Dr Louise Newson
BSc (Hons) MBChB (Hons) MRCP FRCGP
Dr Louise Newson is a GP and Menopause Specialist who works to increase awareness and knowledge of the perimenopause and menopause, and campaigns for better menopause care for all women.
She is the founder of the balance app, The Menopause Charity, Newson Health Research and Education, and creator of this website (home to the world’s largest menopause library), the Dr Louise Newson podcast and she is a member of the Government Menopause Taskforce.
Born in Hampshire, Dr Newson was educated at The Royal Masonic School for Girls, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire and Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey. Sadly, Dr Newson, lost her dad at the young age of 9 and her mum raised Louise, her brother and sister on her own while working at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), being a real inspiration for Louise’s work.
Louise is married to Paul Anderson who is a consultant urologist and reconstructive surgeon at Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley and they have three daughters, Jess, Sophie and Lucy.
Dr Louise Newson
Medical Career
Dr Newson studied medicine and pathology at The University of Manchester and graduated with First Class BSc (Hons) in Pathology in 1992 and MB ChB with Honours in 1994.
After, Dr Newson pursued a career in hospital medicine, obtaining MRCP in 1998, before moving to specialise in General Practice and medical writing.
She has been a writer and editor for many medical journals including GP (magazine) (2000-2018) and was women’s health editor for British Journal of Family Medicine (2013-2018). Louise has written numerous articles to educate and upskill healthcare professionals, including the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Essential Knowledge Updates and the RCGP’s e-learning for Healthcare modules.
Louise is a member of the Royal College of Physicians (1998) and qualified as a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners with Distinction in 2000 (MRCGP) and was subsequently made a Fellow in 2016 (FRCGP).
Louise also has an Advanced Menopause Specialist certificate with the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health (FSRH)
Menopause work
Dr Newson developed her interest in menopause during her time in General Practice, becoming a Menopause specialist in 2018.
Dismayed by the lack of awareness of the menopause and the long-term health risks, and inaccurate information online, she created My Menopause Doctor website, now known as our balance menopause website. It gives women and health professionals access to essential, evidence-based information about the menopause, long-term health risk and treatments that can alleviate symptoms and safeguard a woman’s future health.
Dr Newson campaigns to raise the profile of the menopause within the health profession and society, reframing menopause as a long-term hormone deficiency. She works to dispel myths around hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and educate women and health professionals on how the benefits of HRT far outweigh any risks for the vast majority of women.
balance app
In 2020, Dr Newson founded balance, our free app that gives women up-to-date advice and menopause support at their fingertips. Users are able to identify and track symptoms and create an individualised health report to share with health professionals. Users can also access personalised, expert content on symptoms, conditions and treatments and share stories of their menopause experiences.
To date, the app has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times in over 200 countries.
Learn more about balance appbalance app
The clinic
In 2018 she opened Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. This is a private clinic (due to there being far too little provision for menopausal women in the NHS) which offers women evidence-based and holistic care for their perimenopause and menopause. It is the now the largest menopause clinic in the world.
Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing CentreThe clinic
Research & Education
In 2019, Dr Newson set up a not- for- profit company, Newson Health Research and Education, to further research into the menopause. This includes the Newson Health Menopause Society, a society for healthcare professionals and experts who are passionate about improving women’s health and understand the impact of hormones in disease prevention and maintenance of future health. The society supports members to improve health outcomes for perimenopausal and menopausal women through professional development, education, research and practical advice and guidance. A free online course, called Confidence in the Menopause, was developed by the Newson Health Research and Education and Fourteen Fish and launched in May 2021. To date, it has been accessed more than 25,000 times worldwide by users from in excess of 20 different professions.
Newson Health Menopause SocietyResearch & Education
Books
In 2018 Louise published her first book, Menopause: All you need to know in one concise manual, which became an Amazon bestseller.
In August 2021, her second book, Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause, became a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller.
Books written by Dr Louise NewsonBooks
The Menopause Charity
Committed to improving women’s access to effective treatment, Dr Newson is the founder and trustee of The Menopause Charity, which works to improve women’s and healthcare professionals’ understanding of the menopause. The charity’s website is an essential guide to all things menopause, with accurate medical information on symptoms, HRT and holistic care. Future plans include a professionally-staffed helpline, and a menopause bus to visit communities which are often excluded from menopause care.
The Menopause CharityThe Menopause Charity
Media
In addition to her clinical and charity work, Newson regularly writes articles in academic journals and contributes to research into the menopause.
She is in demand as a menopause specialist and makes regular appearances on TV, including the BBC Breakfast, ITV’s Lorraine and This Morning and the 2021 documentary “Sex, Myths and the Menopause”. Radio appearances include BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. She also regularly writes articles and offers expert advice for national newspapers and magazines.
Dr Newson has a large Instagram following (in excess of 330,000 followers) and harnesses social media to share the latest information and studies through daily posts, and to raise awareness and understanding of the menopause. This was particularly apparent during the pandemic, when Louise used Instagram Live to offer support and advice to women worldwide.
Her Dr Louise Newson podcast has built up a global audience, featuring expert guests covering topics such as HRT, bone health, exercise and nutrition.