The Practice is a successful partnership with eleven doctors, working in the suburbs of Basingstoke. Basingstoke is in North Hampshire, close to the M3 motorway and on the Network Southeast main railway line from London Waterloo to Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth. There are also good communications to the north via the A34 to Oxford and the M40 to Birmingham, and on to the A303 to Exeter, Plymouth and Cornwall. The town is surrounded by many attractive villages and there is a range of good property of all descriptions to suit most pockets.
The Partners devise and approve practice policies and strategies as advised by the senior managing team of the Managing Partner and the Practice Manager, who are then responsible for their implementation. They continually seek to improve and extend standards of health care and set targets to be achieved in all areas. All General Medical Services targets are being met comfortably.
The Practice Manager is responsible for delivering business performance and is assisted by his Operations Manager who has responsibility for the daily running of the Practice. The Practice Manager also has a Practice Secretary who is also responsible for the computerised payroll and accounts systems. The Practice nursing team is lead by the Nurse Manager, the senior of the practice nurses. The five-strong data entry team maintain computerised records and generate reports for analysis and decision making. Staff work within a structured organisation, with full job descriptions and contracts of employment.
The Practice is fully computerised using iSoft’s ‘Synergy’ as its clinical system, making full use of Registration and Pathology Links and is compliant with the requirements of ‘Choice & Booking’. Patients may self-check-in without reporting to Reception for all appointment types available in the Practice. A full Windows network supports integrated telephony and computers providing intranet and file-sharing services, plus scanned copies of all clinical correspondence to doctors' desks. We have secure NHS internet access and Practice internal and external email communications. Our IM&T Manager is responsible for computer systems maintenance, security and administration.
The practice enjoys very good relations with the Hampshire Primary Care Trust and other local trusts, especially Basingstoke & North Hampshire Foundation Trust.
Some GPs contribute to the wider community through including clinical assistantships and are members of Local Medical Committees.
We are also a keen Training Practice and actively seek to support GP Registrars in their professional development. There are several current GP Trainers in the Practice, and many former trainers, providing an ethos of learning development and a wealth of training experience for Registrars. Registrars will gain good experience from working in this larger practice where they will have exposure to a wide range of conditions posed by the demographics of our 20,000 patients.
The eleven doctors are assisted by a five-strong Practice Nursing Team, a District Nursing Team, Health Visitors, Speech Therapist, Social Worker, Dietician and a Midwifery Team. There are approximately 20,000 registered patients. The accommodation is exceptionally spacious with twelve consulting suites with ensuite examination rooms, a large nursing department consisting of a two-bay treatment room, phlebotomy station, minor operations room, a clinic room; and extensive office and meeting rooms. All rooms are air conditioned.
Where we started
The Practice began, in the 1970's, in an end of terrace house at 135 Worting Road, about half a mile from the town centre. The surgery was named ‘Overbridge Surgery’ and thus the humble beginnings of the Practice were formed. At its height, it accommodated four doctors and supported 8,000 patients from the surrounding area.
In 1978 the Health Commission built a new health centre in Brighton Hill and this Practice recruited additional doctors for this new facility, named ‘The Gillies Health Centre’ after Sir Harold Gillies, the prominent war time pioneering plastic surgeon who originated from Basingstoke. Thus, the Practice underwent an expansion and has continued expanding ever since.
Overbridge Surgery closed on 30 April 2006 and today the Practice operates exclusively from The Gillies Health Centre, accommodating its former Overbridge patients and offering the improved facilities of the new building. Rebuilt to a high modern specification in 2004, it also has a dental surgery, chiropractor, pharmacy and private suite for the services of patients.
