LIVVE – the new online pharmacy set to lead the menopause revolution
“I am beyond excited to be able to utilise my skills and experience to create something that can make a difference, that’s affordable and can help women.”
Leeds entrepreneur has launched an online pharmacy dedicated to improving access and treatment options for women going through menopause.
In the lead-up to World Menopause Day on 18 October 2022, a Leeds entrepreneur is using her personal experience and medical knowledge to help others going through menopause.
A qualified prescribing pharmacist, 42-year-old Melissa Sookia knows all too well about the lack of support and affordable treatment available for women suffering from menopausal symptoms.
It was whilst offering a menopause service at her clinic that Melissa noticed a huge gap in the market after seeing the significant improvement in patient wellbeing, mood and sex drive within a matter of weeks of receiving treatment.
Speaking about the reasons for setting up LIVVE, Melissa said: “With 13,000,000 menopausal women in the UK, it’s time to cut through the deafening silence on this topic and get past the shame society has placed on it.
Image: Supplied
“I went through perimenopause when I was 40 and after a few appointments with my GP was left feeling underwhelmed and frustrated by the treatment options and advice I received.
“There was so much more I could offer with the knowledge I had about menopause and my role as a prescribing Pharmacist that no one else was doing.”
Within just a few months, Melissa had completed her training with the Marion Gluck Academy and became a member of The British Menopause Society.
LIVVE launches later this month and provides treatment for all 48 symptoms of menopause. Patients can access all the information and support needed to live an empowered life, as well as the freedom to talk openly about their feelings and concerns.
The platform will provide both a consultation service and an online pharmacy all in one place, users can enjoy just one point of contact, enabling patients to receive a more tailored, personal approach to their menopause care and medication.
Being online, the costs and time for consultations is kept down and thus allows for treatment to be more readily available for those in need.
Ahead of the launch, Melissa said: “Pharmacists are a key part of the solution. They are experts in offering practical help and making decisions about which medicines to prescribe and dispense. The online nature of LIVVE enables us to offer a responsive and cost-effective service
“I am beyond excited to be able to utilise my skills and experience to create something that can make a difference, that’s affordable and can help women.”
To find out more about LIVVE, take a look at their website.
Food critic Jay Rayner headed to Leeds for his latest restaurant review for The Financial Times, with his sights set on one of the city's newest pubs - The Highland Laddie.
Having only opened in May last year, The Highland Laddie has practically received a stream of praise ever since.
From the team behind the beloved Empire Cafe, it's a pub unlike any you'll find in the city.
Charming interiors and cosy fires matched with stellar food that rivals that of any restaurant in the city, it's no surprise that The Good Food Guide rated the Laddie has the Best Pub in Britain for 2025.
And now Jay Rayner, one of the country's most rated critics, has jumped on the Laddie-loving bandwagon.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The review is glowing in every aspect, stating that "The Laddie, as it’s now being called, answers all those miserable questions about whether a pub is actually a restaurant in disguise, by making them feel irrelevant."
After making himself comfortable, Rayner continues to order a myriad of delicious things off the menu.
"Some of the food is purely comforting", he remarks before claiming "the must-have is the lyrically described “Sliced ham from the fire, dinner roll, butter & mustard”.
"It starts with the delivery of a laminated mustard menu. There’s Colman’s or Taylors English, Grey Poupon wholegrain and five types of Dijon, among others. More restaurants should have mustard menus. We are pointed at the Händlmaier Sweet Bavarian, a jar of which is delivered to the table.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
"It eases the cheek-pink slices of still warm, thick-cut salty ham on their way as I fold them into the sweet springy block of bread with its butter-brushed crust. It is a dish ripped gently from the pages of The Darling Buds of May and made heavenly reality."
High praise indeed from Mr Rayner who finds joy in his experience til the very end, "At the end, the bill comes with a couple of Fruit Salad sweets, a ’70s classic.
"It’s a shameless clapback to an imaginary back-in-the-day, for nothing then was ever as good as this. But let’s not quibble with wonky nostalgia. Let’s just celebrate a present which has found space for the Highland Laddie amid the high-rise clutter."
Netflix to release new Lucy Letby documentary with ‘unprecedented access’ next month
Emily Sergeant
Netflix is set to air a new documentary about the investigation of Lucy Letby, and the trailer has now been released.
The feature-length film about Lucy Letby - the infamous neonatal nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others under her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital - hears for the first time from the police officers who investigated the case that shook the nation.
It features never-before-seen footage of Letby during her arrests and police questioning, and even includes interviews with experts and lawyers on both sides, as well as with the hospital consultants who initially raised the alarm.
Tragically, it also includes an anonymised interview with a mother of one of the victims, who also speaks for the first time about her experience and involvement in Letby’s trial.
Produced as a result of years of research and relationship-building, the film - simply titled The Investigation of Lucy Letby - is described as being the most 'comprehensive' look at one of Britain's most notorious crimes, and traces developments from her arrest to trial in chronological order.
Viewers will be given 'unparalleled and exclusive access' to those central to the story.
"This was an exceptional and demanding project, marked by significant creative and ethical responsibility," commented director, Dominic Sivyer. "Our aim was to craft a powerful, emotionally resonant depiction of the events surrounding the case."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x93eZD1F4vs
Caroline Short, Head of Global TV at ITN Productions - who produced the documentary - added: "The access to all our contributors came with a huge responsibility to present everyone's perspectives with care and understanding.
"We are grateful to all those people who trusted us to tell their story."
The Investigation of Lucy Letby will be released and available to stream on Netflix in the UK and Ireland on 4 February 2026.
Clementine Hall -
18th October 2022 
