Meet the Practice Team

The Doctors

Dr Graham Davenport MA, MB, M.Sc, BChir, DRCOG, FPA cert, FRCGP
Dr Davenport is the present general practitioner. He trained at Selwyn College Cambridge and Westminster Medical School. He registered with the General Medical Council, London on the 11th March 1975. He has been in general practice since 1979 and his special interests are Rheumatology and Sports Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Paediatrics.

Dr Sarah Rowe MB ChB
Dr Rowe is one of the assistant general practitioners. She trained at Dundee University and qualified in 1984. She takes four surgeries per week.

Dr Plamenna Mateva
Dr Mateva will be leaving the practice on Friday the 6th August 2010. She will be going to work in a larger group practice.

Dr Namarata Oberoi
Dr Oberoi our current Registrar has finished her 12 months training and is joining the practice permanently as a salaried GP to replace Dr Mateva from Monday the 9th August 2010.

Registrar
We are privileged that our practice is recognised as a vocational training
practice. This means that we have working with us a doctor from the hospital service who is attached to the practice for up to a year to complete his/her training for general practice.

The Nursing Team

Nurse Practitioner - Karen Dimelow RN, RM, BSc (Hons)
Karen joined the practice in 1982 as a Practice Nurse. More recently she has qualified as a Nurse Practitioner and Independent Nurse Prescriber.

Many minor illnesses do not need to be treated by a doctor and in most instances Karen will be able to deal with your problem. These may be problems such as sore throats, ear problems, eye infections, cystitis, women’s health, colds/flu, coughs, hay fever, contraception and minor injuries. However, if Karen feels that you need to see a doctor she will arrange that for you.

As well as seeing patients with minor injuries and/or illnesses Karen holds regular clinics to monitor patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart problems, asthma, hypertension (high blood pressure) and strokes. She also provides support for those who want to stop smoking and is responsible for many of the health screening clinics clinics held at the surgery such as cervical cytology (smear) and osteoporosis screening clinic.

The receptionist may offer you an appointment with Karen or the doctor may advise you to see her. Alternatively you can make an appointment yourself at reception.

Practice Nurse - Mrs Jo-Anne Walley RGN
Amongst the services the nurse provides are Foreign travel advice and
vaccinations, Dressings, Spirometry (respiratory tests arranged by your doctor), Ear syringing, Cervical Smears.

Healthcare Assistant
Bernadette Langley (Bernie) joined the nursing team in November 2006. She is
able to perform blood tests, ECGs, dressings, blood pressure monitoring and
health checks as well as assisting the doctors and nurses in their clinic
sessions.

District Nurses
District Nurses provide care to people who are too ill or infirm to come to the surgery. They offer the following services: wound management, administration of certain medications, blood taking, chronic disease monitoring for certain conditions, minor illness advice. They are frequently involved with patients recently discharged from hospital requiring follow up nursing care and patients suffering from chronic or terminal conditions. They are contactable via the surgery.

Health Visitors
Sleeping, child development, family support can be discussed. Follow up visits are offered until mother and baby have had their first postnatal examinations at the surgery at approximately six and eight weeks after delivery respectively.

Further support throughout the early years is provided with routine checks at 9 months, 2 years and 3 years. Baby immunisations will be arranged with the Practice Nurse.

Midwife
Jane Holman is our practice midwife. She provides antenatal and postnatal care locally and is a member of the Alvaston Team midwives who will care for you during your delivery & stay in hospital. The antenatal clinic at the surgery will be each week on a Tuesday afternoon 1.30 to 4pm.

You may either see your GP, Nurse Practitioner or the midwife when you have a positive pregnancy test. Your needs will then be assessed and you will be referred to the hospital of your choice for an initial dating scan.

Around 10 - 12 weeks the first or ‘booking’ appointment with the midwife here includes taking notes of any medical & family history, and discussion of your wishes for your care & delivery. Diet & blood test are discussed, including options for screening for Down’s syndrome & spina bifida.

Some women need to be under a consultant obstetrician, but if there are no health or previous pregnancy problems, you may book ‘midwife-led’ care.

Blood tests are taken at the surgery by the midwife at about 16 weeks.

After this early appointment, you will have a detailed scan at around 20 - 22wks at the hospital. If everything is ‘normal’ you will be able to have the rest of your care at the surgery with the midwife, but if any problems arise, she can refer you immediately for assessment at the hospital.

As a rough guide, first time mothers are seem each 3 weeks to 34 weeks, then each fortnight. Second & subsequent mothers are seen less often in the early stages if all is well. These appointment plans are in accordance with nationally recommended (NICE) guidelines, but are always flexible in accordance with the mother’s wishes & needs.

Women with identified medical or pregnancy problems, or twins may have more care at the hospital, but are still very welcome to see the midwife at the surgery.

Home births may be booked through the midwife if all is normal with the pregnancy and are conducted by two experienced midwives who attend from the hospital. If problems arise at a home birth, the mother is transferred immediately to hospital by paramedic ambulance.

Whether baby is born at home or in hospital, you will be visited at home after the birth of your baby for 2 - 4 weeks, depending upon your needs at the time.

You can contact the Alvaston Team midwives on 01270 612177 ( 9-10am, or answer phone).

Physiotherapy

The surgery has an “in-house” physiotherapy service for patients. You will need to be referred by the doctor or nurse practitioner.

You can now contact the physiotherapist directly by telephone on 01270 781900 between 9.00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays only.

Phlebotomy

Kevin, our phlebotomist, has now started working in Chester and Bernie, our healthcare assistant, will now take over most of the phlebotomy. Appointments for INR blood tests can be booked at reception to see Bernie. Any other blood test requests must be authorized by a doctor or nurse before an appointment can be made. Bernie holds clinics on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Counsellor

We now have a new surgery counsellor in place. Her name is Jo Breese. She holds clinics every Thursday morning here at the surgery by appointment only.

Podiatry

These clinics are held by Belinda Rushton every other Tuesday afternoon at the surgery. Patients can self-refer or be referred by the Nurse Practitioner or the Doctor. The form is sent to Frederick House at Nantwich.

Practice Manager

Mrs Marion Mortimer is the Practice Manager and has been with the practice for over twenty years. She is responsible for the general management of the office, computer and dispensary and the supervision and training of all the clerical staff.

Dispensary Team

There are four dispensers; Linda, Jenny, Anne and Melanie. They dispense all the repeat prescriptions and medications prescribed by the Doctors from surgery consultations.

Reception Team

There are 4 receptionists, Mandy, Cheryl, Heather and Julie, and 3 secretaries Wendy, Christine and Sandra.  Between them they book appointments, deal with patients’ enquiries, type letters and carry out many other clerical duties.

Although the receptionist is not a doctor she is trained to take essential details sympathetically and in complete confidence.

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