New faces at health centre

Patients of Frome Medical Practice recently visiting the health centre may well have seen one of the three new GP registrars working at the surgery.

Dr Laura O’Hare, Dr Rhiannon James and Dr James Smith are now all on their final year of GP training, being undertaken in Frome.

Dr Robert Taylor is a GP himself, as well as being one of the partners at the Frome Medical Practice.

“We have three very committed and enthusiastic trainees here currently,” says Dr Taylor. “They have all been doctors for a number of years and are either in the last year or penultimate year of training before becoming a fully qualified GP.

“We are lucky in Frome that we manage to attract such high quality trainees to the practice. Their role is to see patients in the same way that other GPs do. They can speak to their GP trainer at any time for advice if needed. Many of them will have exams in the coming months, so we wish them well as these approach.’

Dr James Smith is one of the new trainee GPs. He grew up in the West Country and most of his medical training was carried out at Sheffield Medical School, before later working in Wiltshire and latterly at the RUH. His year at the Frome Medical Practice is his final year before becoming a fully-fledged GP.

“I wanted to become a GP for several reasons,” explains Dr Smith. “Working as a GP gives me more time to work with patients face-to-face and at the same time, I am able to develop a breadth of knowledge. At a modern practice such as this one in Frome, there is also the scope now for GPs to expand their skills in areas such as minor surgery. This is what I would like to do.

“I think that my colleagues and myself have very much landed on our feet here in Frome. Not only do we have a team of very supportive GP trainers, but the rest of the staff at the practice have also been brilliant. The best thing for me however has been the opportunity to meet and speak to my patients. Like everyone else here, they have all gone out of their way to make me feel very much at home.”