doctor/nurse decides it would behelpful, you will be given an Eating Diaryand Exercise Log, in which you can recordeverything you consume on a day-to-day,basis. This includes what you drink as wellas what you eat, and any snacks that youhave between meals. We often find thatpatients do not realise the full amount thatthey consume, so this can be a revealingexercise.

Once you have completed the diary over aseven-day period, please bring it with youso that the doctor can review it with you. Ifyou do not lose as much weight as thedoctor expects, you may be asked to re-start the diary further on in your course oftreatment.

On some occasions, people feel theywould like to have a consultation with thedoctor without signing up to one of theprogrammes. In these cases there will be acharge for the doctor’s consultation.

Successful weight loss requires effort andcommitment from both of us. We committo providing the expertise, the advice, themoral support and encouragement thatyou need. If you are willing to match thatcommitment with a genuine desire to loseweight, experience shows us that you willbe successful.

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We also ask you to log any exercise youdo, including walking, going to the gym,cycling etc. Exercise improves your fitness,general health and body tone and speedsup your metabolism so you burn caloriesfaster. It is good for the heart, helpsprevent muscle loss and can strengthenthe bones and thus can help to preventosteoporosis.

For these reasons, we stronglyrecommend a regular exercise regime toour patients. However, there is sometimesan unreasonably high expectation of theextent to which exercise helps with weightloss as well as what you eat, and anysnacks that you have between meals.

Slimming Aids

Background:Appetite suppressants are pharmaceuticalcompounds, which may be used to controlyour appetite while learning to adjust tonew eating habits. These are safe andwell-established medicines which havebeen used by over 30 million people since1958. However, they are not suitable foreverybody and as part of our registrationprocess we will ask you some questions tohelp the Doctor determine whetherappetite suppressants would be suitablefor you or not.

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Mode of ActionAll of the anorectics work by stimulatingthe sympathetic nervous system toincrease the blood levels of variousnaturally occurring chemicals (mainlyserotonin and noradrenaline) and thesechemicals then act upon the appetitecentres in the brain to stop you feelinghungry. Because they stimulate the wholeof the sympathetic nervous system theycan cause side-effects (which are usuallymid and short-lasting) and also affect anymedical condition that you might have orreact with medication that you might betaking and thus make that medication less,or in some cases more potent than usual. The ones we use are Phentermine andDiethylpropion.

Contra-indications

The most important conditions when theseanorectics should not be used are:Glaucoma, epilepsy, uncontrolled highblood pressure, overactive thyroid use,anti-depressant usage, pregnancy. Acondition when the medication could beused but under very close supervision isDiabetes. Your clinic Doctor will discussthese and any other medical problems atthe time of your initial consultation andthereafter as necessary.

Side-effects

The main side-effects are usually short-lived and include mood changes in whichyou may feel a bit tense, ‘up-tight’, jittery,headachy, giddiness and have problemswith sleeping or even, in some patients, thereverse in that you might feel tired ordepressed.

These side-effects usually pass off within 2or 3 days and to minimise them wenormally start you off on a low dose forthe first week; dryness of the mouth is acommon complaint and this can last for aslong as you take the medication. Other common side-effects that you mightnotice are a slightly increased desire topass urine and also constipation- the latteris mainly due to your decreased fibreintake due to your diet. If this happens, askthe doctor for our special handout onconstipation.

Rare side-effects are skin rashes,palpitations, and tremors. Because ofthese possible side-effects professionaldrivers and operators of machinery, etc.should start the medication on a day whenthey are not at work. If you do experienceany severe side-effects, especially unduebreathlessness or severe or prolongedpalpitations, please stop the medicationand contact us or your doctor as soon aspossible.

Drug Inter-Reactions

The anorectics can react with othermedications that you might be taking andeither increase or decrease their potency.

The main ones to be careful with areantibiotics such as erythromycin,clarithromycin and rifampicin; anti-fungalpreparations such as ketoconazole anditraconazole; migraine medications suchas sumatriptan and ergot preparations;cough and cold decongestants;prescription pain-killers, steroids and otherrelated or immuno-suppressantpreparations and anti-depressantsincluding St John’s Wort. Your clinicDoctor has a fuller list for you to consult ifnecessary.

Precautions During Treatment

If the Doctor decides to prescribe a courseof Appetite Suppressants, you will beasked to take note of the following:

Avoid the use of other medicines (whichmay interact with Appetite Suppressants)during your treatment at this clinic, unlessa registered doctor has approved. If yousee your GP about any other symptomsand they prescribe medication, you mustmention the medication that you aretaking from the clinic.

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Avoid becoming pregnant duringtreatment. If you suspect that you mayhave become pregnant, you shoulddiscontinue treatment immediately andconsult the clinic Doctor. However, manywomen have unknowingly taken thesemedications in early pregnancy and havegone on to have a normal pregnancy soyou should not be unduly concerned bythis. It is simply a general principle thatmedication should not be taken duringpregnancy.

Alcohol is a very high calorie food andpreferably should be avoided duringtreatment. We recognise that your lifestylemay sometimes make this difficult. Wetherefore suggest you reduce yourconsumption as much as possible.

Lipase Inhibitors

These act by preventing the lipaseenzymes in the intestine from breakingdown some of the fat in the diet so thatless of the fat in the diet is absorbed; therest of the fat is excreted in the normalway which may cause some flatulenceand looseness of stools. The majority ofthese side effects can be removed bytaking a bulking agent such as psylliumhusks at the same time as the lipaseinhibitor.

This medication is not absorbed into thebody and so does not affect any generalmedical condition that you might haveother than possibly some chronic liver andbowel problems. They also have theadvantage that they only interfere with afew medications, such as anti- coagulantsand cyclosporin.

Health Warning

As you can see, we take your wellbeingvery seriously. Some people have taken tobuying appetite suppressants and othermedications directly on the internet. Notonly do they often pay inflated prices forthese drugs, but around 50% of suchmedication is fake and has no effect whilethey also bypass the entire medicalprocess which determines whether theyare appropriate and safe for thatindividual. As the Obesity ManagementAssociation (OMA) states : “The use ofprescribed drugs without proper medicalsupervision could endanger the life of theindividual.”.

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Weight Loss Injections

Saxenda- the future of weight loss.

We offer weight loss injections as part ofour services. Saxenda works on thestomach by delaying the gastric emptyingtime and therefore makes you feel fullerfor longer. A patient's appetite is usuallyreduced after just 3 days of being on themedication with most patients losing anaverage of 4kg in their first 2 weeks ofbeing on the medication. Our weight lossinjections are a clinically-approved,prescription injectable medicine that, whenused with a low-calorie meal plan andincreased physical activity, may help someadults with excess weight (BMI over 27),who have also experienced weight-relatedmedical problems (such as high bloodpressure, high cholesterol or obesity) tolose weight and keep it off.

Side effects

The most common side effect of weightloss injections is some mild nausea andgastric upset, this usually only lasts for afew days. Most patients tolerate dailyinjections very well. Your medicalpractitioner will go through in detail aboutSaxenda when you attend your firstappointment. A patient guide and drugleaflet on Saxenda will be provided.

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Other Information

Research

While our doctors continue to keepabreast of developments in the treatmentof overweight or obese patients, both interms of new medications and improvedunderstanding of nutrition. Please checkout our Website and Social Mediaaccounts where we post currentinformation and news on weight loss.

Consent to Treatment

It is important that you are comfortablewith all the information we provide to youbefore you agree to being treated at theclinic. If you have any questions about thisguide or the treatment you will receive atthe clinic, please speak to your clinicDoctor or a member of the team.

Contact

We want to provide youwith every possible means of succeedingwith your weight loss programme, so if youhave any questions or need any help inbetween clinic visits, please either call theclinic you attend or email us athello@weightmedics.co.uk

We will respond to you as soonas we reasonably can to see if we cananswer your question. There is no chargefor this service. If you need help outside ofclinic hours, there are three ways toachieve this depending on how urgent therequirement is.

Email us: hello@weightmedics. co.uk andwe will contact you the next time we areopen. Make sure you give us your name,the clinic you are treated at and the natureof your question.

To call us outside of clinic hours: If youneed to speak to a doctor urgently whenthe clinic is closed, we have an out of hourssupport arrangement with Doctor Call. Call them on 03442570345 and mentionthat you are a Weightmedics patient. They will put you through to a doctor andyou will not be charged for the call.

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Disabled Access

Our Richmond branch is located on thefirst floor of 37 Kew Road, at the top of afairly steep flight of stairs. Since there is nolift, we regret that access is not possible forwheelchair users or those of restrictedmobility. However, our Victoria branch onthe ground floor at 198 Vauxhall BridgeRoad, London SW1V 1DX, has access atstreet level.

If you require disabled access. Please usethe Victoria clinic telephone 0207 760 7670to make an appointment and men- tionthat you require wheelchair access.

Please inform reception if you would likeyour records to be flagged with details ofyour disability. We can provide a largeprint version of this guide for visuallyimpaired patients, and our staff are trainedin providing as much help as possible todisabled patients. We also welcome carersaccompanying you.

Terms and Conditions

Treatment will only be offered at thediscretion of the duty Doctor, once youhave completed the registration form andyour terms and conditions. You will beasked to pay for the treatment you havebeen offered before leaving the clinic orbefore medication is posted out.

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Complaints/Comments/ComplimentsProcedure

We are always keen to receive feedback. Ifyou would like to comment on any aspectof the service or treatment you receivefrom our clinic, or about this guide, positiveor negative, we want to know about it! It isour intention toprovide the highest qualityof care to our patients, so any feed- backon how we can improve will always bewelcome.

If you wish to make a comment orcompliment, please do so to thereceptionist on duty and she will write itdown and pass it to the Clinic Director. Ifyou wish to make a complaint, please askto speak to the Clinic Director during oneof your visits to the clinic. Alternatively,you can call: 0207 7607670, or write to theClinic Director at the address of the clinicyou attend. You will be able to discuss theissue in confidence, your complaint will berecorded and investigated.

We commit to confirm receipt of yourcomplaint within 2 working days, and toprovide a full response within 20 workingdays. If the investigation is still in progressat that time, we shall write to explain thedelay and provide a full response with-in 5 days of a conclusion being reached.

If you are not happy with the outcome ofour discussion, you have further recourseto the Obesity Management Association,the independent body which oversees theprivate slimming sector. OMA is the ethicalvoiceof the private weight loss clinic sector.

Please write to the Executive Director at:Obesity Management Association,Arabesque House Monks Cross Drive,Huntington, YORK YO32 9GW or visitwww.omauk.co.uk.

The Executive Director will forward thecomplaint to the Chairman of The Ethicsand Statutory Committee. The complaintwill be investigated by the Ethics andStatutory Committee and a report of thecommittee finding’s and recommendationswill be presented to you, the patient.

If, following the findings of the ObesityManagement Association investigation,you are still unhappy with theoutcome,your final recourse is to the: CQC National Customer Service Centre,Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle uponTyne, NE1 4PA. www.cqc.org.uk

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