We are a friendly, two doctor, rural practice. We cover the villages within about a seven mile radius from Tisbury from a modern purpose built surgery extended in 2003 so that the registrar has as large a consulting room as the other doctors. We have been virtually paperless since the mid 1990s, using the EMIS computer system, on which every consultation since 1990 is recorded. Pathology and radiology reports go straight into the computer record by electronically every day, and letters are scanned into the system. Patients are able to book appointments and order repeat prescriptions on-line.
We are very fortunate to have a loyal staff of very high quality. We have the local community nurses and health visitor based at the surgery, and visiting midwife, primary care psychology service worker, community psychiatric nurse and Citizens’ Advice Bureau.
Out of hours are covered by Dorset & Somerset Urgent Care Service, which has a local treatment centre in Shaftesbury nine miles away. Both doctors work shifts for UCS and are able to help the registrar complete the out of hours requirement.
Tisbury is a large village of approximately 2500 people west of Salisbury on the Waterloo, Salisbury and Exeter railway line. It is close to the A303, which also provides easy access to London and the West Country. Tisbury is a thriving community with a selection shops, dentist, vet, bank, petrol station, five pubs, fire station, police station and churches. The surrounding countryside is very beautiful with farmland, woods and lakes. It is an affluent area but with pockets of deprivation. There is a higher than average elderly population.
We aim to make our registrar’s year rewarding and enjoyable. There is the weekly day release course in Winchester as well as a half-day for personal study. We want you to gain as much as possible from your time with us and we aim to be as accommodating as possible with regards to your needs.
John Dalton, born in 1956, trained at St Thomas’s and did his GP training in North Devon. He has been a full-time principal in Tisbury since 1985. He is married (to one of the two practice nurses), has three children and lives in Tisbury. He completed his trainer’s course in 2000. He is a clinical assistant in haematology at Salisbury Hospital and on the local research ethics committee.
Laurence Carter, born in 1961, trained in Manchester and did his GP training partly in Manchester and partly in Salisbury. He has been a full-time principal in Tisbury since 1993. He is married with four children and lives in Tisbury. He completed his trainer’s course in 2001. He is a clinical assistant in rheumatology at Salisbury Hospital.