Practice Background
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 Practice began some thirty five years ago 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. Recently rebuilt to a high modern specification in 2004, it also has a dental surgery, chiropractor, pharmacy and private suite for the services of its 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 Midwife Team. There are just under 20,000 registered patients. The accommodation is exceptionally spacious with twelve consulting suites with ensuite examination rooms, a large nursing department consisting of a three bay treatment room, phlebotomy station, minor operations room, a clinic room; and extensive office and meeting rooms. All rooms are air conditioned.
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 also responsible for delivering business performance and is assisted by his Operations Manager who has responsibility of 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 computer department 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 also proud to have been awarded recognition by ‘Investors In People’ for the management of its staff and doctors.
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 ‘Choose & Book’. Patients may self check in without reporting to Reception for all appointments 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 systems maintenance, security and administration, under the supervision of the Practice Manager.
The practice enjoys very good relations with the Hampshire Primary Care Trust, local trusts especially North Hampshire NHS Hospitals Trust.
Some Partners contribute to the wider community through including clinical assistantships, members of Local Medical Committees and as directors of our local Out of Hours service Hantsdoc.
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 to the Registrar. The Registrar 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.
