Introducing Dr Rob Hicks
We are delighted to introduce Dr Rob Hicks, who is working with The Mobility Furniture Company as an independent expert.
One of the UK’s most popular and well-known media-doctors, Dr Rob Hicks is an experienced GP who lives with his family in Greater London. He is the resident doctor on “The Chrissy B Show”, medical adviser to the TV drama “Doctors”, and is regularly heard on the radio. A prolific health writer and medical journalist, Dr Rob Hicks has written three books and regularly contributes to magazines and national newspapers.
We are thrilled to have Dr Rob Hicks on board as an independent expert. He highlights key issues faced by many older people, and others who have medical conditions, and discusses how well-designed mobility furniture can help them to improve health and quality of life.
Read Dr Rob Hicks’s advice
-
How to sleep with sciatica
I have often been asked about sciatica by patients, family, friends… and even strangers once they hear I’m a doctor! And I am not surprised, as sciatica is a common problem, affecting as many as 40% of adults at some point in their lives.
-
5 health benefits of elevating your legs
“Put your feet up and have a cup of tea”… a brilliantly British suggestion, but in fact, it is often key medical advice too. Dr Rob Hicks discusses who needs to put their feet up, why it helps and how to do it.
-
10 ways to improve poor circulation
Act now to improve your circulation suggests Dr Rob Hicks Diagnosed with poor circulation? What does that actually mean… and what can we do about it?
-
How to prepare your home for recovery after surgery
Key considerations and practical tips, from Dr Rob Hicks The knowledge that you’re due to have surgery can be stressful. But preparing for coming home afterwards can be immensely cathartic.
-
How to sleep well with arthritis
Achieving a good night’s sleep can be difficult, especially for people with arthritis, but help is at hand with expertise from Dr Rob Hicks Everyone’s experience of arthritis is different.
-
10 ways to prevent falls at home
Let’s face it, nobody likes taking a tumble. But for those who are getting on in years, falling can have far wider health implications.
-
Parkinson’s: treatment and lifestyle
What is Parkinson’s disease, how does it affect people and what steps can you take to improve your quality of life? Dr Rob Hicks reports.
-
Can adjustable beds help with sleep apnoea?
Time and again we hear how important it is that we get a good night’s sleep. Many aspects of our mental and physical health depend on it… even the Dalai Lama tells us that “sleep is the best meditation”.
-
Osteoporosis: how to live well when bones lose strength
Be conscious of what you eat, proactive with exercise, and mindful of posture, suggests Dr Rob Hicks It’s natural to become concerned about our body health as we age.
-
How to manage back pain with the right recliner chair
How you sit can help reduce back pain, outlines Dr Rob Hicks. Back pain is a frequent complaint of visitors to GP surgeries. As the leading cause of disability in the UK, affecting one in six adults in England, it can be frustratingly difficult to treat, and even worse to live with.
-
Insomnia in the elderly: how to sleep well in older age
Most of us have an occasional bad night’s sleep, but if you’re getting on in years and find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep, you aren’t alone. Insomnia in elderly people is much more common than many people realise.
-
Can adjustable beds help with back pain?
Back pain can literally be the bane of your life. It’s a problem that affects millions, with statisticians estimating that around one in six adults have some form of back pain. The good news is that acute (short-term) back pain may last for a few days or weeks, often resolving on its own.
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I grew up in Cardiff and qualified as a doctor at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School in Paddington (now part of Imperial College, London). For many years I practised as a GP in London, becoming the senior partner of the practice much sooner in my career than I anticipated. Most recently I worked in a hospital sexual health clinic. I’ve been a media doctor for over 25 years and am increasingly a happily-exhausted hands-on dad!
Why did you pursue a career in medicine?
I guess I’ve always wanted to try and help people – there are no doctors in my family so it wasn’t a case of following in footsteps. I also wanted a job that involved people and science. During my gap year I worked in a supermarket stacking shelves and I recall during my medical school interview one of the interviewers saying, “Surely the supermarket job fulfils that?” To which I replied, “I finish stacking the shelves before the store opens so I don’t really get to see anyone, and the most scientific experience I get is using the pricing gun.” They subsequently offered me a place.
What is your biggest achievement?
My children are happy, so I think that’s probably my best achievement. I’d say that my biggest personal achievement is singing in front of an audience. I’d always wanted to do that, but nerves, and a lack of self-confidence and ability, had got in the way for as long as I can remember. It’s been a long journey but now I’m very happy – some might say too keen – to just get up and belt out a tune! For me it just goes to show that with the right help and support, barriers can be overcome.
What are you passionate about?
My family, music, singing, cars, and – don’t laugh – knitting.
How did you move from general practice to media?
I fell into the media by chance. I was working for an NHS health authority and my boss told me the Government wanted the NHS to get positively public about all the good things the NHS was doing, which meant doing public relations. She told me she wasn’t going to do it… I was. It wasn’t long after that I had a column in the local newspaper and was the resident doctor on LBC radio in London. I enjoy working in the media, and thankfully people keep asking me back!
How do you think The Mobility Furniture Company can help people?
I think mobility furniture can make life that little bit easier for people, particularly those people who struggle to do things that we often take for granted, like sitting down and standing up. By helping to maintain independence and mobility, the knock-on effect is better physical and mental health and wellbeing, and better quality of life.
