Partner Article

bdaily goes behind the scenes of The Dow Clinic and The Newcastle Nail Laser Centre with Director Hamish Dow

Synopsis of your area of expertise: A graduate of the Durham School of Chiropody and Podiatry 1981
Chiropodist/Podiatrist for Berkshire Health Authority 1981-1982
Chiropodist/Podiatrist in Private Practice 1982-current
General Podiatric practitioner working in the private sector providing diverse services from routine clinical footcare (corns, calluses, verruca treatments, nail treatments, administration of local analgesia, toenail removal, verruca extraction, custom orthotic provision and practical gait evaluation).

Specialist treatments:
One of the country’s leading clinicians in the treatment of fungal nail disease using PinPointe FootLaser.

Other interests:
Certified Reflexologist
Master practitioner of NLP
Certified Master Hypnotist

What key challenges has your company recently faced?

Adapting to a rapidly shifting market demand and customer perception. Being innovative to provide cutting edge technology in what is a very niche area. Even in our line of work the internet has created a change in patient demand as information is readily available, so some people self diagnose more (very often incorrectly). There is an increase in the numbers of people working across specialities trying to offer services in our sector (often highly inferior, but that still influences public perception of what a well trained Podiatrist/Chiropodist can do)

What is your biggest achievement over the past 12 months?

Developing the expertise with the PinPointe FootLaser to become recognised for the high level of work we do by the American parent company, and becoming the first to independently publish two case studies in our professional journal (Podiatry Now) on the observed clinical effects of the PinPointe FootLaser. Gaining a positive reputation for our standard of results (amongst our peers) for our work with the PinPointe FootLaser. Remaining a viable podiatry practice with an excellent reputation for high standards of care and practice

What is your biggest focus for the coming year?

To gain recognition with doctors and the rest of the medical fraternity that the PinPointe FootLaser is the safest and most effective leading non-pharmaceutical intervention in the treatment of fungal nail disease. To establish the reputation of the practice as the foremost centre in the North East for our work in this field.

If you had to choose one top piece of advice for someone just starting out in business, or is currently operating within your industry sector, what would it be?

Pay attention to excellence, set your standards high and always try to be better, be a decent person and be congruent in all that you do. Be prepared to work hard, the Universe is under no obligation to give you anything just because you want it.

Can you share with us your view of the current landscape of business, in this region or generally, and where your organisation sits within it?

Much of whatever difficulties that there are in the current economic climate are being compounded by negative thinking and catastophising in the media and by people who have no idea how self defeating and negative they are. More should be done to focus on achievement and excellence to promote a “can-do” mentality.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jonny Marshall .