Just a decade ago, Private GPs were rare outside of London. This month, the team at The Walcote Practice in Winchester is proud to be celebrating ten years of providing trusted, prompt, professional, and personalised healthcare to the residents of Hampshire and beyond.
Since opening its doors in 2015, The Walcote Practice has seen patients ranging in age from newborns to centenarians, conducted over 7,500 Private GP appointments in a year, opened a branch surgery, and grown its team size from five to 18.
A new approach
“Our aim was to develop an affordable paid-for model of healthcare with patient needs at its very core, that would also support the overwhelmed NHS, our staff and the local community,” says Dr Sinéad Doherty, Business Director.
Designed around top-quality healthcare and patient convenience, The Walcote Practice combines modern medicine with a traditional approach to general practice, which focuses on providing excellent, tailored healthcare through a long-running relationship between a patient and their doctor.
“We strive to reduce patient worry time and potential disease progression by offering quick access to appointments with a known GP, which last for as long as the patient desires, rapid medical investigations, health screening, and referrals,” explains Dr Nicholas Hillier, Medical Director & Lead GP. “We also offer appointments within and outside of standard working hours, and a wide range of medical services, many of which can no longer be offered by NHS GP practices. Patients can dovetail our services with those of the NHS, dipping in and out to use our Private GP service whenever they wish,” says Dr Doherty. “We’re delighted that, from the outset, this flexible offering has been well-received by the community and also by local NHS services, with whom we have built strong relationships.”
Enhancing patient choice
“Patient choice is crucial for maximising health outcomes,” comments Dr Hillier. “Patients may prefer different settings for different health issues. People of all ages and lifestyles visit our Practice. It appeals to patients leading busy lives who need appointments quickly at their convenience, and also to those who feel they’d benefit from an unrushed setting. Our longer appointments give GPs time to explore and address patients’ health concerns in detail, even if multiple. Our strong emphasis on wellness and preventative health also fosters peace of mind by helping people to stay on top of their health at every stage of life.”
More than just a GP
With a team of seven experienced GPs, The Walcote Practice offers a wide variety of services from both of its comfortable surgeries at Southgate Street and Chilcomb Park. These include the full range of standard GP services plus a host of additional services such as health checks, cancer screening, vaccinations, a travel clinic, medicals, sexual health, menopause support, on-site minor skin surgery, ear wax removal, pain relief injections, and more.
If desired, patients can subscribe to an Annual Healthplan to cover the cost of their Private GP consultations throughout the year for less than the price of a daily takeaway coffee.
“We believe in helping people to live healthily and happily,” says Dr Hillier. “We like to see patients in person, and we offer mental health support and preventative care as well as treating illness – the well-being of patients is an important part of our medical care. Quality of care and customer service are paramount. Every member of our truly dedicated team goes above and beyond for each patient.”
Supporting the NHS and local community
The Walcote Practice is proud to care for patients alongside the NHS and to relieve some of the pressures upon the NHS in Hampshire, by offering patients the option of Private GP appointments. “Supporting the NHS has always been very important to us, including throughout the pandemic,” says Dr Doherty. “All of our Private GPs also work within NHS settings. We have found it very rewarding to support local charities and the community by sponsoring the Hampshire Medical Fund, Southampton Cancer Immunotherapy Centre, sports and school clubs, Theatre Royal and Hat Fair, the Winchester Christmas Tree, and local roundabouts. It’s really great to be able to give back to the area, and also to provide opportunities for exercise and enjoyment for the Winchester community.”
Changing healthcare landscape
“Ten years ago, we almost always had to explain what a ‘Private GP’ actually is!” remarks Dr Hillier. “This concept has since become much better known, both locally and nationally. After all this time, The Walcote Practice is very well established and trusted, and we have a strong network of proven specialists to whom we can refer. Very many of our patients visit us following a word-of-mouth recommendation and then continue to stay with us for their private primary healthcare.”
Looking forward
“I still remember our very first appointment…time has since flown by!” says Dr Nicholas Hillier. “We’d like to say a huge thank you to all our patients. It has been an absolute privilege to serve and get to know them well, to see their families grow, and to assist them through their health difficulties. We’re proud to have built a reputation for providing excellent and easily accessible healthcare. We look forward to continuing to offer a high-quality, trusted Private GP service to the people of Winchester and beyond, and to further enhancing our offering as patient needs and the healthcare landscape evolve in the future. And, of course, we will be celebrating this milestone with our exceptional team of staff – they absolutely deserve it!”
