First GP inside shop to open in Bristol

Monday, 20th July 2009

The first GP practice in a Bristol high street store is set to open its doors.

Broadmead Medical Centre was due to welcome its first patients to its surgery within the Boots store today.

It is the first practice of its kind in the South West and one of only a few across the country.
Located on the first floor of the store in The Mall Bristol (formerly The Galleries), the surgery has the capacity for 6,000 registered patients living in and around the city centre but will also offer a walk-in service.
It is estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 people will pass through the surgery’s doors in its first year.
People who are registered at other practices in the city who need to see a doctor urgently, or those who do not have access to a GP, will be able to use the surgery on a walk-in basis.

The practice has been commissioned by NHS Bristol and is being run by GP consortium Brisdoc.
There are six consulting rooms, a treatment room and a triage room with 20 members of staff led by Dr Catherine Maytum.
It will initially be open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and from 9am to 1pm on a Saturday but Brisdoc director Nigel Gazzard said that if there is demand these hours might be extended in the future to include Sundays.
He said: “We would like to see if there is patient demand for that service. Being in Boots we have the opportunity to be open when the store is open.
“This is quite unique and is the first centre of its kind in Bristol and is quite exciting.
“Boots has a focus on healthcare products and there are opticians and pharmacists in stores so there is a potential to deal with a lot of healthcare needs in the one place.”

It is hoped that the city centre will provide access to people that find it hard to access GP services, including the homeless, but will also make it easier for people living in the 10,000 homes in the city centre area that do not have surgeries nearby.

Chief executive of NHS Bristol, Deborah Evans, said: “The Broadmead Medical Centre is further evidence of NHS Bristol’s commitment to providing services when and where they are wanted for the people of Bristol.
“The centre will provide services for those who can find it difficult to access a GP or for those in areas where there are perhaps less surgeries.”

The surgery is open for registration to patients living in the city centre and surrounding area. To sign-up, bring ID to the practice during opening hours or on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.