I arrive around 8:20 (traffic depending!) After logging in I spend 15-20 mins going through administrative tasks and checking emails for anything urgent that may need action since I was last in or before I start seeing patients. This can include urgent blood test results and patient requests. My appointments start at 9am, typically with some routine face to face appointments following by some routine telephone appointments. The rest of the morning is filled with urgent on the day appointments, of which there is a mix of face to face and telephone. At 11:15 we have an allocated break which is an opportunity to meet with the other GPs. This is important for colleague support and to ask for second opinions on things. I have some more appointments after this and see face to face any patients I have spoken to on the phone who need to come in for examination. I also use this time to follow up on patients who I have seen previously, review their results and act upon these.

The morning surgery usually ends around 12/12:30, after which I sometimes do a home visit. If not I start to tackle some of the admin tasks! These include reviewing blood test results, x-ray and scan results, reading and actioning clinical letters sent from hospital consultants and reviewing medication requests. I also complete referrals for patients I have seen, write letters on their behalf and complete various insurance and benefits assessment forms which get posted to us. I try to stop for lunch around 1/1:30 and leave my room for 20-30 minutes if I can!

The afternoon takes a very similar format, with my first patient at 2pm. I have a mix of routine phone calls and face to face appointments as well as urgent on the day calls and face to faces. My last appointment is at 5pm after which I review the admin again including test results, letters from the hospital and make sure all of my referrals have been completed. I usually finish around 6pm.

If I am duty doctor, the day can be interspersed with other tasks such as responding to receptionist queries, nurses asking me to review a poorly patient, calls from paramedics who have been called out via 999 calls, district nurses wanting to discuss patients and emergency medication requests.

No day is the same, but the variety is what brings me back again the following day for more!

Arrive at work ideally 10-15 minutes before my 1^st patient, log on – make a coffee pot!

I prepare equipment and look ahead at anything ‘special’ needed for the day – i.e. unusual blood tubes, stock or wound care that has been ordered in etc.

I then see patients as they arrive – try to keep to time, this can be disrupted by urgent patients referred from GPs, paramedic, other nursing staff, reception, or hospitals/MIU’s (Minor Injury Units). Often patients walk in with wounds or chest pains (happens more than you think). Also patients who attend for what they are booked for also like to ask questions regarding other symptoms or issues they have. This can sometimes result in myself referring on to other staff unexpectedly/ urgently or other organisations like district nurses, social services etc. – and occasionally calling an ambulance.

I address any admin that I have generated through referring patients or that has come to my attention during the day. This can be anything from patient queries to stock issues and emails.

Have lunch.

Then we repeat the same as the morning in the afternoon.

Throughout the day between patients I make sure that Blood samples and urine samples and stool samples, sputum, semen, swabs nail clippings etc. are all labelled and packaged correctly and sent to lab on time. We have a collection twice daily.

I order stock from dressings to consumables – put the same stock away when it comes in.

We review daily fridge temperatures and weekly resus kits O2, defibrillator etc. to complete essential monitoring and compliance checks.

Keep up to date with training!

I feel grateful I work in a lovely environment that makes all the above seem like it’s not a Job!!

Log off

Go home!!

Hello, my name is Dan, and I am the Paramedic Practitioner employed by the surgery. My role is partially funded through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), which was introduced to increase patient access to primary care services and help reduce pressure on GP appointments.

I primarily see patients requiring same-day appointments rather than those attending for planned or routine reviews. As a result, I often assess and manage patients presenting with acute health concerns, including infections, pain, and other urgent but non-emergency conditions.

I view my role as complementary to that of our GPs. While I am not a doctor, I am able to independently assess, diagnose, and manage a wide range of acute presentations, helping to ensure that GP appointments remain available for patients with more complex healthcare needs.

Before joining the practice, I spent 12 years working frontline with the ambulance service, based in Dursley and serving communities throughout Gloucestershire and neighbouring counties. Early in my paramedic career, I completed a Physical Assessment and Clinical Reasoning (PACR) module, which continues to underpin my clinical practice today. Since joining Culverhay Surgery, I have continued to develop my skills and qualifications, completing both the First Contact Practitioner and Independent and Supplementary Prescribing programmes at master’s level.

My working day typically begins at 8:30am after taking my son to nursery. The appointment schedule is generally open at the start of the day, allowing reception teams across the Culverhay sites to book patients with appropriate conditions directly into my clinics. I conduct 15-minute appointments throughout the day, with a short break mid-morning to discuss any complex or challenging cases with GP colleagues, as well as a 30-minute lunch break.

I provide both telephone and face-to-face consultations and usually see or speak with approximately 28 patients each day. Some patients prefer an in-person assessment, while others find a telephone consultation more convenient. Common conditions that I manage include chest, ear and urinary tract infections, skin rashes and flare-ups, bowel and bladder concerns, joint and back pain, gout, abdominal pain, vertigo and labyrinthitis, headaches, palpitations, and assessments of unwell children, among many others.

I am grateful to receive consistently positive feedback from patients regarding the care and support I provide. On occasions where a patient would prefer to speak with a GP, or where I feel GP input would be beneficial, I am always happy to arrange this and ensure appropriate continuity of care.