Our Practice effectively started in August 1979 when the young Dr Moore joined the existing Practice of Drs Oakley and Neal. Back then, the total number of patients served (list size) was 4300 patients. In addition to the two full time partners and one part time partner, the staff consisted of one full time and three part time receptionists. One morning and one evening surgery was held in an outbuilding at the home of the senior partner at Bramley Park. A once weekly surgery was also held in a rented terraced house in the village of Braithwell. We have grown a bit since then!
In April 1981 the Practice moved into Wickersley Health Centre and at this time increased the staff by employing two practice nurses and one extra part time receptionist. The number of surgeries held daily was greatly increased and the Practice also introduced new services such as a weekly "Well Baby Clinic". In the same year, the Practice purchased The Old School House in Braithwell and this was converted into surgery premises. The number of surgeries held in the village was increased from once weekly to a daily service.
In August 1990, by now with a list size of over 7000 patients, the Practice opened a new purpose-built surgery in Ravenfield which offered twice daily surgeries along with additional services such as a clinical psychologist (until the service was no longer available) and facilities for minor surgical procedures for the whole of the Practice.
In April 1995 the main site at Wickersley Health Centre was by now bursting at the seams. The Practice Manager literally worked in a broom closet! The Practice took the opportunity of relocating to the old office building just across the roundabout which was then for sale and unoccupied. Although the building undoubtedly has its faults (I don't think many would call it an attractive building for starters), it was extensively renovated to provide improved disabled access and the additional space it provided has allowed the staff and services we offer to continue to grow substantially over the following years along with the list size.
It is amazing to think that when we first moved into the building at Morthen Road, we were thinking of renting out the entire top floor or simply using it for storage. For the last few years the Practice has needed to use virtually the whole top floor just to house our team of practice nurses and health care assistants together with the equipment needed to offer advanced investigative procedures such as ECG recording, audiograms and spirometry, services that even now many smaller practices would require their patients to travel to the local hospital for, or just not do them.
Our list size currently is just over 12,000 patients and still expanding. Over the years we have never turned patients away, no matter how complex their problems, or closed our list to new patients. Our policy has always been that if a patient resides within our practice area they are more than welcome to register with us and judge us by the service we offer. On occasions, patients who have repeatedly abused our service to the detriment of our other patients, or have been violent, have had to be removed but thankfully such incidents are extremely rare. The vast majority of the patients we serve are extremely considerate and co-operative. We remain extremely grateful that is the case. We would not be able to offer the quality of service we do, without this.
GP Training Practice
Morthen Road Group Practice is an accreddited GP training practice. All trainees that are allocated to us are working towards a chosen medical specialism.
The types of trainee or junior doctor that you, as a registered patient, may come into contact with are as follows:
GP Registrar
A GP Registrar or GP Trainee is a qualified Doctor who will become a GP through a period of training in hospital and General Practice. The GP training takes place over a 3 year period. Many of our GP Registrars spend longer in training as they often work on a part-time basis. The GP Registrar is therefore either in their first, second or third year of training. In years one and two they will spend 4 months in General Practice. In their third and final year they are usually in practice for 12 months but this may be extended if they are in a part-time training post. As with all trainees, they are supervised by senior GP's or trainers.
Foundation Year Doctors (F2s)
Prior to becoming a Registrar, and having already obtained a medical degree, trainees spend 2 years in Foundation Training. During the second year of foundation training, 4 months is spent in General Practice. F2 Doctors remain under clinical supervision (as do all Doctors in training) but take on increasing responsibility for patient care. They have much longer appointment time allocated as they need more time that a qualified GP to manage each individual case. At the end of their training, F2 Doctors will have begun to demonstrate the skill requirements that are essential for hospital or General Practice training.
Medical Students
Before you become a UK Doctor, you first must obtain degrees in medicine and surgery from a medical school. Medical school training varies between 4 to 6 years depending on whether the student is entering training as a post graduate trainee. Medcail students spend occassional 'taster' days in General Practice. They see patients under supervision of their trainer and they undertake an in depth family history programme. After graduation, the newly qualified Doctors enter the 2 year Foundation Programme.
There are many positive aspects of being registered with an Accredited Training Practice - trying to home grow our own future GP's, keeping the clinicians up to date, and ensuring that the practice maintains high standards by its regular accreditation as a training practice. However, there can be downsides in that patients can be disappointed when their 'usual' GP leaves at the end of their allocated time at the practice. Doctors in training have an increased consultaion time and it may appear that they are therefore more accomodating that the regular GP's. However, as their time at the practice progresses it is anticipated that they will be working at the capacity of a fully qualified GP in their last few months.
Morthen Road Group Practice is proud that we are training Doctors and GP's for the future and we wouldlike to thank our patients for supporting the Doctor training programmes.