Terms & Conditions, Policies  

Who we are and how to contact us

Yourmenopausenurse.co.uk is a website developed and operated by Your Menopause Nurse Limited. We are registered in England and Wales; our company registration number is 15673929

 

Our registered office is Waites Cottage, Glaisdale, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 2PW.

You can contact us by emailing us at: support@yourmenopausenurse.co.uk

By using our site, you accept these terms

By using our site, you confirm that you accept these terms of use and that you agree to comply with them. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use our site.

1. There are other terms that may apply to you
   1. These terms of use refer to the following additional terms, which also apply to your use of our site:
      • Our Privacy Policy
      • Our Cookie Policy, which sets out information about the cookies on our site.
   2. We may amend these terms from time to time. Each time you use our site, please check these terms to ensure you understand the terms that apply at that time. These terms were most recently updated on 22.8.2024.
2. We may make changes to our site

o   We may update and change our site from time to time to reflect changes to our services, our users’ needs, and our business priorities.

  3. We may suspend or withdraw our site

o   We cannot ensure that our site or its content will always be accessible or uninterrupted. For business or operational purposes, we may need to suspend, withdraw, or limit access to all or parts of our site. We will try to provide you with reasonable notice of any such actions.

o   You must ensure that everyone who accesses our site via your internet connection is aware of and complies with these terms of use and any other applicable terms and conditions.

  4. Our site is only for users in the UK

Our site is directed to people residing in the United Kingdom. We do not guarantee that the content on our site is suitable for use or accessible in other locations.

  5. How you may use material on our site - We hold ownership or licensing rights to all intellectual property on our site and the materials published there. These works are protected globally by copyright laws and treaties. All rights are reserved.

  6. Reliance on information on this site

o   The content on our site is meant for general informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as specialist medical advice. You should seek professional or specialist advice before taking or avoiding any action based on the content on our site.

o   While we strive to keep the information on our site current, we do not make any representations, warranties, or guarantees, whether express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content.

  7. We are not responsible for websites we link to

o   When our site includes links to third-party sites and resources, these are provided solely for your information. These links should not be seen as our endorsement of the linked websites or the information you may find there.

o   We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources.

  8.  Our responsibility for loss or damage suffered by you

Whether you are a consumer or a business user:

o   We do not exclude or limit our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or that of our employees, agents, or subcontractors, as well as for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

o   Different limitations and exclusions of liability will apply to liability arising because of the supply of any services to you, which will be set out in our Terms & Conditions of Supply.

If you are a consumer user:

• Please be aware that our site is intended for domestic and private use only. You agree not to use our site for commercial or business purposes, and we are not liable for any loss of profit, business, business interruption, or business opportunities.
• How we may use your personal information - We will only use your personal information as set out in our Privacy Policy.
• We are not responsible for viruses, and you must not introduce them
• We cannot guarantee that our site will be secure or free from viruses.
• You are responsible for configuring your technology and using your own virus protection software to access our site.
•  Do not misuse our site by introducing harmful material or attempting unauthorised access. Do not attack our site via denial-of-service. Breaching these rules is a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. We will report violations to law enforcement and disclose your identity. Your right to use our site will cease immediately if you breach these terms. 

Which country’s laws apply to any disputes?

•  If you are a consumer, these terms are governed by English law. The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction, but residents of Northern Ireland and Scotland may also bring proceedings in their respective regions.
•  If you are a business, these terms and any related disputes are governed by English law. We agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Our Safeguarding procedure details the steps, which will be followed where there are concerns that a vulnerable adult may experience abuse and/or neglect.

The procedures should ensure a speedy response for dealing with concerns.

Introduction

This provides a brief introduction to the work that Your Menopause Nurse does. It also explains that we are committed to the wellbeing of the group of people that we work with.

It also includes the purpose of the procedures, i.e. to ensure that any allegations of abuse are effectively managed and that staff fully understand their duty to act.

We provide care and support for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause.

We are committed to putting in place safeguards and that all those involved will

be treated with dignity and respect. 

These procedures are cross referenced with and should be read in conjunction with the following policies and procedures

• Confidentiality
• Health and Safety
• Complaints 
• Equality and Diversity 
• Data Protection

These procedures are divided into the following sections. This process is linked to The Care Act 2014 and the Social Services and Well-being Act 2014.

• Preventing and minimising abuse
• Recognising the signs and symptoms of abuse 
• Named person for safeguarding adults
• Responding to people who have experienced or are experiencing abuse
• Recording and managing confidential information
• Disseminating/Reviewing policy and procedures  

 

1 Preventing and minimising abuse

Your Menopause Nurse Ltd is committed to safer recruitment policies and practices for staff. This includes enhanced CRB disclosures for staff, ensuring references are taken up and the appropriate level of training for Safeguarding Adults & Children is provided for staff.

All staff will be provided with training and information to enable them to develop the awareness, skills and abilities appropriate to their role within the organisation and responsibilities regarding Safeguarding.

All staff will be provided with information regarding the organisations safeguarding policies and procedures.

2 Recognising the signs and symptoms of abuse

My Menopause Nurse Ltd is committed to ensuring that all staff undertake training to gain a basic awareness of signs and symptoms of abuse and will ensure that the named person and other members of staff have access to training around Safeguarding.

“Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or

persons” No Secrets: Department of Health, March 2000

Abuse includes: 

• physical abuse, hitting, slapping, punching, burning
• sexual abuse, rape, indecent assault, inappropriate touching
• emotional abuse, belittling, name calling,
• financial or material abuse, stealing, selling assets
• neglect and acts of omission, leaving in soiled clothes, failing to feed properly
• discriminatory abuse (including racist, sexist, based on a person’s disability and other

forms of harassment)

• institutional

Abuse may be carried out deliberately or unknowingly.

Abuse may be a single act or repeated acts.

People who behave abusively come from all backgrounds and walks of life. They may be doctors, nurses, social workers, advocates, staff members, volunteers or others in a position of trust. They may also be relatives, friends, neighbours or people who use the same services as the person experiencing abuse.

See Appendix ONE for more detailed definitions of types of abuse. 

3 Named person for safeguarding adults

The roles and responsibilities of the named person(s) are: 

• To ensure that all staff are aware of what they should do and who they should go to if they have concerns that someone may be experiencing or has experienced abuse or neglect.
• To ensure that concerns are acted on, clearly recorded and referred to the appropriate local authority, following the appropriate local Safeguarding Multi-agency Policy and Procedures where necessary. 

Follow-Up Procedures for Safeguarding Referrals

Upon receiving a safeguarding referral, our primary method of contact with the client will be via email. We will reach out to the appropriate authority in the days following the referral to request an update on the situation. However, it should be noted that feedback received from the authority may be limited due to confidentiality considerations.

• To reinforce the utmost need for confidentiality and to ensure that staff are adhering to good practice regarding confidentiality and security. 
• To ensure that staff working directly with service users who have experienced abuse, or who are experiencing abuse, are well supported and receive appropriate supervision.

 4 Responding to people who have experienced or are experiencing abuse

The following section should provide clear guidelines for staff to follow if they have concerns about a person they are working with. Your Menopause Nurse recognises that it has a duty to act on reports, or suspicions of abuse or neglect. Anyone who has contact with vulnerable adults and hears disclosures or allegations or has concerns about potential abuse or neglect has a duty to pass them on appropriately.

How to respond if you receive a disclosure:

• Reassure the person concerned
• Listen to what they are saying
• Record what you have been told/witnessed as soon as possible
• Remain calm and do not show shock or disbelief
• Tell them that the information will be treated seriously
• Don’t start to investigate or ask detailed or probing questions
• Don’t promise to keep it a secret

If you witness abuse or abuse has just taken place the priorities will be:

• To call an ambulance if required
• To call the police if a crime has been committed
• To preserve evidence
• To keep yourself and the service user safe
• To inform the named Safeguarding person

All situations of abuse or alleged abuse will be discussed with the named person. The alleged victim will be told that this will happen. This stage is called the alert.

The practitioner can then signpost the client to the agreed list of support services i.e. SHOUT, Samaritans, 111 or the Police. (See Appendix Two)

Making a referral 

• Once you have established that you believe there is an allegation of abuse, you have a duty to make a referral to their local Safeguarding team. This would mean referring to the client’s local authority. As we are an online service we would need to locate the client’s local authority to make the referral. The practitioner would need to access this information from the client or from the client’s consultation records or pre-consultation questionnaire.
• Prior to making a referral, you will need to gather as much information as you can about the allegation. If you need further guidance, consider reaching out to the relevant local safeguarding authority or organisation for help. Access the client’s local authority guidance on safeguarding adults via the NHS Safeguarding App that all staff have downloaded on their phones.

Reporting Safeguarding Concerns for Children

In the event of safeguarding concerns related to a child under the care of the client or an individual associated with the client, the appropriate safeguarding referral process must be initiated. This process mirrors that of adult safeguarding referrals, and reports should be submitted via the NHS Safeguarding App, utilizing the 'Child or Young Persons' section.

Lack of access to the necessary information should NOT delay the referral.

Follow the instructions on the App to make the referral.

They may need to contact you for further details and, should contact you in any event to offer feedback about the safeguarding assessment.

• A referral will then lead to the implementation of the next stages of the Multi agency via the Local Authority.
• Information should be provided to the individual. This could be about other sources of help or information that could enable them to decide what to do about their experience, enable them to recover from their experience and enable them to seek justice. 

5 Recording and managing confidential information

Reassurance that this information will be kept in a secure location and only shared with those who need to know.

Reference should be made to the organisation’s confidentiality policy and data protection policy.

It should be made clear that where an adult has capacity and no other person or child is at risk, then if they do not want to take the matter further it will remain confidential. The person should be reassured and provided with information about possible sources of help, should they decide to do something at a later date. 

However, there will be occasions when confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.

Your Menopause Nurse is committed to maintaining confidentiality wherever possible and information around Safeguarding issues should be shared only with those who need to know. For further information, please see Your Menopause Nurse confidentiality policy.

All allegations/disclosures/concerns should be recorded by date in the secure shared file in WriteUpp under ‘Safeguarding incidents’ The information should be factual and not based on opinions, record what the person tells you, what you have seen and witnesses if appropriate.

The information that is recorded will be kept secure and will comply with data protection.

6 Disseminating/Reviewing policy and procedures

Your Menopause Nurse Ltd will update this policy on a regular basis, to ensure that it reflects changes in law or good practice. It will be reviewed on an annual basis and the procedures should set out who will review and what measures will be in place to disseminate new information.

Privacy Policy

We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and have outlined all you need to know about what information we collect, why we collect it, what your obligations are, and how all data is used in our Privacy Policy.

Our Promise to you

When you are a registered patient your personal data is of the utmost importance to Your Menopause Nurse Limited. We use your data to provide an excellent healthcare service, relevant and helpful communications and to facilitate your interaction with our online community. We value the trust you place in us and will never misuse your data or abuse it in any way.

As a registered provider of healthcare services, we take great care when handling your sensitive data. We understand the importance of protecting your right to privacy, and as a wholly digitalised business, have taken great care to ensure we keep your personal data safe and secure.

Our reputation depends on the integrity of our service to you; therefore, we remain committed to the ongoing review of our data storage and processing to give you peace of mind. We will remain open and honest and comply with the transparency obligations of your right to be informed.

You will find detailed information here about how we collect, process and store your personal data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

Who are we?

Your Menopause Nurse Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 15673929.

We have appointed a data protection officer (DPO) who is responsible for overseeing questions in relation to this privacy policy. If you have any questions about how we process your information, please do not hesitate to get in touch by contacting our Data Protection Officer:

• Email address: support@yourmenopausenurse.co.uk

 

What type of information do we hold about you?

We currently collect and process personal information about you, including your name, age, and contact details. We also collect what is classed as ‘special category data’ – personal data that needs more protection because it is sensitive. Specifically, this includes:

• personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin
• data concerning health, including lifestyle, menopause, and mental health symptoms

We use special category data to help us assess your individual needs and provide the right treatment, products, and services.

How we get the information and why we have it

Most of the personal, sensitive, and medical information we process is provided to us directly by you. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information that you provide to us.

Example

You have registered as a website user, leave a comment or sign up to clinician services.

When you register as a website user, interact with our online community, or register for clinician services, you will provide personal information such as your name, contact details, gender and date of birth.

You have completed our online pre consult menopause assessment questionnaire

When you complete the pre consultation menopause assessment questionnaire you share your email address with us so that we can send you your personalised report. You may also share sensitive information on your health and lifestyle that we use to determine your personalised report and tailor any subsequent healthcare provision you choose to engage with us for.

You have completed one of our online contact forms or surveys

You may choose to contact us via our online Contact form or provide feedback via a post consult client feedback survey. You will be asked to provide your name and contact details so we can respond to you appropriately.

You have sent us an email

If you contact us by email your details may be recorded as a contact so that we can fulfil the purpose of your enquiry. Your details will be stored and processed safely and securely and you will not be opted in to marketing communications unless you express your wish to do so.

You have registered as a patient with Your Menopause Nurse

• When you register as a private patient of Your Menopause Nurse you will need to provide up-to-date photographic ID for identification purposes during consultations.

You have shared this information during an appointment

• During an initial consultation or routine appointment, you may disclose personal and sensitive information to your clinician. This information is treated in the strictest confidence and stored and processed in line with UK legislation.

We may also receive personal information indirectly, from the following sources in the following scenarios:

Example

• You have attended one of our events

If you attend an in-person or virtual event featuring Your Menopause Nurse, you may have opted in to sharing your personal and contact information with Your Menopause Nurse.You may receive follow-up communication from us but will be able to opt out of any further communications easily.

• You have opted into marketing and have posted publicly on social media

We may collect anonymous information from customers from social media to help us continue to better understand your needs and concerns.

• You have used our third-party prescription service, from CloudRx

We partner with CloudRx to process payment for and fulfil your prescription and repeat prescription ordering. Once you have ordered a prescription online, we process your information safely and securely in accordance with UK GDPR legislation. The data we provide to CloudRx is your telephone and email contact details and the data we receive is the current status of your order.

• You have used our third-party blood testing service, Medicheck

We partner with Medichecks to provide blood testing services. Once you have ordered a blood test, we process your personal information and blood test results safely and securely in accordance with UK GDPR legislation. The data we provide to Medichecks is your telephone and email contact details. The data we receive is the status of your order and your test results and analysis.

Information and accuracy

For us to provide the level of service and care that you need it is really important that the information you provide at any point during your engagement with Your Menopause Nurse is accurate and up to date. If there are any changes to your contact details or personal information or if information relating to your health changes, please let us know via email at support@yourmenopausenurse.co.uk as soon as possible. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide to us, and we will not be responsible for any losses arising from any inaccurate, incomplete, inauthentic, or deficient data that you provide to us.

If you fail to provide personal data

Where we need to collect personal data by law, or under the terms of a contract we have with you, and you fail to provide that data when requested, we may not be able to perform the contract we have or are trying to enter with you (for example, to provide you with services). In this case, we may have to cancel a service you have with us but we will notify you if this is the case at the time.

Building a profile about you

We also collect, use and share Aggregated Data such as statistical or demographic data for any purpose. Aggregated Data could be derived from your personal data but is not considered personal data in law as this data will not directly or indirectly reveal your identity. For example, we may aggregate your Usage Data to calculate the percentage of users accessing a specific website feature. However, if we combine or connect Aggregated Data with your personal data so that it can directly or indirectly identify you, we treat the combined data as personal data which will be used in accordance with this privacy policy.

We may collect some anonymous information on how you interact with our website, such as using cookies or device IDs, to monitor our digital platform and the efficiency of our service. We do this so that we can continually improve our content and provide you with the very best customer experience.

Lawful rights to process data

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are:

• (a) Your consent. You can remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting us at support@yourmenopausenurse.co.uk and marking it for the attention of the Data Protection Officer. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdraw your consent. If you withdraw your consent, we may not be able to provide certain products or services to you. We will advise you if this is the case at the time you withdraw your consent.
• (b) We have a contractual obligation. This means processing your data where it is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party or to take steps at your request before entering into such a contract.
• (c) We have a legal obligation.
• (d) We have a legitimate interest. This means the interest of our business in conducting and managing our business to enable us to give you the best service/product and the best and most secure experience. We make sure we consider and balance any potential impact on you (both positive and negative) and your rights before we process your personal data for our legitimate interests. We do not use your personal data for activities where our interests are overridden by the impact on you (unless we have your consent or are otherwise required or permitted to by law). You can obtain further information about how we assess our legitimate interests against any potential impact on you in respect of specific activities by contacting us.

Our lawful basis for processing special category data under Article 9 is:

• (e) Explicit consent
• (f) Health or social care (with a basis in law)

We meet the associated condition in UK law, set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018, to store and process special category data for Health or social care purposes (Schedule 1, Part 1 (2).

Change of purpose

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If you wish to get an explanation as to how the processing for the new purpose is compatible with the original purpose, please contact us.

If we need to use your personal data for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.

Please note that we may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law.

What we do with the information we have

We use the information that you have given us in order to:

• Add you to our contacts database to ensure you receive relevant communications from our company.
• Provide a personalised assessment on completion of the online Menopause Questionnaire
• Create an accurate patient record
• Better assess your needs, lifestyle, and symptoms to provide appropriate and necessary care
• Process your online appointment booking
• Process online prescription ordering and fulfilment
• Processing blood tests using our third-party service, Medichecks
• Create, edit and maintain your patient records in our digital platform, Write Upp

Where necessary, we may also use and disclose your personal data:

• As part of regulatory requirements to audit consultations, your data, and other interactions with our service. This enables Your Menopause Nurse to comply with the regulatory and compliance standards to which we are bound.
• Compile your data as part of any aggregated research into the menopause and its associated impacts.

Strict confidentiality and data security provisions will always apply to any such audit and data use. We may share this information with:

• Write Upp – our patient management software
• Medichecks – our blood test service partner
• CloudRx – our prescription ordering and fulfilment partner(s)
• Square - our online payment partner
• Specific health authorities, NHS trusts, legal authorities, and ambulance services

There are times where you may be required to provide Your Menopause Nurse with specific permission to use and access your data. At these times, Your Menopause Nurse will provide you with all the details required for you to make your decision.

Updating your personal information

If you would like to change the information we hold about you, or want your information removed from our database, please contact us by advising that you wish to make a change by emailing us at support@yourmenopausenurse.co.uk and marking it for the attention of the Data Protection Officer. You can use the “unsubscribe” option which will be included in any marketing email communications from us to opt-out of future marketing emails.

How we store your information

Your information is securely stored in the following location:

• Write Upp encrypted servers

By law, we have to keep basic information about our customers (including Contact, Identity, Financial and Transaction Data) for six years after they cease being customers for tax purposes. In some circumstances you can ask us to delete your data: see your legal rights above for further information. In some circumstances, we will anonymise your personal data (so that it can no longer be associated with you) for research or statistical purposes, in which case we may use this information indefinitely without further notice to you.

Financial information

We do not collect or process any payment information. All payment details entered into our website are processed through our third-party processor ‘Square’ and you can refer to their website to see how they will store all payment information and transaction details. We will not retain any payment information.

Third parties

We use the following third-party providers who will each have their own privacy policy to which your personal information will be subject. We use these services to fulfil our requirements to you as Your Menopause Nurse’s registered clients:

• Webidor – https://www.webador.com/privacy
• Medichecks – https://medichecks.com/pages/privacy-policy
• CloudRx – https://www.cloudrx.co.uk/privacy
• Square - https://squareup.com/gb/en/legal/general/privacy
• Write Upp - https://www.writeupp.com/privacy

 

We keep your medical records in accordance with national guidelines – Records Management Code of Practice 2020 – A guide to the management of health and care records. We will dispose your information in line with best practice described in the guidance.

Data security

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used, or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered, or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors, and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal data on our instructions, and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality. We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

• Your right of access – You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. You can make a subject access request to see the personal information we hold about you.
• Your right to rectification – You have the right to ask us to rectify information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
• Your right to erasure – You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to restriction of processing – You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to object to processing – You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Your right to data portability – You have the right to ask that we transfer the information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Please contact us marking your email FAO Data Protection Officer, at support@yourmenopausenurse.co.uk if you wish to make a request. We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up our response.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites. Please note that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected by this website and all other methods as identified above.

Marketing

We strive to provide you with choices regarding certain personal data uses, particularly around marketing and advertising, the following personal data control mechanisms:

Promotional offers from us

We may use your Identity, Contact, Technical, Usage, and Profile Data to form a view on what we think you may want or need, or what may be of interest to you. This is how we decide which services and offers may be relevant for you (we call this marketing).
You will receive marketing communications from us if you have requested information from us or purchased services from us and you have not opted out of receiving that marketing.

Opting out

You can ask third parties to stop sending you marketing messages at any time (by logging into their website and checking or unchecking relevant boxes to adjust your marketing preferences OR by following the opt-out links on any marketing message sent to you OR by contacting us at any time : support@yourmenopausenurse.co.uk).
Where you opt out of receiving these marketing messages, this will not apply to personal data provided to us because of a service purchase, service experience or other transactions.

 

How to complain

Please contact us at support@yourmenopausenurse.co.uk if you wish to make a complaint.

OUR COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

This procedure sets out the company’s approach to the handling of complaints and is
intended both as an internal guide that should be made readily available to all staff, and also
as a summary setting out the approach to complaint handling that should be available for
any client requesting a copy.
From 1st April 2009 a common approach to the handling of complaints was introduced
across health and adult social care. This procedure complies with this.

Our Complaints Policy

Your Menopause Nurse Limited will take reasonable steps to ensure that clients are aware
of:
● The complaints procedure.
● The time limit for resolution.
● How it will be dealt with.
● Who will deal with it?
● Named Nurse handling complaints.
● Their right of appeal
● Further action they can take if not satisfied.
● The fact that any issues will not affect any ongoing treatment from the clinic and they
will continue to be treated.

Procedure

Receiving of complaints
The company may receive a complaint made by, or (with their consent) on behalf of a client,
or former client, who is receiving or has received treatment at Your Menopause Nurse.
OR where the client is incapable of making a complaint, by a relative or other adult who has
an interest in their welfare.

Period within which complaints can be made
The period for making a complaint is normally:
(a) 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint
occurred; or
(b) 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint comes
to the complainant's notice.
Complaints should normally be resolved within 6 months. The company standard will be 20
days for a response.
The Director’s have the discretion to extend the time limits if the complainant has good
reason for not making the complaint sooner, or where it is still possible to properly
investigate the complaint despite extended delay
When considering an extension to the time limit it is important that the Director’s take into
consideration that the passage of time may prevent an accurate recollection of events by the
clinician concerned or by the person bringing the complaint. The collection of evidence,
clinical guidelines or other resources relating to the time when the complaint event arose
may also be difficult to establish or obtain. These factors may be considered as a suitable
reason for declining a time limit extension.
Action upon receipt of a complaint
• It is always better to try and deal with the complaint at the earliest opportunity and
often it can be concluded at that point.

● If it is not possible or the outcome is not satisfactory the client should be asked to put
it in writing. This ensures that each side are well aware of the issues for resolution. If
the client does refuse to put it in writing, then it is advisable for the clinic to put it in
writing and check that the client is happy with the detail of the complaint.

● On receipt of a written complaint an acknowledgement will be sent within three days.
It should also say who is dealing with it i.e. which clinician.

● If it is not possible to conclude any investigations within the 20 days then the client
should be updated with progress and possible time scales.

● A full investigation should take place with written notes and a log of the progress
being made.

● It may be that outside sources will need to be contacted and if that is the case then a
client consent form will need to be signed to make such a request.

Unreasonable Complaints
Where a complainant becomes aggressive or, despite effective complaint handling,
unreasonable in their promotion of the complaint, some or all of the following formal
provisions will apply and will be communicated to the patient:

● The complaint will be managed by one named individual at senior level who will be
the only contact for the patient
● Contact will be limited to one method only (e.g. in writing)
● Place a time limit on each contact
● The number of contacts in a time period will be restricted
● A witness will be present for all contacts
● Repeated complaints about the same issue will be refused
● Only acknowledge correspondence regarding a closed matter, not respond to it
● Set behaviour standards
● Return irrelevant documentation
● Keep detailed records

Final Response
This will include:

● A clear statement of the issues, investigations and the findings, giving clear
evidence-based reasons for decisions if appropriate
● Where errors have occurred, explain these fully and state what will be done to put
these right, or prevent repetition

● A focus on fair and proportionate outcomes for the client, including any remedial
action or compensation
● A clear statement that the response is the final one, or that further action or reports
will be send later
● An apology or explanation as appropriate
● A statement of the right to escalate the complaint, together with the relevant contact
detail
● It should also advise on the next step in the process if the complainant is still not
satisfied. That would normally be an offer of an online meeting with the Lead Nurse
to try further reconciliation.
● If at that point resolution is still not achieved then either side can refer the matter to
the Health Commissioner.

Annual Review of Complaints
The clinic will establish an annual complaints report, incorporating a review of complaints
received, along with any learning issues or changes to procedures which have arisen. This
report is to be made available to any person who requests it, and may form part of the
Freedom of Information Act Publication Scheme.
This will include:
· Statistics on the number of complaints received
· Justified / unjustified analysis
· Known referrals to the Ombudsman
· Subject matter / categorisation / clinical care
· Learning points
· Methods of complaints management
· Any changes to procedure, policies or care which have resulted

Confidentiality

All complaints must be treated in the strictest confidence.
The clinic must keep a record of all complaints and copies of all correspondence relating to
complaints, but such records must be kept separate from patients' medical records.

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

The ICO’s address is:

Information Commissioner’s Office
 Wycliffe House
 Water Lane
 Wilmslow
 Cheshire
 SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

 

 

Gender Language Policy

Your Menopause Nurse Ltd (YMN) recognises that patients have diverse gender identities. In our publications, literature, and other printed and digital materials, YMN uses the word “woman” (and the pronouns “she” and “her”) to describe patients or individuals whose sex assigned at birth was female, whether they identify as female, male, or non-binary.

As gender language continues to evolve in the scientific and medical communities, YMN will periodically reassess this usage and will make appropriate adjustments as necessary. When describing or referencing study populations used in research, YMN will use the gender terminology reported by the study investigators.

1. Individualised Care: Each patient will receive personalised treatment plans based on their medical history disclosed, symptoms, and preferences.
2. Evidence-Based Practice: All prescriptions will be based on the latest clinical evidence and guidelines from the BMS and other reputable sources.
3. Shared Decision-Making: Patients will be fully informed about the benefits and risks of all treatment options, and their preferences will be respected in the decision-making process.
4. Safety and Efficacy: Mainly licensed medications will be prescribed, and the lowest effective dose will be used to minimise side effects in line with clinical advice. The exception to this is Testosterone. We prescribe this in accordance with the BMS guidelines, specifically for women experiencing the symptom of low sexual desire after other options have been exhausted. A testosterone blood test is required prior to starting treatment and 3 months after. Annual blood tests are then required. We prescribe testosterone products which were originally granted a license for male use, but we prescribe its use at much lower doses for women. This is classed as an off-licence use of the medication.
   5. Regular Review: Treatment plans will be reviewed during    follow up consultations and adjusted as necessary to ensure      ongoing effectiveness and safety.

Cookies Policy

Our website uses cookies to provide an excellent digital experience for our users and help us understand how our site and web services are being used.

Please make sure you read this in conjunction with our Privacy Policy.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your computer or device by your browser. They tell us how you use our website but don’t contain personal information about you.

Our cookies help us:

• Make our website work as you’d expect
• Remember your settings during and between visits
• Improve the speed & security of the site

We do not use cookies to:

• Collect any personally identifiable information (without your express permission)
• Collect any sensitive information (without your express permission)
• Pass data to advertising networks
• Pass personally identifiable data to third parties.

Consent

We will ask you to consent to using cookies when you first visit our website.

About the cookies we use

We use first-party cookies for the following purposes:

• User authentication – we use cookies to identify you when you visit the website and navigate the pages, and to determine whether you are logged in
• Website analytics – we use cookies to compile visitor statistics such as how many people have visited our website, what type of technology they are using, how long they spend on the site, what page they look at and where they have come from etc

Third-party cookies from other companies and social networking websites 

Our site, like most websites, includes functionality provided by third parties. Our site includes the following which use cookies:

• CloudRx

During your visit to the site you may notice some cookies that are not related to Your Menopause Nurse. This happens when you visit a page with content embedded from a third party. These websites may place cookies on your computer. Your Menopause Nurse does not control how a third party uses their cookies. You should check these third-party websites’ privacy policies for more information about their cookies if you are concerned about this.

Disabling cookies from other companies and websites will likely break the functions offered by these third parties.

Removing and disabling cookies

If you do not wish to accept cookies on to your machine you can disable them by adjusting the settings on your browser. However, this will affect the functionality of the websites you visit.