THE DOCTORS

THE PRACTICE STAFF

The Practice Manager/ Business Manager

Mr Chris Blunt takes overall responsibility for managing the practice. Specific responsibilities relate to the financial well-being of the practice, administrative management, responsibility for the staff and managing the daily running of the surgery. Chris also manages the development of quality in the practice in line with the Quality and Outcomes Framework, a set of national standards to which our GPs work.

Assistant Practice Manager

Alison Brain, whose duties include assisting the practice manager in the daily running of the surgery, maintaining the surgery's appointment system and dealing with any queries which the receptionists are unable to answer.

Receptionists

The surgery has six receptionists all of whom are trained to represent the doctors. All information dealt with is treated in the strictest of confidence. Their duties include making appointments and taking messages including home visit requests. The receptionists will often ask for details of your condition in order to assess the degree of urgency so that they may act efficiently on your behalf. Day-to-day supervision of reception is the responsibility of our senior receptionist Sue Molland. Our other senior reception staff are Karen Hewitt who who is responsable for administering various areas such as choose and book and insurance company/medical reports and Alison Swinnerton who is responsible for publicity and health promotion awareness including Patient Reference Group.

Practice Nurses

All the above play a key part in the practice clinical team; they work independently and liaise with the doctors where necessary. They all hold relevant recognised professional qualifications and run various health promotion clinics including asthma, diabetic, well woman/well man, coronary heart disease, smoking cessation, weight management etc. Some procedures can only be performed when there is a doctor on the premises. These rules are in place for your safety.

Healthcare Assistant/Phlebotomist

Jackie Hopkins (Level 3 HCA) takes blood, undertakes dressings, performs blood pressure checks on patients, conducts ECGs, tests routine urine samples and deals with stock control, ordering dressings, sample bottles etc. Jackie also works on reception periodically.

Medical Secretary

Our medical secretary Christine Bailey deals with all the doctors' referrals, as well as liaising with the hospitals, chasing up appointments etc. She is also secretary to the practice manager.

Pharmacist

Our practice pharmacist advises on new and existing medications and liaises with the doctors, nurses and practice manager concerning efficient prescribing patterns. She also assists the practice in the area of prescribing audits and other matters.

General Practitioner Registrars And Students

Our practice is a training/teaching practice. Our registrars are fully qualified and have a great deal of hospital experience. Registrars are attached to our practice for 12 months and usually become general practitioner partners after completing their training. They are at all times encouraged to seek advice when required from the practice partners.

We are also fortunate to have medical students attached to our practice. If you do not wish to have a student present during your consultation please inform the reception staff prior to seeing the doctor.