MB BS (1996) London, BMedSci, DRCOG, DFFP, MRCGP. Dr Gardner joined Litchdon Medical Centre in 2002. He is a Trainer for doctors on the North Devon GP Vocational Training Scheme and is the Older Persons Mental Health Lead for the North Devon Clinical Commissioning Group. Dr Gardner works Monday, Tuesdays, Wednesday and Fridays. Dr Gardner is the senior partner at the practice and works closely with Sharon Bates the Management Partner to ensure the smooth running of the practice.
Dr Gardner works out of hours for the local Devon Doctors team.

MB BS (1998) London, BEng, DCH, DRCOG, MRCGP. Dr Jefferies joined Litchdon medical centre in July 2005. He has a special interest in ophthalmolgy and is the practice diabetes lead. He is also a trainer for doctors on the North Devon Vocational Training Scheme. Dr Jefferies works Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 

BSc, MB BS (1996) London, DCH, DRCOG, DFFP, DTM&H, DipClinEd, MRCGP. Dr Jones joined Litchdon Medical Centre in 2007. Dr Jones is a Trainer for doctors on the North Devon GP Vocational Training scheme and is also involved with training medical students. Dr Jones also has an interest in expedition and tropical medicine. Dr Jones is on the North Devon CCG Board and works at Litchdon on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Fridays.

MB ChB (1999) Bristol, DRCOG DFFP DTM+H MRCGP Loc IUT Loc SDI. Dr Dallimore has a special interest in sexual and reproductive healthcare and trains GPs in contraception. Dr Dallimore is the practice lead GP for child safeguarding. Dr Dallimore works Tuesdays and Thursdays.

BSc Hons, MB BS (2000) London, MRCS, DO-HNS, MRCGP, DFFP. Dr Erdozain  began working at Litchdon initally as a locum in 2011 and became a partner in 2012. Dr Erdozain trained as a surgeon specialising in Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) before becoming a GP in 2007. Dr Erdozain's clinical interest include minor surgery and end of life care. Dr Erdozain works Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

BMedSci, BM.BS (2000) Nottingham, MRCP, MRCGP, DFFP. Dr Parker joined Litchdon Medical Centre in August 2006. Dr Parker is the prescribing lead for the practice and works on Tuesday and Thursday.

MB BS (2005) London, DCH, DFSRH, MRCGP. Dr Warner joined Litchdon medical Centre in 2010. She is the lead GP for medical students.
Dr Warner works on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

MB BS(2009) London, BSc (HONS), MRCGP. Dr Cockcroft joined the
practice in 2014 and he works on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays.                                                                    
                                  

MBChb (2010) Birmingham, DRCOG, MRCGP. Dr Marsh joined the practice in 2015 and she works on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
 

MBChb (2007) Sheffield BA (Hons) BMedSci (Hons) MRCS PGC Trauma Surgery MRCGP. Dr Carlino joined as a partner in October 2018 after working at the practice as a salaried GP before that for 12 months. Dr Carlino works on a Mon, Wed, Thursday and Friday. 

MBBCh(2010) Cardiff, MRCGP. Dr Thornton joined the practice as a registrar and has become a Partner in September 2019.

MBBS 2006 London. Ba (hons). MRCGP. Dr Brice works on Wednesdays & Fridays and has been with the practice since 2014.

MB BS (2007) London, B.A Physiological Sciences (2004) Oxford.  Dr Fothergill normally works on Mondays and Tuesdays.  She also works in A&E and Intensive Care at NDDH.

MBBS (2008), BSc (Hons) Anatomy & Developmental Biology (2004), MRCS, MRCGP. Dr Whatling relocated from London in 2017, having trained as a General Surgeon with a special interest in Renal Transplantation.  For lifestyle reasons he decided to retrain as a GP in North Devon and worked at Litchdon as a registrar for 12 months before joining as a registered GP in 2020.  He became a Partner of the Practice on 1/11/2021  and normally works on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  He has a special interest in Minor Surgery.

Our Team of practice nurses and healthcare assistants are available for routine and some evening appointments, Monday to Friday.

Practice nurses carry out a wide range of services such as dressings, vaccinations, cervical smears and weight loss advice.  They work as an integral part of our Same Day Team and also run our Diabetes, Asthma/COPD and Coronary Heart Disease Clinics. 

Nurse Team Manager - 30 hrs per week

Glenys qualified in 1984 and specialised in acute bowel and urology surgery and stoma care for around 7 years, becoming deputy ward manager on an acute surgical ward.  She then worked in Private Health care for 10 years across many specialities including endoscopy, day case surgery, gynaecology, orthopaedics, ophthalmics and urology.

She became a Practice nurse in 2001 in a GP Practice in Truro and was there for 15 years until 2016.  Glenys moved to North Devon and joined the Litchdon Nursing team in 2016 and has been the Nurse Manager since October 2018.

Nurse team manager responsibilities: nurse rotas, annual leave, training, appraisals, policies and procedure update and recruitment, working closely with other head of departments and members of the management team.

Area of work: Administration of nurse manager responsibilities/Child immunisation lead/Student Mentor/Cervical screening/Treatment room duties/Wound care/Doppler Assessment/Travel Health/Diabetes/CHD/Phlebotomy/Urine testing etc.

Diabetic Specialist Nurse Specialist/Long Term Conditions Lead - 35 hrs per week

Tina qualified in 1988 and initially worked on a gynaecology ward for a few months before going to South Molton Community Hospital.  She did her District Nurse training in 1991 and went on to be a Sister on the District until 2007.  Tina always had an interest in Long term conditions, especially in diabetes so became a Diabetes Specialist Nurse at NDDH for 5 years before heading back to South Molton to become lead Practice Nurse until she started work at Litchdon Medical Centre in 2013.  Tina is also a Nurse Prescriber and is very experienced diabetes nurse.

Area of work: Nurse prescriber/Long term conditions lead (excluding respiratory)/Diabetes/CHD/CVF/CKD/Hypertension management/Student Assessor/Treatment room duties/Cervical screening/Travel Health/Child immunisation/Phlebotomy/Urine testing etc.

Treatment Room Nurse - 20 hrs per week

Paula qualified in 2006 and has worked in Northam Surgery and in Weymouth before moving back to North Devon and started at Litchdon Medical Centre in 2010.  Prior to qualifying as a nurse Paula's roles included being a dinner lady, classroom assistant, Care Home worker and a Phlebotomist.

Area of work: Treatment room duties/Student Assessor/Cervical screening/Wound care/Doppler assessment/Child immunisation/Travel Health/Phlebotomy/Urine testing etc.

Treatment Room Nurse - 16 hrs per week

Gail qualified in 1982 and worked initially in the Maternity Unit and SCBU.  She has worked on surgical wards, has been a Marie Curie Nurse, worked on the District and spent some time in Special Needs Nursing, before coming to Litchdon Medical Centre in 1996!

Gail retired at the end of 2021, but will be back doing some locum work in the Treatment room.

Area of work: Treatment room duties/Student Mentor/Cervical Screening/Child immunisation/Travel Health/Wound care/Urine testing/Doppler assessment/Learning disability etc.              

Treatment Room Nurse/Respiratory/Diabetes - 30 hrs per week

Alan qualified in 2005 in Blackpool initially working as a respiratory nurse before relocating back to his beloved Northern Ireland where he worked as a community and rehabilitation nurse.  In 2010 he moved back to Blackpool working as a District nurse and progressed to District Nurse Manager before moving to North Devon. 

Alan has been at Litchdon Medical Centre since 2017 and has a special interest in respiratory and diabetes.

Area of work:  Nurse Prescriber/Respiratory (COPD and asthma), Diabetes and CHD/Treatment room duties/Student Mentor/Wound care/Doppler assessment/Child immunisation/Travel Health/Phlebotomy/Urine testing etc.

Urgent Care Team (UCT) Nurse - 20 hrs per week

Laura qualified in 2009 in Southampton and has worked in a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Medical Admissions and has more recently enjoyed working on the Community and with the Lymphoedema Service. 

Laura Joined the Nursing team at Litchdon in January 2020 to work in the Urgent Care department.  From January 2022 Laura will also be doing some treatment room work.

Area of work: Urgent Care Team nurse working alongside the G.P's carrying out telephone triage, dealing with urgent health enquiries and treating minor illness and minor injuries/Student Assessor/Wound care/Doppler assessment/Child immunisation/Travel Health/Phlebotomy/Urine testing etc.

Alison Kedward - Nurse Specialist 16 hours per week

Alison has worked in the NHS since 1983.

She completed her Registered Nurse training at Southampton and has worked in both Hospital and Community working in General Medicine and specialising in Cardiac Care.

Prior to moving to North Devon Alison worked in Worcester in proactive care visiting patients with frailty at home providing for acute illness helping people maintain wellbeing and independence in their own home.

Alison joined the team at Litchdon in May 2021 and is continuing to work in her areas of special interest.

Area of work: Nurse prescriber/Long term conditions/Cardiovascular/heart failure/respiratory.

Treatment Room and Urgent Care Nurse - 20 hrs p/w

Nikkie qualified in 2014 from the University of Plymouth and started work on a Surgical ward within the North Devon Healthcare Trust.  Whilst training she discovered her passion for Emergency medicine so transferred to the local A&E where she gained knowledge and skills in a variety of specialities, enjoying her work immensely.

She started her new role at Litchdon in September 2021 and works across the treatment suite and UCT.

Areas of work: Treatment room duties/Urgent care/Student Assessor/Wound care/Doppler assessment/Child immunisation/Travel Health/Phlebotomy/Urine testing etc .

Treatment room and Urgent Care Nurse - 33 hrs p/w

Verity qualified in 2019 from Plymouth University and worked as a Community nurse in North Devon for 2 years before joining the Litchdon nursing team in December 2021.

Verity was on placement here as a student and always wanted to come back as she loved her placement so much.

Before her nurse training she worked at Exmoor Zoo and was a community carer.

Areas of work: Treatment room and UCT

Urgent Care Team (UCT)/Respiratory Nurse 16 hours per week

Sarah, known as 'Saz' at work, qualified in Birmingham in 1986 and worked in Medical admissions until she moved back home to Bristol where she was a manager on a ward for care of older people.

After this she managed a multidisciplinary community team for adults with disabilities.  She then worked as a Community Matron in a variety of inner-city areas working alongside the respiratory team and the British lung foundation to support people discharged from hospital, delivering pulmonary rehabilitation.

Sarah then worked across Primary Care in dementia and safeguarding lead roles and onto be Clinical lead for Community nursing.  More recently she has worked as a Nurse Practitioner in a GP Practice between Bath and Bristol, providing urgent care, home visits and annual reviews.

Saz joined the nursing team at Litchdon in May 2022 to work across respiratory and UCT after moving to North Devon with her family.

Area of work: Nurse prescriber/Respiratory (COPD/Asthma), UCT nurse working alongside the GP's carrying out telephone triage, dealing with urgent health enquiries and treating minor illness and minor injuries.

Treatment Room Nurse - 34 hours per week

Chloe qualified in 2021 from Plymouth University and worked as a Theatre Nurse at North Devon District Hospital for 8 months before deciding to move into Primary care when she joined the Litchdon team in May 2022.

Chloe worked as the Nurse Receptionist at Litchdon in 2016, leaving to be a Health Care Assistant at NDDH.  She then went onto do her nurse training and is delighted to be back with the Litchdon team.

Area of work: Treatment room duties/Wound care/Doppler assessment/Child immunisation/Travel Health/Phlebotomy/Urine testing etc.

Urgent Care Team (UCT) Nurse - 32 hours per week

Sarah qualified in 2001 from Oxford Brooks University and started her nursing career working as an Anaesthetic and recovery nurse before moving back home to Barnstaple to work in the Intensive Care Unit.

During this time Sarah was a mentor to students and new staff and progresses this learning by completing a master's degree in Health and Social Care Education.

In 2011 Sarah jointed NHS blood and transplant and worked as a specialist enabling organ and tissue donation across the South - West region.

More recently Sarah gained experience in the Resuscitation and Outreach team before joining Litchdon in May 2022.

Area of work: Urgent Care Team nurse working alongside the GPs carrying out telephone triage, dealing with urgent health enquiries and treating minor illness and minor injuries/Student mentor/Resus lead nurse.

Our healthcare assistants undertake a number of procedures including finger-prick INR testing, smoking cessation advice and clinics, blood tests, ECGs, and blood pressure readings.

HCA Long Term Conditions/Phlebotomist - 34 hrs per week

Helen has been a Health Care assistant for 17 years, and completed her NVQ training in 2010.  She has experience to draw upon from working in a Nursing Home, with the District Nursing Team and in a GP Practice. 

Helen started work at Litchdon Medical Centre in 2010 and has shown an increasing interest in diabetes, cardiac disease and hypertension and has now progressed to supporting the team caring for patients with long term conditions.

Area of work: Supporting role to LTC Nurse Specialist/LTC assessment clinics/diabetic foot check and referral/BP clinic/Home BP monitoring assessment and referral/Phlebotomy/INR Star/ Urine testing/Smoking cessation etc.

HCA/Phlebotomist/Health check nurse - 30 hrs per week

Dawn has been a HCA for around 12 years initially working at NDDH.  Dawn worked in the area of pharmaceutical quality assurance for 18 years, has been a hairdresser, and worked in a pharmacy. 

Dawn started work at Litchdon Medical Centre in 2015 as a phlebotomist and has developed her role and interests to include some treatment room procedures, health checks and mental health reviews.  She has completed her NVQ in Health and Social Care and is currently doing a 2 year Nurse Associate Course.

Area of work: INR Star/Phlebotomy/Health Check lead/Learning disabilities/Ear irrigation/ECG's/BP's/Urine testing/Minor dressings etc.

Phlebotomist - 18 hrs per week

Martine first started as a HCA 17 years ago and worked on general and Maternity wards.  She came to Litchdon Medical Centre in 2009 initially, staying for 4 years before working with the Ambulance Service as a Care assistant.  She missed her team at Litchdon and returned to work here in 2017 to a mainly phlebotomy role.

Area of work: Phlebotomy/INR Star/Urine testing/Smoking cessation/HBPM calculations etc.

Ali Cousins (Dermatology Manager)

Ali has been working within the NHS since 2010 predominantly in General Practice. Following a relocation to Swindon in 2015 she worked as the Business Manager for the Community Nursing Team which involved working closely with both GP’s and the Great Western Hospital. North Devon has always been home though so Ali and her family moved back here in January 2018 when she joined the Dermatology team at Litchdon House as Deputy Dermatology Manager. Ali then became the Dermatology Manager in December 2018.  

Sharon Bates (Management Partner)

Sharon is our Practice Manager.  She joined the Practice in June 2014. 
She started her career working at Litchdon Medical Centre in the late eighties and then worked at the North Devon District Hospital for the last 20 years so has spent all of her working life in healthcare services.

The Practice Manager is responsible for the smooth running of the Practice, making sure that systems, staff, equipment and finances are all in place to provide a high quality service to our patients.

The Healthcare Administration Team are members of the practice team and it has been agreed they should ask patients “why they need to be seen”. Healthcare Administration Team staff are trained to ask certain questions in order to ensure that you receive:

• the most appropriate medical care


• from the most appropriate health professional


• at the most appropriate time
  
  

 Healthcare Administration Team are asked to collect brief information from patients:

• to help doctors prioritise house visits and phone calls


• to ensure that all patients receive the appropriate level of care


• to direct patients to see the nurse or other health professional rather than a doctor where appropriate.

They are there to assist you, so please ask if you need help or have any queries. 

The

We offer antenatal clinics on Tuesdays and Fridays. We will care for you throughout your pregnancy and at home after you have had your baby. We also offer a choice on place of birth whether it be in the hospital or at home.

If you need to contact us please call the Labour Ward on 01271 322605 which offers a 24 hour service.

The community nurses care for patients in their own homes. 

A health visitor is a registered nurse who has received training particularly related to babies, children and pregnant women. Their role is to provide families with children under five years old with support and advice around the general aspects of mental, physical and social wellbeing.

Hospice Care Nurses

The nurses are based at Deer Park Hospice in Newport, Barnstaple and liaise closely with the GPs and Nurses.  The Hospice has a bedded unit, day care facilities and a team of nurses who see patients and families in their own homes.

Physiotherapist

Litchdon Medical Centre also offers in house NHS physiotherapy. This service provides advice and treatment for the improvement of musculoskeletal problems and can be accessed through referral from your GP.

Sarah is a clinical pharmacist and works for the Barnstaple Primary Care Network on quality improvement in prescribing.

Sam is one of our Wellbeing Linkworker for the Barnstaple Alliance Primary Care Network. Social Prescribing seeks to address people's needs in a holistic way. 

Charlie is a First Contact Physiotherapist (FCP) for the Barnstaple Alliance Primary Care Network. Patients can book directly into his clinic without the need to see a GP first. He can assess, diagnose and advise on joint and muscular pain/conditions and make onward referrals to traditional NHS Physiotherapy, Orthopaedics or X-Ray as necessary.