Doctors and Staff

Partners

(from left to right)

Dr Nick Matthews qualified from Leeds in 1992. He is married with two sons and one daughter. Dr Matthews enjoys tending to his family's menagerie of animals. He has run the London Marathon collecting monies for charity.

Dr Jean-Xavier Meguer qualified from London in 2001. He is married and has two children. Dr Meguer enjoys running, walking and other outdoor pursuits.

Dr Mary Helsby qualified from Southampton in 1978 and has spent two years working in Yemen for the British Volunteer Programme. She is qualified in tropical medicine. Dr Helsby is married with two children. Her husband is a sculptor.

Dr Roy Welford qualified from Southampton in 1978 and has worked for three years in Nepal with the Save the Children Fund. He is qualified in homoeopathic medicine and is a physician to the Bristol Homoeopathic Hospital.

All the doctors are on the medical lists for obstetrics, child health and minor surgery services.

We are fully computerised and registered under the Data Protection Act. All our staff receive regular training - including the doctors!

Staff other than Partners

We are an approved GP training practice. From time to time we have a fifth doctor working in our practice, for a 12 month accreditation period.

Ancillary Staff

Most of the above team work part-time hours.

Practice Nurses (Surgery Nurses)

The duties of the practice nurses are many and varied. Some of these duties are outlined below:

• Dressing of wounds
• Removal of stitches etc
• Care and treatment of leg ulcers
• Ear irrigation
• Taking swabs - at the request of the doctor
• Taking ECGs - at the request of the doctor
• Assisting doctors in the supervision of chronic illnesses, eg high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma etc
• Routine and holiday vaccinations
• General advice and instruction on the use of medical equipment etc - at the request of the doctor

To contact the practice nurse, please telephone the usual surgery number and the receptionist will inform you of the best time to telephone.

Receptionists

Mrs Gail Hole (senior receptionist) and her team of five receptionists are fully trained and are responsible for the smooth running of the practice. They are here to help the patients, so please give them as much information as possible. Patients will always be treated in confidence, as receptionists are bound by the same codes of conduct as the doctors.

The reception staff help the doctors carry out their work and they do a very difficult job well. Please remember that patients may be unavoidably kept waiting at times, but please also remember that it is not the receptionist's fault. Information supplied by patients helps the doctors to judge the order and urgency of calls, so do expect to be asked.

Other NHS staff attached to the Practice

In addition to practice employed staff, Somerset PCT employ nurses, midwives etc who work from within the Health Centre.

Community Nurses (District Nurses)

The community nurses provide health care for people unable to leave their homes. They have a wide range of experience and are able to offer help and advice to patients and carers. The community nurses can be contacted Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 4.30pm, on (01458) 831847 and during evenings and weekends by contacting (01823) 349040.

Community Midwife

The midwife is responsible for the midwifery care of patients. Midwives can be contacted by telephoning 837258. If they are not available, one of the receptionists will take a message for you on 834100.

Specialist Community Public Health Practitioner (Health Visitor)

The health visitor is part of the community team involved in promoting health within the community. This involves offering help and support to families and individuals.

Our health visitor Mrs Margaret Morris SRN HV Cert is based here at the Health Centre four days a week and is contactable on (01458) 837256. She is also a community practitioner teacher so may sometimes be accompanied by a student.