About Us
A History of Family Practice
Countesthorpe village saw the arrival of its first GP between the wars when a lady doctor, Dr Wyn Barnly, started a surgery linked to her father’s practice in Wigston.
In the early 1950s, she was joined by Dr A F Hoffler who succeeded her and who is still remembered by many Countesthorpe residents today from his time practising from his house on The Square. As the village expanded during the 1960s, Dr Hoffler was joined as a partner by Dr Geronwy in 1965, followed by Dr Allen in 1973 when Dr Geronwy was replaced by Dr Wright.
The practice outgrew its premises in The Square and so the present Health Centre was built and opened in 1977.
Dr Allen was a firm believer that the practice should take a prominent role in the teaching and training of future doctors and the practice became an official training practice in 1976, an approach which has enabled our patients to benefit from the Countesthorpe family practice ethos being passed on alongside their formal training.
Many of the doctors who have trained in Countesthorpe have settled in the area and five of the seven permanent doctors currently at the practice trained at Countesthorpe before being appointed to their current positions.
Of these, Dr Browne (2000) and Dr Pearce (2004) were all trained by Dr Wright, who retired in 2006 and who is still well known in the village. Subsequently, Dr Ring, who retired in 2015, trained Dr Collins (2007), and Dr Browne trained Dr Pereira in 2006. Dr Pereira worked in another GP practice before joining us as a partner in April 2015. Similarly, Dr Gaillard, who joined the practice in 2010 as an established trainer, trained Dr Spencer in 2014 and Dr Spencer returned to the practice as a partner in August 2015.
Our patients recognise the value of experienced partners helping to develop the skills of newer doctors as a way of providing continuity in the practice’s approach and reassurance that they will receive the same quality of care whichever doctor they see. Some doctors have chosen to spend their careers in Countesthorpe and have come to know several generations of the same families. All are committed to providing a comprehensive range of family medicine.
The current partnership is now led by Dr Browne, who joined the practice in 2000. The most recent addition to the team is Dr Rainbow, who joined us in April 2016 after completing his training under the supervision of Dr Gaillard.
The practice list size has grown steadily and now comprises around 10,300 patients from 14 towns and villages in the area. To keep pace with patient numbers, the health centre has been extended several times and refurbished in order to provide an ever wider range of services. Looking forward, the practice is committed to responding to the needs of its patients, combining a best practice approach to patient care with new ways of communicating and providing information, and always maintaining the family practice ethos for which it is known and respected.
Declaration Of Earnings
New government guidelines require all GP practices to declare the mean earnings (i.e. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in Countesthorpe Health Centre in the year ending March 2019 was £63,253 before tax and national insurance. This is for 2 full time GPs and 6 part time GPs who worked in the Practice for more than 6 months.