The Boathouse Surgery in Pangbourne is a modern purpose-built surgery. It enjoys unrivalled views of the Thames, with all the Doctors consulting rooms only feet from the river. The village based practice, is within easy walking distance of the railway station and with plenty of car parking. It has long been established as an undergraduate training practice, and for GP Registrars as part of the Reading and Newbury Training Programme within the Oxford Deanery.
We are very proud of our culture of learning and are enthusiastic about our own education as well as that of others. The Practice population is nearly 12,000, with a surprising range of social classes as the practice looks after a semi-rural area that extends into the outskirts of Reading. The case mix available to registrars has been carefully considered and will be appropriate to the stage of experience of the learner.
Teaching is directed by the Trainer but all team members are involved in some way. The registrar has their own fully equipped room and networked PC with full inter- and intranet access. The Practice offers a full range of core and extended services. We are proud to have an interactive website which enhances patient access and a self-monitoring room enabling patients to be more pro-active with their own care.
As part of our local Primary Care Network, we employ a Social Prescriber and a Community Pharmacist. We have excellent Physiotherapy Services on site, as well as a Diabetes Outreach clinic, Cardiology Clinic, Diabetic Eye Screening, Breast Screening and Audiology Service. We have disabled access and a lift.
The registrars attend a day release course on Tuesdays and have a half-day of protected time each week for a tutorial, with individual learning time negotiated as appropriate. There are weekly meetings on Wednesday lunchtimes which contribute to the ongoing education program. These include Practice Meetings, Clinical Meetings and Palliative Care Meetings which are attended by GPs, district nurses, the community matron and specialist Sue Ryder nurses.
Our highly trained nursing team, including Prescribing Practitioners, provides core nursing duties but also has a varied additional skill mix including Respiratory, Chronic Diseases, Diabetes and Minor Illness. In addition, we are lucky enough to have several in-house attached professionals including District nurses, Drug and Alcohol Services and the Talking Therapies team. This enables the registrar to gain a wide variety of experience during their placement with us.
The five Partners and one Salaried GP in the Practice are proud of the standard of medical care that they offer to patients. The skill mix includes Palliative Care, Women’s Health, Dermatology, Mental Health, CCG and GP Politics and Practice Finances. They also enjoy an eclectic mix of non-medical interests including drinking wine, travelling, rock choir, dog walking, running, cycling, fast cars, golf and looking after small children!
Pangbourne Medical Practice is once again rated as one of the top practices in Berkshire, coming in 2nd place in the GP Patient Survey.
The Trainer
Dr Madhumati Manjdadria, (or Maddy for short!)
I am a relatively new Trainer, qualifying with the Oxford Brookes PGCert in 2017. I studied Postgraduate Medicine at Warwick Medical School, graduating in 2008. Prior to this, I attained a BSc in Biomedical Science at The University of Manchester in 2003. I completed Foundation House jobs in London at Ealing Hospital and the West Middlesex. I started on the Reading VTS in 2010 and qualified in 2014, after having a short break to have my first of two children.
I was lucky enough to have trained at Pangbourne during my ST3 year. After qualifying I was offered a Salaried Role and later became a Partner. I admit that I wasn’t sure General Practice was right for me. Any fears I had had were dispelled after joining the supportive, inclusive and positive place, that Pangbourne is.
The learning environment encourages the registrar to become an integral member of the team whilst still having the protected time and encouragement to further his/her education. My job as a GP is intellectually challenging, busy and sometimes tiring… it is also heart-warming, fulfilling and life-affirming. We look after people in sometimes the most difficult times of their lives, and in doing so we gain so much as people and professionals. I hope we can convey this job satisfaction to future trainees who come to work with us.
I work six sessions per week, over Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, which maximises the time I can spend with the Registrar. I work alongside the Practice Manager, Rosie, and Senior Administrator, Maxine, to ensure the Induction Programme and Registrar Timetabling runs smoothly. Training encompasses a variety of different learning modalities including daily supervised surgeries, observing GPs, weekly tutorials with myself and other GPs, video surgeries, joint surgeries, home visits and meetings.
As well as having GP registrars, we enjoy having regular six week long placements of 5th year Oxford Medical Students. This teaching program is run by Dr Rupert Woolley. We also take 4th year students for individual sessions, specifically for clinical examination skills teaching.
Previous leaners have said
Partners: All superb. All have engaged in teaching me, wherever the opportunity has presented, with enthusiasm, commitment and care
Practice: A perfect location! 10/10 The premises are great too – you are very lucky. Similarly, the staff, who have been universally helpful and supportive.
It is genuinely the nicest place I have worked out of my total experience of seven practices. I think it’s the strong team ethos that makes it first class. Best care for patients by far too.
Probably one of my favourite placements so far, everyone was friendly, helpful and willing to teach.