Whole-person medical assessment
Weight change can be connected with menopause, sleep, mental wellbeing, medication, diabetes risk and other health concerns. These should not be assessed in isolation.
Medical weight management
Medical weight management, led by a GP
Weight is not simply a question of willpower. It is influenced by appetite biology, hormones, medication, sleep, health conditions, environment and individual circumstances. Dr Karen Egan provides a comprehensive medical assessment and ongoing support designed around your health, not around a particular product.
This is a doctor-led medical service. A prescription is never assumed in advance, and no single treatment is right for everyone.
GP-led care
Why see a GP for medical weight management?
Medicines used in weight management can affect appetite, digestion, hydration, blood glucose and the way other medicines are managed. They may be unsuitable in particular circumstances and can require careful dose adjustment, monitoring and follow-up.
As an experienced practising GP, Dr Karen Egan looks beyond your weight alone. She considers your symptoms, medical history, existing prescriptions, metabolic health, hormonal changes, cardiovascular risk and personal goals before recommending a plan.
Safe prescribing judgement
Prescription treatment is considered only after suitability, contraindications, interactions and individual risk have been reviewed.
Monitoring and continuity
Follow-up is used to review response, tolerability, nutrition, hydration, side effects, dose progression and whether treatment remains appropriate.
A plan beyond medication
Medication may be one component of care. Long-term progress also depends on nutrition, movement, sleep, behaviour, muscle preservation and a realistic maintenance strategy.
What happens at a medical weight-management consultation?
A medical weight-management consultation reviews your weight history, previous approaches, current health, medicines, symptoms, eating patterns, activity, sleep and personal goals. Dr Karen Egan will assess potential health risks, discuss appropriate options and explain whether tests, treatment, follow-up or referral may be needed.
- Weight, waist and height history
- Previous weight-management approaches and what happened afterwards
- Relevant symptoms, medical conditions and family history
- Current prescribed and non-prescribed medicines, supplements and allergies
- Blood pressure, type 2 diabetes risk and cardiovascular risk
- Hormonal and menstrual history where relevant
- Sleep and possible symptoms of sleep apnoea
- Eating behaviour and relationship with food
- Alcohol, activity and physical limitations
- Mental wellbeing
- Pregnancy, fertility and contraception considerations where relevant
- Whether individually selected baseline investigations or referral may be useful
- Realistic health goals and expectations
Individual prescribing
Treatment is based on clinical need, not on a requested product
Some patients may be suitable for prescription treatment as part of a wider weight-management plan. Others may benefit from investigation, changes to existing medication, lifestyle support, treatment of another health condition or referral to a more appropriate service.
Dr Karen Egan will explain the reasonable options, expected benefits, limitations, uncertainties and potential adverse effects before a shared decision is made.
What does ongoing medical monitoring include?
Follow-up may include reviewing weight and waist change, appetite, nutrition, hydration, side effects, blood pressure, relevant test results, medication tolerance, dose decisions and progress towards agreed health goals. Monitoring also provides an opportunity to identify when treatment should be paused, adjusted or stopped.
- Weight and waist change
- Appetite, nutrition and hydration
- Side effects and new symptoms
- Blood pressure and relevant investigation results
- Medication tolerance and interactions
- Dose decisions and whether treatment remains appropriate
- Progress towards agreed health goals
- Planning for maintenance or stopping treatment
Escalating a dose is not automatically the objective. The appropriate dose is the one that provides acceptable clinical benefit with tolerable adverse effects, subject to licensing and individual judgement.
What happens when weight-management medication is stopped?
Weight regain is common after weight-management medication is stopped because the biological drivers of appetite and weight regulation can return. A responsible treatment plan should therefore include maintenance support, realistic discussion about duration and a strategy for nutrition, activity, muscle health, sleep and follow-up.
Weight regain does not mean that the patient has failed, and permanent medication is not automatically appropriate for every patient.
Who may not be suitable for prescription weight-management treatment?
Suitability depends on the individual medicine and the patient’s full medical history. Pregnancy, plans for pregnancy, breastfeeding, particular gastrointestinal or endocrine conditions, previous pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, significant dehydration risk, interactions with other medicines and some mental-health or eating-disorder concerns may affect the decision.
This is not a definitive contraindication list. Current UK product information must be checked for the medicine being considered.
Medical education
Understand the evidence before discussing treatment
These educational articles explain safety, appetite biology, menopause, muscle health, long-term maintenance and emerging research without advertising a prescription-only medicine.
Questions about the consultation
No. A prescription is never assumed in advance. Assessment may identify that investigation, a change to another medicine, lifestyle support, referral or no prescription is the safer plan.
No. Escalating a dose is not automatically the objective. The appropriate dose is the one that provides acceptable clinical benefit with tolerable adverse effects, within the licence and Dr Karen’s individual prescribing judgement.
No. Medication may be one component of care. Nutrition, movement, sleep, behaviour, muscle health and a realistic maintenance strategy remain important.
No. Dr Karen considers whether individually selected investigations would answer a useful clinical question. A fixed panel is not assumed for every patient.
Begin with an assessment
Medical weight management led personally by an experienced GP
Dr Karen Egan is not simply providing access to a weight-loss product. She considers how weight relates to your medical history, current medicines, hormonal health, metabolic risk, sleep, mental wellbeing and longer-term health.
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