Patient care is still first priority for Valley's former '˜flying doctor'

The Ribble Valley’s very own “flying doctor”, Dr McKeating provided the kind of emergency care which could mean the difference between life and death and he was often first on the scene at local road traffic accidents and the like.

Today, however, Dr McKeating is a more welcome sight to many people in his role offering non-surgical cosmetic treatments at the new branch of his RejuvaMed business in Clitheroe.

Situated next to the Holmes Mill development at Holmes Cottage on Woone Lane, the clinic, which is Dr McKeating’s second in the county – his award-winning original clinic is located in Chorley – offers a wide range of treatments for the whole body.

Dermal fillers are available to redefine a client’s cheekbones, while lip augmentation can help clients achieve fuller, natural looking and volumised lips.

There are also solutions for facial problems such as acne scarring, thread veins, fine lines and wrinkles, dry, damaged and ageing skin, a sagging neck and jowls, eye bags and dark circles and even the shape of a client’s nose can be redefined.

Body wise irritations such as cellulite, ageing hands and a client’s body shape can be addressed.

And next month the Vein Centre at the clinic will officially open with consultant vascular surgeon with the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Mr Rob Salaman, joining Dr McKeating.

“We are the only dedicated facility in Lancashire to offer this service,” said father-of-four Dr McKeating (51), who runs the new clinic with his partner Charlotte Anderson.

“The NHS is funding fewer and fewer varicose vein treatments around the country. The veins have to be ulcerating to be dealt with otherwise it’s considered a cosmetic procedure, and through the new centre we’re going to reduce the costs involved for patients.”

A former resident of Brockhall Village, Dr McKeating relocated to the Ribble Valley in 2000 after training as a doctor in Edinburgh.

Joining Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a consultant in anaesthetics and intensive care at the Royal Preston Hospital, he was soon recognised for his work after volunteering to become the Ribble Valley’s flying doctor in 2002 through the charity Med-ALERT.

Until then, the Ribble Valley’s nearest flying doctor was in Colne. In order to reach the scene of accidents and other emergencies in the shortest possible time, Dr McKeating spent £1,500 of his own money equipping his car, which was packed with the latest in portable life-saving equipment. He even paid for the car’s fuel.

For this work Dr McKeating was awarded the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times-sponsored Braveheart award as part of a celebration of the Ribble Valley’s heroes and heroines called the Heart of the Valley.

And it’s this background which has stood Dr McKeating in good stead when setting up RejuvaMed Skin Clinic.

He has now left the NHS to focus primarily on both medical aesthetics, and providing anaesthesia for surgery in the private sector, working at four local private hospitals including Gisburne Park and Beardwood. Dr McKeating’s passion for aesthetics and his keen eye for detail led to his Chorley clinic being awarded third place as Best New Clinic in the UK and Ireland at The Aesthetics Awards 2016, behind two London clinics.

Taking this knowledge, experience and reputation for excellence to the RejuvaMed clinics clients can be assured they’re in safe hands.

Dr McKeating believes that “less is more” and therefore always emphasises to his patients the importance of looking natural. He firmly believes that aesthetic treatments should simply enhance the way a client looks, to give them a fresher and more youthful appearance.

One of RejuvMed’s most popular treatments is the HydraFacial which not only detoxifies with lymphatic drainage, deeply cleanses and exfoliates, but also brightens with a GlySal peel and hydrates with a cocktail of powerful antioxidants and hyaluronic acid. The finishing touch is an LED light which is applied to stimulate collagen and calm skin.

I graciously accepted the offer to enjoy this, plus an additional Opera Mask treatment, recently at the new Clitheroe clinic and was highly impressed by the instant results.

Irritating open pores and blackheads disappeared thanks to the facial’s detoxifying, deep cleansing and exfoliation, while the peel and hydrating element gave my skin a noticeable radiance and glow.

The aesthetician Gemma Whalley answered any questions that I had and explained what was happening throughout the procedure. The 25-year-old, who has suffered with acne, said she loves the job satisfaction of making people feel more confident about the way they look.

An official grand opening event is being staged at Clitheroe’s RejuvaMed Skin Clinic and Vein Centre on Saturday, July 1st. It will feature live treatment demonstrations and special offers will be available to those who attend on the day.