Practice Profile
We have a dedicated team of 9 GP Partners who are responsible for and oversee all the care of their patients. We operate “Personal Lists”, this means you will normally see one doctor and we believe this system is essential for ensuring continuity of care.
The Doctors are assisted by an assistant GP, a team of 8 Nurses, 5 Health Care Assistants and 29 Reception and Administration Staff. We are fortunate to also have the Primary Care Team of Public Health Nurses (Health Visitors and School Nurse), Community Nurses, Speech and Language Therapist, Young Persons Health Advisor and Counsellors who are based at the Sidmouth Health Centre, our main surgery.
We also operate a Branch Surgery at Sidford. We work under contract to NHS Devon to provide personal medical services to the population of Sidmouth, Sidford and surrounding area of the Sid Valley. The total number of registered patients is approximately 14,500 with just over 4,000 of these registered at the Sidford Branch Surgery. We provide a comprehensive range of medical services including specialist nurse led clinics for conditions such as Chronic Heart Disease, Asthma, Diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Hypertension, blood pressure monitoring and Anticoagulation Therapy.
In the autumn of 2002 we completed the Royal College of General Practitioners Quality Practice Award. At the time we were the 2nd Practice in Devon to achieve this award and joint 36th in England.
The practice operates from two sites, that of the main surgery referred to as the Sidmouth Health Centre and the Sidford Surgery in Sidford approximately 2 miles away. The main surgery was constructed in 1969 initially for six doctors. Since then there has been an increase in the number of doctors but especially an increase in the number of nurses from one to six, along with a tenfold increase in clerical staff. It is therefore evident that we are outgrowing the current building and hope at some stage to re-develop our premises in the near future.
The Sidford Branch Surgery opened in October 1991 and has approximately 4000 patients registered there. It is situated adjacent to the main car park in Sidford and has easy access and parking facilities. It is open every weekday between 8.30 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. except on a Tuesday when it closes at 1.00 p.m.
Eight doctors from the Sid Valley Practice consult at the Sidford Surgery either two or three times a week. Due to the restricted number of appointments available, the doctors can see only their own patients at the Sidford Surgery. Sidford patients who are unable to obtain an appointment at the surgery are offered an appointment with either their own doctor or another doctor at the main practice in Sidmouth. There are four receptionists/medical secretaries who work at the Sidford Surgery to deal the patients needs – Alison and Joy who are full time, Pam who works part time and Stephanie who works at the Sidmouth practice in the morning and at the Sidford Surgery in the afternoon. We have a practice nurse on duty at all times to provide advice and general nursing care. Health promotion clinics are also held most afternoons for diabetes, coronary heart disease and respiratory disease.