theWomanSpace

25/11/2019

The practice closed down in June 2019.

23/08/2019

23/08/2019

Please help contribute..

09/08/2019

Viva Carol Thomas ,happy womens day,what a tribute with Caster Semenya and Anrich Herbst,Malikah Van Der Schyff ,Aziza Van Der Schyff and Alison Gray,Adam Thomas-James and Gilbert Thomas

09/08/2019

Carol Thomas awarded by SAMA in Durban for her great work in medicine and making a difference..

26/06/2019

The womanspace closed down..

11/06/2019

Dear Patients

Due to Carol’s tragic and untimely death, it is with a heavy heart that we write this to let you know that her practice, theWomanSpace, will be closing down as from 30 June.

Carol was a special doctor and a special woman who touched the lives of so many people. She certainly has left a huge void and there are many of us who need to now navigate a way forward without her positive spirit, wise guidance and wicked sense of humour.

Going forward we would like to honour Carol’s legacy by making a difference in various ways in the medical field. In this regard a bank account has been opened to help to facilitate these projects.

Should you wish to contribute to ‘The Carol Thomas Fund’ the banking details are:

Bank Standard Bank
Account Name Carol Thomas Fund
Account Type Standard Bank Society Scheme Savings
Branch Code 036309 (Pinelands)
Branch Code (electronic payments) 051001
Swift Code SBZA ZA JJ
Account Number 10117116953

We would like to thank you for the love, loyalty and support that you have shown to Carol over the years. And also for the support that you have shown to Carol’s family since her passing. We sincerely appreciate it.

Warm regards

Alison, Gail and Adam

11/06/2019

The WomanSpace closes it's doors on. 30 June 2019

13/04/2019

Sadly, theWomanSpace announces the passing of our very own Dr Carol Ann Thomas yesterday, 12th April 2019. We are all devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our founder and friend. She was the beloved daughter of Gilbert Thomas, loving life partner to Alison Gray, caring sister to Gail Thomas and devoted mother of Adam Thomas-James. She played so many roles and touched so many lives with her love, compassion and wisdom - both patients and colleagues alike. She was a clinician par excellence with surgical skills many aspired to attain. With her generous heart and warrior spirit she carried women through their joyous and often most trying times on their life's journeys. Not only was she a Gynaecologist loved by her patients, but a great academic on the global stage, amazing colleague, mentor and friend to so many! She was an award-winning health innovator, social entrepreneur and solution-based design thinker that set her apart from everyone else. With this we celebrate an icon, a life well-lived, her legacy that will continue through all those whose lives she touched in her own special, extraordinary way. A joyous celebration of Carol's life will be held at the Elsie's River High School Hall on Monday 22 April at 14h30, viewing from 14h00. In lieu of flowers, details of a fund in Carol's name will follow. Please wear celebratory colours to this momentous celebration.

02/11/2018

For all my patients out there...

I have always had the vision of having a comprehensive women’s health service for my patients where women would find the level of expertise they deserve with the quality of care we should all have. As women health professionals we have different stresses to men. For example, we often are still the primary child-minders and the general care-givers, in addition to our roles in the workplace, be that inside or outside the home. For women professionals of colour, like myself, there has been an added dimension of having to overcome patient perceptions about competency differences based on ethnicity. Thankfully this has changed since my first days at Vincent Pallotti Hospital in the 90’s.
I have often in my 28 years in private practice looked forward to a time where I could have what I ‘euphemistically’ call a sabbatical for about six months.
The one thing that I have always done within my practice, although personalities may have differed here and there, is ensure that the skills sets of the specialist obstetrician gynaecologsts that have been, and are, associated with my practice, have been of the highest standard.
An unfortunate health event has forced me to take that sabbatical now. My health has deteriorated suddenly, and I have been in hospital being assessed and optimised for bilateral lung transplant for which I am now listed.
During my absence from the practice for the foreseeable future, I am leaving you in very capable hands.
I will introduce members of theWomanSpace team over time.
Most recently Dr Lynelle Kenneth and I were joined by

Dr Welile Mkhombe
BSc,MBCHB(Wits)FCOG(SA)MMED(O&G)(UCT)
who has been forgiven for initially studying at Wits, because her specialist training as a Fellow of the South African College of Gynaecologists (specialist) and her Masters in Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynaecology were obtained at UCT, my alma mater.
As a single parent of a 8 year old daughter our team approach supports work-life balance. She has a special interest in urogynaecology which addresses vaginal, bladder and pelvic floor health in menopausal and perimenopausal women. Despite her not having experienced a hot flush in her life, my interest in the optimal management of the menopause has rubbed off on her.
The ethos of theWomanSpace has been one of a team approach with consultation between members of the team and wider, if the patient’s particular problem warrants more than our collective specialist opinions, and this will not change.
We will be adding additional services for well woman checks by a suitably qualified well woman general practitioner to ensure that a wide range of cost options are possible, with specialist opinions on site if, for example, something out of the ordinary is found by the practitioner who will offer routine breast examination, PAP (cervical) smear, contraceptive counselling (including intra-uterine device insertions).and pelvic ultrasound examinations.
I thank those patients who have sent me well wishes and hope that your continued support of theWomanSpace makes it possible for me to return, should I be lucky enough to be blessed with a donor.
Regards, Carol

01/11/2018

I have always had the vision of having a comprehensive women’s health service for my patients where women would find the level of expertise they deserve with the quality of care we should all have. As women health professionals we have different stresses to men. For example, we often are still the primary child-minders and the general care-givers, in addition to our roles in the workplace, be that inside or outside the home. For women professionals of colour, like myself, there has been an added dimension of having to overcome patient perceptions about competency differences based on ethnicity. Thankfully this has changed since my first days at Vincent Pallotti Hospital in the 90’s.
I have often in my 28 years in private practice looked forward to a time where I could have what I ‘euphemistically’ call a sabbatical for about six months.
The one thing that I have always done within my practice, although personalities may have differed here and there, is ensure that the skills sets of the specialist obstetrician gynaecologsts that have been, and are, associated with my practice, have been of the highest standard.
An unfortunate health event has forced me to take that sabbatical now. My health has deteriorated suddenly, and I have been in hospital being assessed and optimised for bilateral lung transplant for which I am now listed.
During my absence from the practice for the foreseeable future, I am leaving you in very capable hands.
I will introduce members of theWomanSpace team over time.
Most recently Dr Lynelle Kenneth and I were joined by

Dr Welile Mkhombe
BSc,MBCHB(Wits)FCOG(SA)MMED(O&G)(UCT)
who has been forgiven for initially studying at Wits, because her specialist training as a Fellow of the South African College of Gynaecologists (specialist) and her Masters in Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynaecology were obtained at UCT, my alma mater.
As a single parent of a 8 year old daughter our team approach supports work-life balance. She has a special interest in urogynaecology which addresses vaginal, bladder and pelvic floor health in menopausal and perimenopausal women. Despite her not having experienced a hot flush in her life, my interest in the optimal management of the menopause has rubbed off on her.
The ethos of theWomanSpace has been one of a team approach with consultation between members of the team and wider, if the patient’s particular problem warrants more than our collective specialist opinions, and this will not change.
We will be adding additional services for well woman checks by a suitably qualified well woman general practitioner to ensure that a wide range of cost options are possible, with specialist opinions on site if, for example, something out of the ordinary is found by the practitioner who will offer routine breast examination, PAP (cervical) smear, contraceptive counselling (including intra-uterine device insertions).and pelvic ultrasound examinations.
I thank those patients who have sent me well wishes and hope that your continued support of theWomanSpace makes it possible for me to return, should I be lucky enough to be blessed with a donor.
Regards, Carol

26/10/2018

theWomanSpace has been fortunate to be associated with Dr Lamees Ras, South Africa's first HPCSA accredited sub-specialist urogynaecologist. She is the kind of woman who pushes boundaries constantly and we wish her an even brighter future.