Well-Woman Screening  

This requires an extended appointment and will be adapted to your age and specific complaints, considering your past medical history and family history with particular emphasis on diseases that affect females, eg. breast, cervical and ovarian cancer screening.  

All females aged between 25-65 years are eligible for a free cervical smear test once registered with CervicalCheck. If your smear test is due, you will be offered this as part of your WellWoman appointment.    

The medical includes  

• Comprehensive history taking.  
• Breast exam,  
• Physical examination  
• Urinalysis.  
• Smear test is included if you are due a smear.  

• Blood tests and ECG may be done if appropriate.  
• BMI (body mass index)  
• Cardiac risk assessment  

If you would like a cholesterol test you should be fasting for 12 hours so book an early morning appointment.  

Based on the results of the above tests the doctor will advise you regarding lifestyle/diet changes and schedule follow-ups or referrals as appropriate.    

 

Well-Man Screening  

This requires an extended appointment and will be geared towards your age and specific complaints, considering your past medical history with a particular emphasis on diseases that affect males, eg. prostate cancer and testicular cancer screening.   

The medical will include:  

• Comprehensive history taking (including family history)  
• Full physical examination and urinalysis.  
• Blood tests may be done as appropriate (you should fast for 12 hours for cholesterol and diabetes screening so book an early morning appointment).  
• ECG will be done if aged over 50.  
• We also check your BMI (body mass index) and cardiac risk and advise accordingly.  

  

Wellness Screening   

For those that identify as gender non-binary or no matter how you identify, we can tailor an examination to suit your needs and wishes.  

 

Cardiovascular Disease Screening 

Coronary heart disease is the most common cause of death in Ireland. According to statistics from Croi, approximately 6000 people have heart attacks in Ireland each year and many of these can be prevented. We offer a comprehensive cardiovascular screening appointment including a focused personal and family history, cardiovascular examination, ECG and blood tests. We can then use a combination of these results to work out your cardiovascular risk score, i.e. how likely you are to have a heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years. This screening can be done individually or as part of a full Wellperson appointment depending on your requirements.

STI Screening 

We offer a full screening service for sexually transmitted infections. There are many such infections in circulation, many of which can be picked up easily by men or women.  

• Chlamydia  
• Gonorrhoea  
• Genital warts  
• Trichomonas  
• Hepatitis B  
• HIV  
• Syphilis  
• Herpes  

In many cases you may not even know you are infected and can pass on an infection to a partner without realising it.  

All our clinical staff have specific training in this area so can do all the necessary swabs and blood tests. Genital exams are offered but are not compulsory.   

Urine tests and/or a self-administered vaginal swab can be used if you do not want any physical examination.   

We provide the service with discretion and complete confidentiality and can send your samples anonymously so only your GP here can identify you, if required.  

  

You may find it easier to come for such testing in the privacy of a GP surgery rather than a busy public STI clinic in a hospital.  

A morning appointment is preferable, so samples reach the lab in time.  

   

If you have symptoms (discharge, pain, lumps, sores, burning on urination) please attend as soon as possible as we may be able to start you on treatment while we wait to order tests. When booking, we will ask if you are symptomatic as we must book you in with the GP if so.   

Non-symptomatic or peace of mind testing can be carried out by our Nurses. 

  

If you DO NOT have symptoms and simply wish to be checked for peace of mind, please wait a minimum of 10 days and ideally for 14 days after the date of the contact that you are concerned about as any infection can be undetectable before this, making your trip to us a waste of your time and money.  

For men, please do not urinate for 1 hour before your appointment as this can affect the accuracy of any tests.  

 

Chlamydia 

Chlamydia is the most common STI in Ireland with almost half of all cases diagnosed in those aged 15-24 years. It is often asymptomatic in both sexes but particularly in females and the bacteria can travel into the womb and fallopian tubes causing chronic inflammation which may then lead to pelvic pain, infertility and an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy.

 

HIV 

If you have a specific concern regarding HIV and are genuinely concerned that you could have been exposed to the virus via sexual contact with someone known to have or likely to have HIV, please do not wait.  

Depending on the circumstances, you may be a candidate for a therapy called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) if you present to hospital within 72 hours of the contact.  

You will need to attend your local emergency department or hospital based STI clinic for this therapy.  

Do not book in here first as you are wasting valuable time by doing so.  

 

Fertility screening 

We offer a comprehensive fertility screening service to both men and women. It covers people at all stages of the reproductive journey.   

From those that are not trying for a baby but just want to know where they stand in terms of fertility right up to those that have been trying to conceive for some time without success.   

We can see people individually or as a couple.  

 

Tired All The Time    

Feeling “tired all the time” (TATT) is a common presenting complaint which requires a detailed history and examination, so we have designed a special “TATT” consultation to meet your needs. This is an extended consultation which allows extra time with the doctor to accurately tease out the cause of your fatigue and this is usually followed by urine and blood tests.  

There are many causes of fatigue. It is important to evaluate both physical and psychological causes.  

Physical causes include active medical conditions involving almost all organ systems, chronic pain conditions, side effect of certain medications, blood test abnormalities/deficiencies, gynaecological conditions in females among many others.  

Psychological conditions such as low mood, anxiety, stress and burnout can often present themselves initially as a feeling of being tired all the time and a loss of energy and interest in activities that were previously enjoyable. A full mental health consultation can be arranged later if required.  

Insomnia  

Insomnia is a common cause or co-factor of chronic fatigue. There are many causes of insomnia, both physical and psychological. We will explore these and suggest appropriate management plans and lifestyle interventions where necessary.  

We will perform a relevant examination and further tests, including blood tests based on your symptoms 

 

Other types of screening    

We have a range of blood tests which can screen for a host of conditions such as the following. A consultation is required with the doctor in advance to assess suitability for testing via history and examination.  

  

Diabetes  

In Ireland, it is estimated that over 200,000 suffer from type 2 diabetics, with a possible further 100,000 people who have high blood glucose levels who are yet to be diagnosed.  

We screen for diabetes through personal and family history, examination and testing. 

Some of the investigations we do include: 

• Finger prick tests/BM 
• Blood glucose levels  
• HbA1c levels – look at sugars over the previous 3 months 

As elevated sugar levels can affect many organs in our body, we usually recommend further blood test to check cholesterol, an ECG test and blood pressure check.  

Our nurse is trained in diabetes and can give dietary advise where needed.  

If diabetes or high sugars are found, we can then help you to manage this and refer you where appropriate.  

If you are concerned about diabetes or sugars, please book an appointment for our diabetes screening.  

 

Thyroid disease   

This is a very common ailment in Ireland. Your thyroid is a gland in your neck that helps to control metabolism. It can become overactive or underactive. Symptoms you may experience include fatigue, weight gain or loss, sweating, skin and hair changes, bowel changes and sleep or mood issues.  

It is more likely to occur if you have a first degree relative with this condition.  

We can screen for thyroid issues through history, examination and blood tests. Occasionally we can arrange an ultrasound of your neck/thyroid where appropriate.  

If you are concerned about your thyroid gland, please book an appointment for our thyroid screening tests. 

 

Cholesterol  

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is found in your blood. Your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. Excess cholesterol in your blood will deposit in your blood vessels causing them to become narrow. This can ultimately lead to a heart attack or stroke.  

Sometimes we get high cholesterol due to a poor diet with too much fat in it. It can also be a genetic issue and run in your family.  

We assess your heart and stroke risk through a history, examination and blood tests. We can do an ECG (tracing of the heart) where appropriate and arrange further testing if we have any concerns. We can input your results into recognised risk charts to see if you need any intervention or further testing. 

If you would like to check your cholesterol, please book an appointment for our cholesterol screening tests. 

 

Coeliac disease  

Coeliac disease, or gluten intolerance, is common in Ireland. Symptoms can vary from person to person but could include diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pains, bloating and wind, constipation, headaches, fatigue, low iron, skin issues or joint pain.  

Most people will notice a flare of symptoms if they eat food containing gluten. Sometimes it can run in your family.  

If you are concerned that you may have a gluten intolerance or coeliac disease, we can assess you here. We can do a history, examination and blood tests. If you are not eating gluten, that your blood test may be normal, so we recommend continuing a normal diet until we see you. If we have concerns or strongly suspect coeliac disease, we may refer you for an endoscopy (camera test into the stomach) as this is the most sensitive test to diagnose coeliac disease.  

If you would like to be screened, please book an appointment for our coeliac screening tests. 

  

Hereditary Haemochromatosis  

This is a genetic disorder where a person has too much iron in their blood. It may run in your family. The excess iron is deposited in other organs in the body leading to a variety of symptoms including tiredness, weight loss, weakness, joint pains, skin discolouration or period issues.  

We can do blood tests here to screen for this disorder. We advise fasting blood tests as iron levels are more accurate if done fasting. If you have a strong family history of hereditary haemochromatosis, we may also discuss doing genetic testing with you.  

If you would like to be screened for hereditary haemochromatosis, please book an appointment with our doctor for this. 

 

 

Cancer-focused Checks 

Some cancers can be checked for with a focused history, physical examination and further testing where necessary. These include:

Breast cancer checks 

Breastcheck is a dedicated free breast cancer screening service for women living in Ireland. The programme offers all women between the ages of 50-69 a free mammogram every two years. Your first invitation will depend on when screening is available in your area. This is normally within 2 years of your 50th birthday.  

Some women are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer than others due to family history and may wish to be screened earlier than age 50.   

Our breast check service offers all female patients regardless of age the opportunity to have a detailed focused history, breast examination and onward referral for tests such as a mammogram or ultrasound if required.   

Cervical Cancer Screening 

We are registered with Cervicalcheck - the National Cervical Screening Programme - for provision of Cervical Cancer Screening (smear tests). These are available free of charge every 3 years for women aged 25-45 and every 5 years from age 45-60. This test detects early pre-cancerous changes in the cervix.  

Please note that a smear is NOT a test for sexually transmitted infections, although these can be done at the same visit if you mention this in advance (STI screening is a separate service and costs €80).  

More details about smears are available on cervicalcheck.ie, where you should also check if you are eligible for a free smear. Please bring your invitation letter or CSP ID number with you when coming for a smear. Please note that if you are not eligible for a free smear, you can have it done privately with us, but it is preferable, not to mention cheaper, to remain within the Cervicalcheck protocols.  

Prostate Cancer Check 

The PSA blood test is a screening test for prostate cancer. We offer to this test to all men over 50 years of age as part of the Wellman appointment or at a younger age if their risk of developing prostate cancer is higher than average, for example where there is a family history of the disease.  

PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) is a protein made by the prostate gland and is detectable in the blood.   

This blood test can be used to help diagnose prostate cancer as well as benign prostate problems and   

can help monitor how your cancer is responding to treatment.  

It is important to note that while this test has a high sensitivity, its specificity is low.   

This means that a normal level is good at ruling out prostate cancer, but an elevated level is poor at confirming cancer.   

If the PSA level is elevated, it will often be repeated 6 weeks later before further investigations are undertaken.  

For this reason, it is important to be fully counselled by your doctor of the advantages and disadvantages of testing in advance.  

 

Skin Cancer Check 

Broadly speaking there are two main types of skin cancer; non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers.   

Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common skin cancer in Ireland with more than 12,000 new diagnoses each year.   

Melanoma skin cancer is less common but more serious as it can spread to other parts of the body. Incidence is rising, and it is now the 4th most common cancer in Ireland with over 1,000 people diagnosed every year.  Over a quarter of these are in people under the age of 50.  

Unfortunately, there is no national skin cancer screening programme in Ireland at present.   

The best way to detect skin cancer early is to attend us for a skin check appointment.   

During this appointment we will examine all your existing skin lesions with a particular emphasis on new, changing, and pigmented lesions. Any lesion of concern will be examined in further detail using a dermatoscope (a non-invasive microscope for the skin). Depending on the nature of the concerning lesion, we can offer a biopsy on-site or onward referral to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon, as necessary.  

 

Colon Cancer Check: 

About 2800 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in Ireland every year. It is the second most common cancer in men and third most common cancer in women in Ireland.   

BowelScreen is a free screening test provided by the HSE at 2-year intervals to persons aged between 60 and 69 years. It involves taking a sample of your stool at home using a home test kit. You send it back in a special tube in a sealed envelope for testing in the lab and the test looks for traces of blood in the stool sample.   

If the amount of blood is above the screening limit you will be automatically invited for a more invasive screening test called a colonoscopy which involves looking inside the large colon with a camera. We stress that this is a very small camera. Not a Canon D90.   

Many younger people are at higher risk of developing colon cancer before they would become eligible for the BowelScreen test provided by the HSE. This is usually due to a family history of colon cancer. In these individuals we offer a detailed history, physical examination and onward referral for colonoscopy as needed.