Burdwood Surgery – a Summary by a Doctor in Training! July 2015.
Located on the south eastern edge of Thatcham, just off the A4, the Practice serves 10,000 patients from all walks of life. The rail station is a short stroll, providing regular trains to Reading and Basingstoke, and the road links provide easy access to London and the South West. There are a number of beautiful villages in the area, along with a lovely selection of country pubs. Oxford is 30 miles north, Reading 13 miles east, Basingstoke 15 miles south, and Newbury 4 miles west.
With 4 Partners and 3 Salaried GPs, the 1980s purpose built (and since extended) building also houses an extensive Multidisciplinary team, allowing for easier integration and continuity of patient care. The large boardroom regularly hosts internal and external meetings and educational updates to ensure effective treatment and communication. This set-up also allows for flexible and adaptive teaching and learning opportunities as guided by the trainee’s needs and special interests.
Out Of Hours provision is expanding, as per government recommendation, but the majority in this area is provided by West Call via NHS 111 service. Electronic patient notes are on the Vision system and results are linked in from Royal Berkshire Hospital or scanned in as required by the administration team.
Training is primarily led by Drs Bahia and Osborne, although all GPs mentor sessions and are keen teachers with a wealth of experience. The wider MDT consists of 4 Nurses, 2 HCAs, and a team of receptionists, secretaries and administrative staff, plus the District Nurses and visiting Midwives. Additional rooms are hired out to podiatrists, counsellors, dietitians, audiologists and physiotherapists as demanded. Close links are kept with the Health Visitors and Community Palliative Care teams along with the other Practices in the CCG. The Practice also provides care for Downe House, a public school for girls. As such, there are ample opportunities to arrange to spend time with other members of the MDT.
It is worth noting that the recent Training Practice review “was impressed by all aspects of the practice reviewed during the visit and felt it provided an excellent learning environment for a GP trainee”. Also, one of the partners and two salaried GPs were Registrars here, so clearly they are doing something right!
Please contact Pete Osborne (GP trainer) – peterosborne@nhs.net if you would like any more info, or a chat about training at Burdwood Surgery.