New home-visiting private healthcare service launched in Leeds by doctor who is an expert in Long Covid

Dr Ben Sinclair is heading up a Leeds-based team of GPs treating all medical conditions at the practice, named Dr Finlay’s Private Practice after BBC television drama series Dr Finlay's Casebook. He said: “The practice was a dream for a long time, to have a practice with everything you needed, almost like a one-stop shop. It was difficult as a GP to do much in 10 minutes. I wanted more time with patients, to be able to go into detail and prevent illness before it starts. I want to give people that good old-fashioned relationship with their doctor that you used to have in the old days, but with cutting-edge technology.

"My grandpa was a GP back in the 50s and 60s and when I was thinking about I wanted to do, I wanted to do what he did, have that relationship and be part of the community. We called it Dr Finlay's Practice because Dr Finlay was a well-known visiting GP. We've built it around the needs of people. In lockdown, we found that more and more people were not able to see a doctor but really needed to see one. It's become a home-visiting and online service offering hopefully everything that patients might need. We're getting really good quality patient relationships.”

Among the conditions the practice can offer support with is Long Covid, something Dr Sinclair has become an expert in having experienced it himself. Following his Covid-19 infection, Dr Sinclair experienced difficulty talking and even paralysis. He explained: “I got Covid in December 2020 and just couldn't get well, even though I'd been very physically active before that. I was into triathlon, very fit and active. I just couldn't get back to work.

"I got this weird paralysis down my left hand side about three months after the initial infection and found I had difficulty talking. I couldn't quite form a word. I had to sign myself off work and try investigate what on Earth was going on with me. I then discovered it was Long Covid and was really desperately trying to find a way to research my way out of it. I was learning a lot about it and realised I was well-placed, both as a GP, to pull together all the important bits affecting people with Covid. When I got the Long Covid, nobody really knew much about it and it was very bewildering.

"I also had an interest in chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. I actually had chronic fatigue myself when I was much younger during my A-levels so I really understood it as a patient and a doctor. I felt I could really help people with my experience. It's a massive issue.”

He contracted Covid-19 while working part-time as a prison doctor, where he provided treatment to inmates. Dr Sinclair also had cancer over a decade ago, and the care he received while he had the illness has also provided inspiration for his work. He said: “I've been a patient a couple of times in my life - I had cancer back in 2012 and that really changed my view of what it's like being a patient because you're on the other side of the fence. You're receiving the healthcare. I had a really positive experience of the cancer care and it really inspired me to deliver high-quality care myself.”

The practice, located at 24 The Avenue in Alwoodley, is now open for business and Dr Sinclair has likened the opening of the practice to a homecoming, as he studied for a medical and surgical degree at the University of Leeds. He said: “I've been in Yorkshire for 22 years, I studied in Leeds and then lived in York where I trained and practiced as a GP. It feels a bit like coming home really, which is really nice. I love Yorkshire. I grew up down south but I have adopted Yorkshire.”