Information for Trainees
Dear potential trainee. Welcome to our website.
We hope this information will help you in your choice of training practice, but there is really no substitute for having a look. If you like what you see here, we would be very happy to meet you and show you around our surgery in person. To arrange a visit, please contact;
Mrs Anne Whitehouse Tel: 02476 718160
(Practice Administrator) email: [email protected]
Gemma Sutton Tel: 02476 718169
(Practice Manager)
Dr Daniele Thornton Tel: 02476674123
Dr Robert Jones Tel: 02476674123
We have been a training practice since 2004 and we take great pride in our role in helping to educate doctors for the future. We teach with an enthusiastic and friendly style which is personalised as much as possible to the individual needs of the learner and have had very positive feedback from our previous trainees.
Three of our partners (Drs Jones, Thornton and McCrone) are qualified trainers with 2 partners – Dr Rob Jones and Dr Daniele Thornton sharing the main responsibility for educational and clinical supervision. However, all the partners are involved in teaching and mentoring which offers a broader range of teaching styles and clinical skills.
Location/ Directions
Allesley Park Medical Centre is situated on the corner of Whitaker Rd and Winsford Avenue in Allesley Park on the western edge of Coventry.
From the A45 ring road, turn into Broad Lane heading towards the city centre. Turn left at the next set of traffic lights into Wildcroft Rd. Continue along the road, which later becomes Winsford Avenue, and at the T-junction, you will see the surgery on the left.
From central Coventry, take the inner ring road and exit on the A4114 Holyhead Rd signposted Allesley. Continue past Morrisons and Four Pounds Avenue, then turn left at the next traffic lights onto Grayswood Avenue. At the end of the road turn right then first left into Winsford Avenue. Go past the row of shops to the next junction and you will see the surgery ahead of you.
If using satellite navigation, the postal address is 2, Whitaker Road, Coventry CV5 9JE.
Practice Demographics
The main branch of the surgery serves mainly Allesley Park, Whoberley and Mount Nod but extends into Chapelfields, Earlsdon, Allesley Village and towards Eastern Green.
The patients are mainly from middle and working-class families, giving a good insight into many common General Practice problems. We also cover Eric Williams House – a home for the elderly mentally ill and also Allesley Hall Nursing Home – a residential care home for patients with severe nursing needs and the terminally ill.
The branch surgery is at Warwick University Health Centre. Patients at this site are shared with the Broomfield Park practice and comprise mainly students and staff at the University.
There are approximately 20,000 patients in total with approx 10000 patients registered at each site.
Buildings and Facilities
We moved into phase one of our new building in June 2011 which is a large, brand new purpose-built surgery within a community centre that also houses a library. Phase two was completed in 2012 and the enlarged premises have allowed us to provide dedicated registrar consulting rooms plus a nursing wing to include physiotherapy and phlebotomy rooms.
There is also a separate Lloyds pharmacy on site. We are also able to provide trainees with a meeting room/library for private study and training purposes.
Brief Overview of Training at Allesley Park
Since our move into new premises, we are now able to accommodate up to two full time equivalent trainees.
Our trainees start with an internal induction programme of approximately two weeks. This allows you the opportunity to understand how the practice works. you will meet and sit in with as many key staff and doctors as possible, including members of the extended practice team. This will include time spent with GPs, Nurse Practitioners, practice nurses, HCA and when possible attached care providers such as District Nursing team and Macmillian nurses. You will also have the opporuntity to sit in with the attached staff including Midwife, Health Visitor, counsellor and high intensity IAPT therapists, drug and alcohol counselling and planned phlebotomy providers.
Timetables are prepared weekly and a mentor is attached to each trainee for every surgery in case of problems or queries. Your appointments length will commence at 20-minute intervals and gradually reduce to the 10-minute consultation when you and your trainer feel you are ready.
We aim to provide an average of 3 hours of protected teaching time per week. We ensure that trainees are able to attend protected learning half days and Thursday afternoon VTS training in addition to separate study leave and admin time in line with the 2016 contract arrangements. The tutorial programme is personalised as far as possible to the needs of the individual and also covers mandatory assessments for the RCGP portfolio.
There is an opportunity to work at both sites, but the main bulk of the work is at the Allesley Park main branch due to the demographics of the practice population.
The practice does not cover its own out of hours but does offer extended hours. The practice undertakes to ensure that European working time directives are not breached if trainees are working a night shift with the deputising service to obtain theirs out of hours experience.
Services Offered
We are a GMS practice with five and a half full time equivalent partners, one salaried partner and a team of five Nurse practitioners. We also have a team of practice nurses including a health care assistant across the two sites.
Attached staff includes Midwife, Health visitor, counsellor and high intensity IAPT therapists, drug and alcohol counsellors and phlebotomy.
We are paper light and use the EMIS Web software system.
Testimonials
These are some of the comments made by our previous trainees;
“An excellent surgery for GP trainees and count myself fortunate to be placed here. Contact was made well before the start of my placement and a well-structured rota emailed in advance of commencing the post with protected time for tutorials. Induction was superb and allowed me to shadow GPs, nurses, nurse practitioners and the midwife. Suitable time was given to learn the computer systems and how to complete the administrative tasks that GPs are expected to do in practice. You are placed on longer appointment times initially, then reduced based on individual progress with the aim to be down to ten-minute slots in preparation for the CSA examination. Annual & study leave is very easy to arrange via the practice administrator.
During the placement, weekly rotas provided well in advance, with protected time for VTS & GP PLT also given. Tutorials were exceptional and were focused on passing the CSA and discussing select cases. You will find no difficulties in completing workplace-based assessments and being able to easily video-record consultations to aid this. A unique practice as you are given surgeries at the University of Warwick Health Centre, so a great opportunity to see more than just the norm. The practice & business managers are supportive and accessible whilst the admin & reception staff are welcoming and help wherever they can. The practice is tailor-made for GP trainees and left me fully prepared to start practising as a general practitioner”.AR 2017.
‘There was a really thorough induction programme, which included sitting in with various members of the team including partners, nurse practitioners, nurses and the midwife. The tutorials (in protected clinical time), have been excellent, and I believe really contributed to me passing my CSA. Tutorials can be used for workplace-based assessments, but have been tailored towards my individual learning needs. I had plenty of opportunities to prepare for CSA, and taking study leave is easy to organise. There is a GP available to mentor each clinic, and they are very accessible during and after the clinics. The admin and reception team are welcoming and friendly, and always happy to help. I would really recommend training at this practice, by the end of the year I feel ready to start work as a GP.’ (C.McC 2015)
‘Very friendly and supportive team of doctors, nurses, receptionists and admin staff.’
‘Plenty of doctors available for advice if needed.’
‘A reasonable population mix giving differing presentations’ (T.R. 2010)
‘Opportunity to develop confidence in complex cases’
‘Regular tutorial time scheduled in clinical time’ (R.M. 2010)
‘I absolutely loved the way my training period has been structured in terms of induction, settling in surgeries, tutorials etc.’
‘I was able to achieve my own learning targets and devise my own tutorial list’
‘I had a back-up of mentors during my sessions who were readily accessible’
‘The feedback provided has been truly genuine, constructive and specific. I could notice the difference in my practice afterwards’
‘Video consultations; very thorough step by step feedback.’
‘We had discussions about difficult patients, community issues and medication queries.’
‘Everyone is very accessible and ready to help – nurses, admin staff and reception staff.’ (R.S. 2011)
‘Tutorials were very helpful on a one to one basis which is marvellous and a great opportunity to focus and discuss.’
‘Feedback on surgeries was very honest and very useful’ ( S.H. 2012)
‘Really good balance of tutorials.’
‘Enough time to ask for feedback’
‘V approachable members of the team’
‘V good admin / reception / nursing team’
‘Good Team organisation’
Adequate time and sessions for exam preparation’ ( F.N. 2013)
We hope you will feel inspired to come and join us and look forward to meeting you.