Careers in General Practice in Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire
3 Nithsdale Road, Weston Super Mare, N Somerset, BS23 4JP
Tudor Lodge Practice is in a converted residential building, carefully modified to be as user friendly as possible. A lift ensures the practice is fully accessible and there are 15 consulting rooms in total.
The practice offers same day and pre-bookable appointments, and is currently trialling a Patient Navigator scheme to best direct patients to the right clinician or to care outside of the surgery.
Tudor Lodge has a full time Mental Health Nurse (soon to be a prescriber), a part time older people’s Mental Health Nurse, two Advanced Nurse Practitioners, and a Lead Nurse that is a specialist in contraception and sexual health. Two nurse prescribers have just undertaken additional training in hormonal/menopause treatments. One of the GPs has a special interest in drug and alcohol detox and the practice undertakes detox and support for a local residential detox service. Diabetes care is now largely nurse led, as is most chronic disease management. Many GPs provide joint injections for patients, and a mental health counselling service visits the practice twice a week.
The practice is a part of Weston, Worle and Villages Locality.
The team ethos at Tudor Lodge is celebrated with team members enjoying working together and caring for patients. The team is multi-disciplinary and the practice is forward-thinking.
The practice sets out to work with patients to optimise their health using their key values of adaptability, care and courteousness, clinical excellence, efficiency, sustainability and service focus.
A very friendly, supportive and caring practice, clinicians operate an open door policy that means support is always available. Coffee breaks are also a time for mutual support, conversation, humour and biscuits!
Staff feedback includes that they value the team support the most and, despite being an extremely busy surgery, there is a supportive team culture.
Part time and Job share opportunities are always considered. And while no staff currently work on a term-time basis, the practice is keen to explore sustainable ways of working and will always consider flexible working practices wherever possible.
Tudor Lodge also offers a childcare voucher scheme as well as paid maternity/paternity/adoption leave.
The practice aims to be supportive from the moment a new member of staff joins, with GP Partners and the wider clinical team making time to talk to a staff member who has a question, problem or wants to debrief.
Inductions are tailored to each new starter, whether clinical or administrative, and agreed prior to start date.
The practice values development and as well as being a training practice for both GPs and nurses, offers study leave and funding for training where identified in appraisal or personal development plans for both clinical or administrative staff.
Training and development is supported and enabled by regular meetings and day to day access to GP partners. There are also quarterly practice meetings on a Saturday morning for more in-depth discussion.
The practice serves a wide and interesting demographic, including patients from the semi-rural villages around Weston, patients from nearby housing estates that are some of the most deprived in the country, plus above average elderly and above average numbers of patients in care homes.
Tudor Lodge patients say that they receive excellent care and the practice listens to and acts on all feedback received.