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Dr Bob Rivett This is a rural practice situated in one of the most beautiful parts of South West England. The main surgery is in Williton, a small town of some 3000 people, and we have a second surgery in the coastal town of Watchet, with a similar population. In addition we cover an area with a radius of about 10 miles extending into the Exmoor National Park. The area is predominantly agricultural but Williton is also the seat of the local District Council and there is some light industry in both Williton and Watchet. Until recently there was a small working port in Watchet. There are now plans to develop this for leisure use. The area has a higher than average number of retired people and in the summer many holiday-makers visit the area. The practice has a slowly rising population (currently about 10100) and we also see about 1500 temporary residents each year. Despite our rural location there is easy access, by motorway and rail, to cities such as Exeter, Bristol and London. The eight partners have a variety of experience and interests and we offer a wide range of services. The purpose-built surgery premises are modern and fully computerised. We dispense to about 40% of the practice population. We employ a full quota of assistants including a nurse practitioner and three practice nurses; in addition community nurses, midwives, health visitors and a counsellor are attached to the practice and clinics are also held by visiting chiropodist, optician, chiropractor and acupuncturist. We run several clinics for health promotion and chronic disease management and we carry out a lot of minor surgery. There is a surgery bus to provide transport for patients from some of the surrounding villages. There is a small (50 bed) community hospital in Williton for which the practice has day to day responsibility and to which we have access to beds; as well as inpatient beds it also has a day care unit and physiotherapy/OT department. The practice has a long history of involvement with medical education, with both medical students and GP Registrars. Two of the partners are approved trainers. We enjoy receiving visitors from abroad and in recent years we have hosted medical students and several GP registrars from the Netherlands and visiting doctors from France, Spain, Ghana and Tanzania. Two of the partners have worked overseas and one acts as an international development adviser for the Royal College of General Practitioners. The practice also takes a very active part in audit and research. Jeremy Shindler PRACTICE PROFILE The practice is situated in the middle of the town of Watford, and serves 8200 patients from all social classes. The practice has four full-time and two part-time partners all of whom have significant interests outside the practice. The practice has been training for many years, and currently one partner is Course Organiser on the Watford vocational training scheme as well as being a well established trainer in the area. Another partner, who is the current trainer, has previously been a trainer in an inner London practice, and is reading a part-time MA in medical education. Between them the two trainers have seventeen years experience as trainers. A third partner works part-time in palliative care medicine and is currently setting up a regional training programme for palliative care. The practice takes medical students from University College Hospital on monthly final year attachments. There is a full primary care team based at the practice, including health visitors and there are attached counsellors, midwife and district nurses. The practice offers a full range of services, with additional skills in family planning (including training), child health surveillance, asthma, musculoskeletal disorders and palliative care. Primary care team clinical meetings occur every two weeks. There is a broad mix of patients attending the surgery, from all social classes and about 15% from ethnic minorities, chiefly southern Asians and southern Europeans. The average age of the patients is below the national average and there is an above average number of deliveries and hence children. Rates of heart disease and diabetes are above the local average, but otherwise the disease profile in the local population is close to the national average. The town of Watford is an affluent town just to the north of London, with little unemployment. There is an influx of people into the area currently, and thus the list size is growing steadily. The key industries in the town are printing and service. The town has some of the best travel connections in the country and hence has a high commuter population. It is situated on the edge of the Chiltern Hills, renowned for their beauty and recreational amenities. The centre of London is accessible in twenty minutes by train. | ||||
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