Bio

I currently work 3 days a week as the Education Facilitator for the Somerset LMC/SGPET Primary Care Training Hub supporting the Education & Training provision for all Practice staff and those in the wider primary care setting. I have 7 years experience as the Business Manager of a large GP Training Practice in Somerset and then worked for 5 years as Deputy Director of Operations for Devon LMC. I provided pastoral support for Practice Managers in Devon and also remained an Advocate with the Somerset LMC pastoral support team. I fully understand the pressure on Practice Managers, GPs and staff. My NHS career started as a Radiographer and I developed my skills as a Specialist Practitioner but loved management of staff and finally became the Diagnostic Imaging Manager at Musgrove Park Hospital. Having a clinical background helps me understand the 'clinical thinking' of GPs and nurses and having been a General Manager for most of my career I have a lot of HR experience from all sides. I believe in valuing and supporting staff. I am caring and a good listener. I have also experienced stressful situations myself so if I can help in any way I would be very pleased to give support back.

Bio

I have been a GP in Somerset since 1999 after completing my training at Yeovil and Musgrove Park Hospitals along with my GP training at a Practice in Taunton. I went on to do locum work before becoming a part-time GP Partner in Wellington. I took on various roles during the time I was there including managing partner. I have seen and been through many changes in General Practice and am aware of the impact that change in the workplace or in the workload can have on colleagues and staff. Some change is through the choice of a Practice for example merging with an adjoining practice or because of financial or staffing issues. However, a lot of change is not by choice and comes through changes in the GP contract/ Government changes. After 21 years as a Partner, I decided to step down and moved to a nearby Practice as a ‘flexible’ GP essentially working as a long-term locum in the same Practice. I have also trained as a GP mentor and supervisor gaining the EMCC diploma 3 years ago and am currently mentoring newly qualified GP’s and supervising mentors through the LMC. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family and keeping fit walking a lively Spaniel. I am happy to speak to anyone about anything so if things are not feeling great do contact me

Bio

I have worked in primary care for 17 years and am currently a managing partner in a practice that has 7 Doctors and 9200 patients. I have seen many changes over this time and as a consequence the role of the practice manager has changed significantly. Like others I have experienced a number of ups and downs (you might even say 'crises') at the practice over the years, which means that I know exactly what it is like to juggle not only your own workload but also to take on the many other different roles that everyone expects of you. I have to say that throughout my time as a practice manager I have never seen the workload and the responsibilities that accompany it become so huge. The fact that everyone else is also so busy (GPs and manager colleagues) means that as managers there is a danger that we may become even more isolated. It is no wonder that even the most efficient / laid back manager is starting to feel under enormous pressure. Sometimes all this can become completely overwhelming. This is when you may wish to get in touch with someone who understands exactly what it is like and this is where my role as an advocate fits in.

Bio

I have been a GP in the Southwest for 16 years. I completed my vocational training in North Devon in 2002, then worked as a locum and salaried GP across Devon, Wiltshire and Somerset. In 2007 I took on a partnership role in South Somerset, a position I held for 10 years. I have found that the role of a GP has changed significantly over the years since I qualified – the primary care arena is an ever-changing one and is filled with many ups and downs. I have certainly experienced my share and, over time, have become more aware of the affect that these challenges have had on me personally, on the people I work with and the relationships they hold with each other, and on the wider culture of general practice. I understand how overwhelming it can feel sometimes so am keen to help support people when they struggle, as I received support when I needed it. To help me achieve this, in recent years I have trained as a transformational coach and as a mediator. I am a GP appraiser and also work for the NHS Sustainable Improvement Team as a facilitator in quality improvement. Most recently I have become the lead for pastoral care at Somerset LMC. I have two terriers that help me maintain my own sanity (though sometimes they would try the patience of a saint!), I love to read and I hate to run, but do it anyway in a bid to fool myself that I am keeping fit. I am passionate about enabling people in their exploration of themselves and what is right for them at any stage, not just when it feels like everything is going wrong!

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Bio

My name is Henk Bruggers and I am the senior partner at the Beckington Family Practice where I have worked for 17 years now. I qualified in the Netherlands in 1995 and completed my GP training in the UK - nearly 24 years ago in Frome. In the practice I am the lead GP for the year 4 medical students from Bristol university and have also been involved with training and supervision GP trainees. I am the GP diabetes lead for Somerset and have been involved with multiple projects including Diabetes prevention as well as remission. General practice has changed significantly from when I first qualified, relying heavily on telephone triage and indirect patient contact in contrast to mainly face to face contact years ago. The pressure and responsibilities have increased enormously and the workload from both clinical and non-clinical jobs has increased exponentially. Job satisfaction is not a given anymore – it clearly goes through phases of ploughing through and putting your head down to other moments which are really enjoyable when you feel you can make an impact. I am married with 3 children, the youngest is in her second year at Uni. I have had some training for pastoral counselling and completed a mediation course earlier this year. I thoroughly enjoy working with people. I love to see people thrive. In my free time I enjoy playing Badminton, cycling, and swimming and love listening to music. I have fulfilled a variety of roles in our local church including leadership and youth work. In the past I have received some counselling myself which I found very useful.

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I am a Lead Practice Nurse currently working in a rural surgery 3 days a week, with a day and a half at another surgery in the Yeovil area as their Respiratory Nurse. I have been working as a GPN in Somerset for 20 years. I have 2 children and 3 cats. I am not allowed any more cats. Originally from Portsmouth, I trained in Salisbury (pre-degree) and since then I have worked in Germany, Suffolk and Arborfield. I fell into practice nursing when in Germany and worked in the army medical centres - literally thrown in at the deep end. However I have never looked back and can't see myself wanting to do anything else. I was able to do my Asthma diploma in Germany (but not in German) and since then have completed my COPD, Allergy and Diabetes diplomas. I still don't see myself as experienced after nearly 30 years as a GPN as I feel practice nursing is ever changing and evolving - I learn something new every day. I still can't believe I have been nursing since 1992 - where did the time go? Most of it has been enjoyable and incredibly rewarding. I have struggled in the past and present with my own mental health, with both work and family/home stresses. I do not have all the answers but feel I am a good listener and can offer support if needed. You are never alone, there will always be someone who has experienced the same or gone through what you are going through. I have found swimming is a great head clearer and I love potteringaround my garden. I don't like running and I love marmite.

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I have recently retired from full-time general practice after 10 years in Barnstaple and 23 years at Taunton Vale Healthcare. Throughout my career, I have been active in GP education, initially teaching medical students and as a GP trainer. I was an appraiser for about 13 years and a Training Programme Director (course organiser to those of us of a certain vintage...) for nine years. I have also supported doctors facing additional challenges at various points in their lives, including significant mental health issues, return to work, serious complaints, performance issues and GMC investigations and sanctions. It is rare to get through a lifetime in general practice without experiencing one or more of these problems, and having developed generalised anxiety disorder about 15 years ago, I know first hand how valuable the LMC pastoral care service can be. In the last five years of my career, I worked as a health inclusion GP, running clinics for homeless people and looking after people with learning disability, autism and other complex disabilities. Through this work, I have come to a greater understanding of how holistic care, trauma informed practice and working alongside individuals can bring better long term outcomes than the traditional approach. It is this experience and these skills I would like to bring to colleagues who find themselves in need of support and guidance. Retirement is bringing wonderful opportunities to spend more time with my two young granddaughters, to reinvigorate my overgrown garden and find a love of art that I thought had died during O levels - but I remain an advocate for my colleagues in primary care and the people I had the privilege to care for over my professional lifetime. If you think I might be able to help you, please contact me.

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I was born in 1961 and have been a partner in my current practice for 26 years, working 4-5 sessions per week. Consequently I have experienced a lot of changes in General Practice and have tried to weather the storm with varying success. I am 'senior partner' at the Crown medical Centre, Taunton, purely by virtue of my age and sticking power. Our current team is excellent and I enjoy very good support but I am no stranger to the overwhelming pressures and adversity experienced as a GP. I have been an appraiser for about 10 years, a role I very much enjoy. I still love General Practice (on a good day!) and am passionate about supporting colleagues to rekindle that enjoyment in the role or, indeed, in choosing a different path. I have been involved in one of the GP Career Plus groups as a facilitator and was encouraged to see the positive effect this peer support had. I enjoy walking, swimming, spending time with friends and family (when we were aowed to!) and the arts. I am available almost any time.

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I have been a GP now for 42 years which says something about me ! I was a partner in Cullompton for 35 years and have been locuming ever since . I work primarily in 3 places Wiveliscombe, Cullompton and Shetlands. I work because I enjoy it although I wouldn't work for nothing . I have kept active medically and have been fortunate to work at Everest Base Camp for 3 months climbed Kilimanjaro twice and swum the Channel. I am an examiner for the Extreme Medicine MSc and teach Wilderness medicine to medical students in Exeter . A am a Mentee for 4 young Gp's in Somerset. This sounds as if my life has been all roses . I lost my first wife to cancer in 2003 which left me with 4 children to bring up and I was 49. I very nearly resigned as life just seemed to hard for me . I struggled through depression and gradually came out the other side . The experience certainly helped me to see life from a different perspective. I've been fortunate to re marry and am very happy . I have 4 children and 3 grandchildren. I have sadly seen two partners go off with stress and one sadly took his own life . I hope I can help

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I currently work as Nurse Advisor for Somerset LMC and GPN Respiratory Specialist at Wells Health Centre. I have 21 years primary care experience and have been a qualified nurse for 31 years. I originally trained at St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London and after qualifying I moved to the Bristol area for work and to continue my education at UWE. I worked in the cardiac catheter lab at the BRI and various medical and surgical wards. I took a year away from clinical work to run BNA Nursing Agency in Bristol and Bath as branch manager which taught me a lot of managerial and recruitment skills. I missed working with patients and wanted to move into a community role. Initially I became night sister at a local nursing home however, this was not where I wanted to stay and eventually got my dream job as a General Practice Nurse in Cheddar. I soon realised that practice nursing was an amazing job with the potential to learn new skills and work independently. Having asthma since childhood I was drawn to respiratory work within primary care and undertook diploma modules in both asthma and COPD. I later became a lead nurse and had the honour of supporting 'new' practice nurses and healthcare assistants develop into highly skilled professionals. I was awarded the title of Queen's Nurse in 2020 and strive to maintain high standards of patient care and continually improve my practice. I have experienced bereavement and stressful situations, I am a caring individual and a very good listener. Sometimes you can become overwhelmed by work/life and you may find it helpful to contact someone who understands.. My contact details are: mobile 07816511313 email paula.messenger1@nhs.net

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I’m a salaried GP in Somerset having qualified from Cardiff in 1999. I completed GP training in 2009 having taken a rather circuitous route due to having children (now 22 and 20) I’ve had various roles in my career to date including GP locum, GP Partner, Salaried GP, F/T and LTFT. I love being a GP mentor to New to Practise GPs and find this role really rewarding being able to offer support and guidance in those early years after qualifying when it can so often seem a bit overwhelming. I understand how tough life can be, whether this relates to our work or to things outside of our job. I am very aware of how difficult it can be to ask for help. I have benefitted from the wisdom and support of colleagues during challenging times in my own life and am keen to offer support, guidance and a listening ear to others who might be struggling. When I’m not in work I enjoy walking my unruly dog. I love nature, re-wilding our newly acquired field and am a keen but novice gardener.