Women’s Health

Fiona Mitford-Slade

Dr Mitford-Slade BM MRCGP DFFP is our Women’s Health associate.

Fiona has two young children and lives in West Sussex. She is an experienced and knowledgeable doctor and is passionate about women’s health. She qualified from Southampton University, Hampshire in 1995. Her special interests include cervical cancer, sexual health, contraception, fertility issues and pre and post-natal care.

Like all of our doctors, Dr Mitford-Slade is professional and approachable and puts your comfort at the top of her list of priorities. All consultations are completely confidential and you can chose to be seen in our consulting rooms at the Spire hospital in Portsmouth, Hampshire or in Chichester, West Sussex, whichever is most convenient for you.

Dr Mitford-Slade can offer general appointments to discuss any aspect of your health and she also offer specific appointments to cover the following areas:

Cervical cancer screening
Contraception advice
Pre-natal Health Checks
Post-natal care
Post-natal depression (PND) assessments
Sexual Health
Cervical cancer vaccination
Group B strep screening in pregnancy

Contraception advice

Our doctors can advise on and provide the full range of contraception. From helping you to find the right pill to providing information and providing you with the implant, coil or morning after pill, we can help you to find the right contraception to suit you.

Pre-natal Health Checks

We want you to enjoy your pregnancy and be able to discuss any concerns with a doctor as and when you have them. At your consultation, we will listen to your baby’s heartbeat, check your blood pressure and your glucose levels, making sure we make time to check that you are happy with your health during this important time. This can be done in out clinics in Hampshire or Sussex.

Post-natal care

We will ensure that your body is recovering as it should be from birth, discussing any issues around the birth itself, or any other issues around your post-natal care and offering further support if needed.

Post-natal Depression Assessments

We can conduct a post-natal depression assessment to ensure that you receive any additional support you may need. It is common to feel emotional post-birth however, if you are unsure as to how you are adjusting, we recommend this doctor led consultation to discuss your concerns.

Group B Streptococcus

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is one of many bacteria that normally live in our bodies and usually cause no harm. This is called GBS carriage, colonisation with GBS or carrying GBS.

About a quarter of pregnant women in the UK are estimated to carry GBS. As a result, many babies come into contact, and are colonised with, GBS around the time of labour and birth. The vast majority of babies are unaffected, but a small number become seriously ill with GBS infection.

GBS can cause life threatening complications to the new born and therefore our doctors support prenatal screening for this easily treated infection.

Sexual Health

We can conduct tests for a wide range of sexually transmitted infections. This would include Chlamydia which is very common, often symptomless and unless treated can cause fertility problems.

Cervical Smears

We know that having a cervical smear can often be something women dread. We will make your experience as comfortable as possible and discuss every aspect of the test with you beforehand, ensuring that you are comfortable and informed. This can be done in our clinics in Hampshire or Sussex. We will also ensure that you will have the results of your cervical smear results within 5 working days. The NHS standard is 6 weeks.

Cervical cancer vaccination

Cervical cancer affects the neck of the womb and the cervix. It is the second most common cancer in women under 35. It can be extremely serious and every year 1000 women die from the condition in the UK and 2,800 new cases are registered.

Cervical cancer is caused by the human form of the Human Papilloma Virus, known as HPV.

HPV is very common and almost everyone will contract it at some point in their lives. The virus can be passed on through sexual contact not just sexual intercourse.

We believe it is crucial that woman are offered the chance to be tested and vaccinated against this virus which can lead to cervical cancer.. The NHS are currently rolling out a vaccination programme but funding only allows them to vaccinate girls currently aged 14.

We offer an HPV vaccine which offers protection against 4 types of human papilloma virus (HPV): 2 types that cause 70% of cervical cancer cases, and 2 more types that cause 90% of genital warts cases.

Girls and Young Women aged between 9 and 26 are the group most likely to benefit from the cervical cancer vaccination because the majority of women who have HPV are exposed to it in their teens and 20s. Women in their 30’s can also be tested and vaccinated. This can be offered in our clinics in Hampshire or Sussex.

This valuable protection is given as a course of 3 injections. For more information please contact us.