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Medical Club

Membership provides

Annual Membership Medical - This is designed to focus on those aspects of health, fitness and lifestyle which most frequently give cause for concern. It involves a full physical examination including: Available as additional services

For these and the wide range of other specialist services and investigations available, please consult this page for details and fees. Advice will be given by the doctor if any of these are considered to be clinically indicated.

On the basis of the medical history and physical examination a report and personal health action plan will be provided and recommendations will be made at a follow up appointment. The medical should be performed on an annual basis to enable comparison to be made and any necessary lifestyle changes to be instigated.

Membership of Medicalternative will provide the wide range of services normally available from your NHS GP but on a private healthcare basis. For an all-inclusive annual fee, members receive a comprehensive medical examination and lifestyle assessment, and up to 4 GP appointments per year.
Appointments, for a mutually agreed time, can usually be arranged on the day of booking. Consultations are held in our centrally located, modern and professional environment and our flexible appointment system allows scope for early diagnosis and treatment.
Medicalternative membership is designed as an adjunct to standard healthcare to enable flexible consulting times, greater facility for preventative healthcare, and scope for lifestyle management. It will also provide advice and direction on a wide variety of alternative treatments and therapies. We consider that out-of-hours emergency medical services are currently best managed within the existing NHS framework. Members should therefore remain registered with an NHS GP and membership should not be considered as a 'replacement' for NHS GP services.

The Annual Medical
Before attending for your medical you will be asked to complete a form detailing your medical history including operations, hospital admissions, significant medical conditions and current medication. You will also be asked to complete a lifestyle questionnaire to enable the doctor to assess your general health, level of fitness and potential risk factors. These forms are completed by hand. All details will subsequently be entered on our confidential medical records database.
In addition to a physical examination and investigative tests, the medical will include a discussion relating to past medical history, current health concerns and issues arising from the lifestyle questionnaire. A subsequent consultation will be arranged to discuss matters arising from the examination and investigations, and to advise on any action required.

Consultations
Membership at Medicalternative includes up to 4 fifteen minute appointments which will more than cover the requirements of most patients. This will include a follow-up appointment after the annual medical. Extra consultations will incur fees in line with our published schedule.
Tests, investigations, treatments and complementary therapies are charged on a separate basis. Membership fee concessions may be available from time-to-time for some services.

Liaison with your NHS GP
You may choose whether or not we correspond with your NHS GP. However, to enable continuity of medical care in all circumstances, we would recommend that significant findings relating to any medicals, consultations or investigations at Medicalternative are forwarded to your NHS GP.

Hospital Referral
Specialist referral to an NHS or private consultant or hospital can be arranged if required.

Prescriptions
Many drugs, including antibiotics, cost less than an NHS prescription charge, and a private prescription can be issued at Medicalternative when necessary for incidental illnesses. We can also advise on the supply of long term medication for chronic conditions.

Home Visits
These can be organised by special arrangement but are not part of the membership package.

Private Medical Insurance
It is possible that a number of members may already have private medical insurance which principally covers the secondary care sector (hospitals and outpatient clinics), but does not, as yet, cover traditional primary care GP services. We therefore see Medicalternative Medical club membership complementing and augmenting private health care packages, providing affordable and readily accessible primary care medical cover (GP services). Furthermore, unlike most private health care packages, restrictions from pre-existing medical conditions do not apply.

Payment
Payment can be made by debit/credit card or cash.

Please note that as most of the membership fee is associated with costs relating to the medical examination, a full year's payment will be required if membership is terminated before the completion of the year.

Complementary therapies
All therapists working at Medicalternative have been carefully selected for their skill, professionalism and suitability for working in a medical environment. Doctors will be pleased to give guidance to members in their choice of therapies which they may wish to experience. They may also from time to time recommend a specific therapy as part of a treatment package.

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