What to Expect at Your First Visit

For your first visit you should be prepared to be with us for 1-2 hours (follow-up sessions will be shorter). While you are waiting between tests and appointments, we will be pleased to offer you complimentary tea, coffee and cooled water. You may wish to browse our bookshelves or watch one of our specially commissioned patient-focussed videos.

The path your “patient journey” takes will be tailor-made for your requirements. Many patients will need to have a urinary flow test, for which you must have a full bladder; so please do not empty it when you arrive without first checking with one of our staff.

New patients will have a full medical history taken by a doctor, and will be offered a series of general health checks as part of our commitment to helping you optimise your overall health. Samples of blood may be taken by one of our nurses, eg for PSA, cholesterol etc. (Please note: you will ideally need to have fasted for about 12 hours before a cholesterol test.) Subsequent investigations may be carried out by a nurse or doctor, and may include, where appropriate, a resting ECG, a kidney, bladder, prostate, testicular or carotid ultrasound, and a sample kit to take away to test for colon abnormalities. We do not wish to repeat tests unnecessarily, so please let us know if you have had any of these recently.

You can expect to have a physical examination. This will involve a digital rectal examination, where the prostate gland is felt by the doctor with a finger while you lie on your side. Most men prefer to undergo this examination in private, so if you have brought your partner or other representative we will normally ask them to leave the room while it is performed. However, if you would like them to stay with you, or indeed if you would like another of our staff to be present, please let us know.