Staff details

Williton Surgery
Tel: 01984 632701

Watchet Surgery
Tel: 01984 634365

News:

Out of Hours

To contact a doctor when the surgery is closed at weekends and between the hours of 6.30 pm and 8.00 am Monday to Friday, please telephone the main number (01984 632701) and your call will automatically be forwarded to the Somerset Out of Hours Medical Service

Telephone Advice

If you need to speak to a doctor or nurse on the telephone, please try to telephone (Williton 632701) either between 8.30 am and 9.00 am or between 11.30 am and 12 noon, when the clinician is more likely to be available. We try not to interrupt consultations except in an emergency.

Announcements

01 Sep - 01 Oct
NHS Smokefree

Find out about all of the free NHS services available to support you as you go try to give up smoking.

01 Aug - 01 Oct
NHS Summer Health

Stay safe in the sun, including sunscreens, sunburn relief, heat exhaustion, eczema and moles. Summer holidays are great fun for children, but can bring risks. Find out more

01 Jul - 01 Oct
Change for Life

Would you like loads of tips and help to make changes for a healthier future? As part of Change4Life, you will receive tons of helpful information, recipes, tools, tips, and games for the kids.

BBC Health

Outbreak probe at industry sites

There are now 12 cases linked to a Legionnaires' outbreak, as health officials focus on south Wales industrial sites in the search for the cause.

More obesity ops 'will save cash'

Millions of pounds are lost in England by the failure of the NHS to provide more obesity operations, a study says.

Inquiry to hear from HIV victims

The injury into contaminated NHS blood products in the 1980s will hear from the victims who contracted HIV and Hepatitis.

Statins 'may cut arthritis risk'

Taking statins may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, a study suggests.

Call for morning sickness action

More needs to be done to establish which are safe and effective ways to relieve morning sickness, experts say.

ME 'virus link' found in children

ME, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, in children could be caused by a virus, scientists say.

UK radiotherapy 'lagging behind'

Too few UK cancer patients are receiving state-of-the-art radiotherapy care, experts from Cancer Research UK say.

'Genetic link' to breast cancer

Researchers have identified a series of genetic variations which may play a role in a common breast cancer.

Gaps persist in cancer survival

Despite significant improvements in cancer survival rates across England, regional differences remain, national statistics show.

Bipolar 'not linked to violence'

People with a mental illness are no more likely to be violent unless they abuse drugs or alcohol, a study suggests.

Yahoo Health

Group backs mandatory flu vaccinations for doctors (AP)

AP - The nation's largest pediatricians' group is endorsing mandatory flu vaccinations for doctors, nurses and other health workers.

CVS Caremark to give away up to $5M in flu shots (AP)

AP - CVS Caremark Corp. said Wednesday it will give away up to $5 million in seasonal flu vaccinations to people without health insurance.

AP Exclusive: Back to work after salmonella case (AP)

** ADDS COMPLETION OF THE SECOND SENTENCE - FILE - In this March 12, 2009 file photo, Peanut Corporation of America's president Stewart Parnell, arrives a federal court in Lynchburg, Va. The peanut industry executive whose filthy processing plants were implicated in a salmonella outbreak that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more is back in the business, as the federal government's criminal investigation against him has languished for more than 18 months, The Associated Press has learned. (AP Photo/Don Petersen, File)

AP - The peanut industry executive whose filthy processing plants were blamed in a salmonella outbreak two years ago that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more is back in the business.

US smoking rate still stuck at 1 in 5 adults (AP)

AP - U.S. smoking rates continue to hold steady, at about one in five adults lighting up regularly, frustrated health officials reported Tuesday.

FDA cites claims on 2 green tea beverages (AP)

AP - Federal health regulators have issued warnings to the makers of Canada Dry ginger ale and Lipton tea for making unsubstantiated nutritional claims about their green tea-flavored beverages.

FDA relents from midodrine withdrawal plan (AP)

AP - Federal regulators have backed off a plan to remove a Shire PLC low blood-pressure treatment from the market after warning in August that the drug has not been proven effective.

Report says obesity surgery can save health costs (Reuters)

Reuters - Providing surgical treatment for people who are morbidly obese could save British taxpayer-funded health services and the wider economy hundreds of millions of pounds a year, leading surgeons said on Wednesday.

For Bonobo Males, Mom Is the Best Wingman (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - To most human males, the thought of your mother anywhere near your sex life is probably horrifying. Not so for the bonobo, one of our closest primate relatives. A new study confirms that hanging out with mom boosts male bonobos' chances of getting intimate with a fertile female.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 8, 2010 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Health Tip: Stay Safe Around the School Bus (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Teaching children to take precautions while waiting for, entering and exiting a school bus can help keep them safe.

MedPage Today

Flu Vaccine a Must for All Healthcare Workers, AAP Says (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- All healthcare personnel should be required to get vaccinated against influenza, according to a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Short Therapy for Ear Infections More Prone to Failure (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A short course of antibiotics for acute otitis media in children is slightly more likely to fail than a longer course, researchers reported.

Geometric Patterns Mesmerize Autistic Tots (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A toddler's fixation on geometric patterns may be an early warning sign of autism, researchers found.

Lack of Sleep Linked to Distress in Young Adults (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Skimping on sleep can increase the risk for common psychological problems such as low mood and anxiety, according to a large prospective study.

Treating the Poor Linked to Poor Performance Rating (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Physicians who see more socially disadvantaged and nonwhite patients received overall lower-quality performance ratings -- while doctors who see fewer such patients received higher rankings, researchers found.

Scars Increase Risk for Kidney Grafts (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Scarring and mild inflammation of kidney transplants that develop in the first year predict eventual graft failure, researchers found.

Adjuvant Chemo Drugs Equal for Pancreatic Cancer (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Gemcitabine (Gemzar) doesn't improve survival in patients with resected pancreatic cancer compared with other chemotherapy, researchers found.

Judge Won't Lift Block on Stem Cell Research Funding

(MedPage Today) -- Federal spending of embryonic stem cell (ESC) research will remain off-limits for now, a federal judge ruled, dealing yet another blow to the Obama administration's efforts to support such research.

Cigarette Smoke May Affect Fertility (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Smoking may provide an explanation for reduced fertility, results of two studies suggested.

Adult Smoking Hits Plateau

(MedPage Today) -- One in five U.S. adults continues to smoke tobacco -- a percentage that hasn't budged since 2005 -- suggesting that more aggressive efforts are needed to reduce smoking-related diseases and deaths, the CDC said.

Doctors

Nursing Staff

Practice Team

Healthcare Team

Doctors

Dr Charles Pascall (m)
MBBS FRCS MRCGP
Partner
Male Born 1950
Registered London 1976
GMC Number
1719022

Dr Andrew Dayani (m)
MB ChB MRCGP D.Occ Med
Partner
Male Born 1966
Registered London 1989
GMC Number
3333109

Dr Alistair Barclay (m)
BSc MBBS MRCGP FP Cert
Partner
Male Born 1959
Registered London 1986
GMC Number
3088894

Dr Laura Bethune (f)
MRCGP MBBS BSc DRCOG DFFP
Partner
Female Born 1977
Registered London 2001
GMC Number
6028325

Dr Andrew G Dicks (m)
BMedSci BMBS MSc DTM&H DRCOG DipTravMed CIDC
Partner
Male Born 1968
Registered London 1991
GMC Number
3590726

Dr Vanita Moorthy (f)
MRCGP MBBS DCH DRCOG DFFP
Partner
Female Born 1972
Registered London 1998
GMC Number
4410711

Dr Rachel Charles (f)
BMedSci BMBS MRCP MRCGP DFFP
Partner
Female Born 1971
Registered London 1994
GMC Number
4095916

Nurses

Practice Nursing Team
Our practice nursing team includes nurses and phlebotomists. Their expertise and knowledge are extensive and a nurse is usually available during normal surgery hours.

For the treatment of minor ailments or for advice about your health it will often be appropriate to consult the nurse initially, rather than the doctor. A new nurse-led triage system has recently been established which is proving to be very successful. If you contact the surgery needing to be seen on the same day, or want advice, one of our specially trained nurses will contact you to discuss your requirements and arrange the appropriate care for you with a member of our team, either by dealing with the problem themselves or by arranging an appointment with a doctor.

As well as running our specialist clinics, our practice nurses deal with a variety of conditions including treatment of minor injuries, dressings, removal of stitches, ear syringing, cervical smears, blood pressure checks, immunisations, health advice and routine blood tests.

Practice Management

Mrs Alison Foulkes (f)
Our Management Partner, Mrs Alison Foulkes, has responsibility for the day to day running of the practice as a whole. If you have any concerns, or wish to make a constructive suggestion about the practice, she can be contacted at Williton Surgery.

Reception Staff & Adminstration Team
Our receptionist team is here to help you. They may often require information from you in order to help, this will be treated in confidence and they are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as doctors and nurses. The staff in our small administration team are the hidden backbone that keeps the practice operational, dealing with the mountains of paperwork which are produced.

Attached Staff

District/Community Nurses
These nurses provide home-based care to those patients with serious illness or disability, in addition to ongoing support to patients and their carers. They visit patients for care following hospital treatment and during acute illness. Contact on Williton 633608, or out of hours Williton 632701 or 0845 408 8000 .

Community Midwives
Midwives are available for antenatal and early postnatal care. They provide advice on all aspects of maternity care. Midwives work closely with Health Visitor colleagues. Contact on Williton 632701, or direct line 634977. For out of hours ring 01823 342059 .

Health Visitors
Health Visitors are able to offer advice on health care to all groups. Their knowledge is extensive and they are here to talk to you about ways of staying well and can help you find the services you need. Contact on Williton 633427.

Counsellor/Community Psychiatric Nurse
These professionals are available by referral through your GP. We are also currently running a Mental Health Self Help Clinic pilot scheme. Please ask your doctor for details .

Practice Information

For quick medical advice online or on the telephone contact NHS Direct