Meet our New Team Members

We are delighted to welcome Catherine Smart, Amy Montagu, and Niamh Clerkin to the Oxford Women’s Health team.

Our Specialist General Practitioner Catherine Smart will be working alongside Dr Anna Fenton in our Menopause Centre to provide support for women seeking information and resources on the menopause.

She has worked in a range of General Practice settings, including a women’s health practice, a Hawke’s Bay Māori health centre, and rural practices in Greymouth and Hokitika. 

She also teaches sexual health consultation skills to GP registrars and

Specialist General Practitioner Catherine Smart
 

medical students who are doing their General Practice rotations. Catherine has a particular interest in perimenopause and menopause, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), pelvic pain, period issues, contraception, and mental wellbeing throughout all stages of a woman’s life.

Clinical Psychologist and Neuropsychologist Amy Montagu has a wide range of experience working with people of all ages.

With a clinical interest in treating anxiety, trauma, addiction, and substance issues, she uses compassion-focused therapy to assist her clients, as well as a range of evidence-based therapies, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), ​schema therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness-based therapies.
 

Clinical Psychologist and Neuropsychologist
Amy Montagu

Originally from Ireland, our new physiotherapist Niamh Clerkin has a special interest in women’s pelvic health. After completing her training as a physiotherapist, Niamh was employed in the National Health Service (NHS). Since moving to New Zealand, she has worked in Christchurch Hospital’s orthopaedics department and, in 2010, became the physiotherapy team leader for Women’s and Children’s Health at Canterbury District Health Board.

She has also worked with the New Zealand Tall Ferns, the Junior Tall Blacks, Canterbury Netball, Mainland Pride and Canterbury Tennis. In 2018, Niamh moved into private practice where she focused on developing antenatal and postnatal services. 

Physiotherapist Niamh Clerkin

She is passionate about helping women to manage pelvic floor conditions and recover from childbirth and surgery, and like Julee Binns, is one of a handful of physiotherapists specialising in pelvic health.

Our Menopause Events

It was great to see so many people at our recent ‘Let’s Talk About Menopause’ events. We certainly received some great feedback.

In fact, tickets for the 15 June event sold out so quickly, we ran a second session on 5 July. Between 200 and 300 people attended each session.

Speakers at the hour-long  presentations included gynaecologist Richard Dover, endocrinologist Anna Fenton, physiotherapist Julee Binns, and dietitian Sara Widdowson.
 

Physiotherapist Julee Binns speaks at one of our menopause events.
 

https://www.oxfordwomenshealth.co.nz/what-we-offer/menopause.html

Let’s talk about Menopause

Here is a summary of the information that was shared by our health experts at our recent menopause events (as published in Woman Magazine). A video of the first event and a selection of questions from attendees is available to view on our website.

Lasting for up to eight years, on average, menopause symptoms can affect many parts of the body, according to endocrinologist Anna Fenton. These may include hot flushes, joint pain, sleep disturbance, weight changes and reduced muscle mass.
The good news is there are now many safe treatments available.

“Menopause can be considered a negative experience, but perhaps we should think of it more as a bridge to the next phase of our lives,” Anna says. “For many women who’ve had awful periods with pain and other symptoms, life beyond menopause is a very positive thing.”

Gynaecologist Richard Dover says changes in oestrogen levels during menopause may lead to altered bleeding patterns and vaginal skin changes and dryness, which can contribute to frequent urinary tract infections and painful sex. Treatment options for these uncomfortable side effects include vaginal lubricants and topical oestrogen, as well as MonaLisa Touch treatment, which uses laser therapy to encourage the production of healthy, hydrated cells in the vagina.

When it comes to maintaining health and wellbeing, movement is medicine, says physiotherapist Julee Binns.

She recommends women increase their aerobic exercise by introducing walking, cycling and swimming into their daily routine, alongside resistance or strength training, as well as stability, balance and stretching exercises.
 

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week, and up to three strength training sessions weekly (20 to 30 minutes).

By exercising regularly, we increase blood flow, which boosts oxygen and nutrient flow to joints and soft tissues. Julee says staying hydrated can reduce joint pain and other menopausal symptoms, and breathing correctly helps calm the nervous system and improve the connection to our pelvic floor muscles.

When women come to see our dietitian Sara Widdowson around the time of menopause, her key advice is to limit the intake of sugary foods and refined carbohydrates. This helps to keep insulin levels down, which can rise during perimenopause and are associated with weight gain and an increased risk of developing high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.

As the amount of oestrogen in our bodies drops, Sara says its protective effect is lost, leading to an increased risk of heart disease. Her top tips for good heart health are to increase fibre intake (introduce lentils, chickpeas, pulses and eat eight servings of vegetables daily), reduce saturated fat (eat dairy if you can, so you’re getting enough calcium), use healthy fats (olive oil, oily fish, nuts, seeds), and reduce your sugar and alcohol intake.

“Make sure you’re getting enough calcium, sunlight and exercise to keep your bones strong, as lower oestrogen levels in perimenopause can also increase your risk of bone disease,” Sara says.

“Limiting your intake of caffeine, spicy foods and alcohol may help reduce hot flushes. And consider taking a magnesium supplement – it may improve your mood, sleep and bone health.”

For more information, visit:

menopause.org.au,
imsociety.org,
oxfordwomenshealth.co.nz
 

Farewell to Physiotherapist Julee Binns

After twelve-and-a-half-years, our physiotherapist Julee Binns has made the difficult decision to retire from her Oxford Women’s Health practice to focus on her St George’s oncology work.

Julee is a highly valued and respected member of the Oxford Women’s Health team. We will miss her greatly.                

Physiotherapist Julee Binns
 

Robotic Surgery Proving Beneficial in Pelvic Floor Repairs

By Oxford Women’s Health Gynaecologist Mike East

Pelvic floor repair surgery, to correct prolapse symptoms, has been a core skillset for obstetricians and gynaecologists for almost as long as our discipline has existed.

While instruments and procedures used in this type of surgery remained static for about a century, there has been major progress in the last 30 years, including a much better understanding of pelvic floor function and significant improvements in the medical and surgical management of pelvic floor issues.

The most recent advancements have involved the introduction of surgical robotics. At the moment I am fortunate to be among a handful of Kiwi gynaecologists, pioneering this new technology in New Zealand. It makes pelvic floor surgery more precise, and as more experience is gained, it will reduce the length of some procedures by half with fewer complications and less recovery time for patients.

Robots are also proving helpful in other gynaecological procedures, including those for uterine cancer and early stage ovarian cancers.

Gynaecologic oncologist Susie Mourton, who has recently returned to New Zealand from the United States, says the precision and quick recovery time you can achieve with robotic surgery can be very helpful for people with cancer, who may need additional radiation or chemotherapy treatment
as soon as possible after recovering from surgery.
 

Gynaecologist Michael East

Gynaecologic oncologist Susie Mourton

“There is also less pain, fewer respiratory problems and a lower incidence of wound infections after robotic surgery,” she says.

While robotic surgery is not mainstream here, as it is in other places like the US, insurance approval has recently been given for its use in urology and gynaecology. There are as yet few gynaecologists who are skilled in delivering this type of surgery but thankfully an increasing number are doing the training.

There is also increasing recognition that while the cost of acquiring robotic equipment is currently expensive, once it is up and running, the ongoing costs aren’t significantly different from laparoscopic surgery. 
 

New Clinic Director

We are delighted to announce that Richard Dover has been appointed as Oxford Women’s Health’s new Clinic Director.

Richard has worked as a gynaecologist at Oxford Women’s Health for almost 20 years. He is also involved with college commitments and acts as an examiner for the Fellowship of the Royal College.                                    

Oxford Women’s Health’s new Clinic Director Richard Dover.
 

Ben Sharp Reducing Obstetrics Work

From January 2022, Gynaecologist Ben Sharp will be reducing his obstetric practice and will be looking after women aiming to have elective caesareans only.

After many years supporting women and their partners throughout their pregnancies and beyond, Ben will focus on his growing gynaecology practice.

Gynaecologist Ben Sharp