General Practice Training

Nightingale Surgery is a recognised training practice and has been so for a number of years. All the Partners of the practice involve themselves in training and teaching and there is a strong academic influence throughout Nightingale Surgery. We currently have two Registrar and one Senior Lecturer from the University of Southampton who undertakes 2 sessions of clinical work with us each week. Situated in the pleasant Hampshire country town of Romsey we have 9,200 patients. 

Facilities for our Registrars are excellent. Registrars have their own Consulting Room, there is a well stocked, up-to-date medical library with internet facilities. Tuesday mornings are dedicated to multi disciplinary clinical meetings with a well defined programme We are a training practice for general practice registrars. Our Registrars are fully qualified doctors with at least three years post graduate experience. Their appointment is for one year and all patients are welcome to consult with these doctors.

Southampton University Medical Students regularly attend the surgery for training. If you do not wish a student to be present during your consultation, please advise a receptionist.

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Research & Development

Nightingale Surgery is proud to be a research practice. This means that we receive funding from the Department of Health to conduct studies into various aspects of health care within the surgery. We are fortunate in having as one of our colleagues Dr Paul Little, who is also Professor of Primary Care Research at the University of Southampton and who has an international reputation for his work in improving the delivery of health services.

Continuing clinical research is vital to the future of public health care in this country: it improves services to patients and helps to reduce costs to the taxpayer. The staff and patients here at Nightingale have made an enormous contribution to medical knowledge in recent years. You can have a look at the kinds of research we do in our newsletter, Research Update, and on our website at www.wrpc.nhs.uk.

Most of our research is conducted in the surgery: if you meet the entry criteria your doctor or nurse may ask for your consent. However some studies involve invitations being sent through the post.

We do recognise that, for a small number of people, it can be troublesome to receive unexpected letters from us and we therefore operate an “opt-out” system for people who do not want to be approached in this way.

If you feel that you do not want to be contacted by post about any research studies we may run in future, please complete the enclosed slip and return it to the surgery.  If you change your mind, you can opt back in at any time.

It is important for you to know that:

• Nobody from outside the surgery will ever have access to your details without your consent. If you do agree to take part, the consent form will state which parts of your notes (if any) will be looked at.
• You will never be prevented from receiving treatment which it is believed would be beneficial to you. Treatments are sometimes randomised in clinical trials, but this simply means that we do not know which is the best option.
• You are always free to say no! Your care will not be affected in any way and you do not have to give a reason.

If you want to find out more about the kind of work we do, please ask for a copy of our research policy, contact one of the team below.

Dr Peter White, Prof. Paul Little, and Claire Hallett Research Nurse  via the website at nightingale.randd@nhs.net or phone the Research Manager, Kate Martinson on 01794 528820.

Extract from the Autumn 2009 Newsletter.

Research in general practice received a huge boost in 2006, with the establishment of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Primary Care Research Network (PCRN). Additional funding has been made available through these structures, recognising the value that high-quality general practice represents to people who use the NHS. As a result, Nightingale Surgery, which has long been at the forefront in conducting healthcare research in the region, has been busier than ever!

Dr Little was one of the first applicants to be awarded a grant by the NIHR and some of the trials within this programme have now started. One of the first to begin recruitment is PRIMIT. This study is examining whether a website offering information on simple hygiene measures can reduce the transmission of infection within households. Some other aspects of this major programme include a study to determine the most effective way to manage symptoms in coughs, colds and flu (PIPS). There are also studies into treatments which may prevent recurrent sore throats (TASTE) and sinusitis (SNIFS).

Our existing major studies into the management of sore throats and coughs will both continue to recruit this winter. PRISM is a study which aims to discover whether it is possible to target antibiotics more effectively by using a rapid test for streptococcal infection. GRACE is a groundbreaking collaboration between experts in respiratory disease and microbiologists across 12 European countries. Using a combination of research methods, including genomics, clinical trials and health economics, the goal is to define best practice in treating respiratory infection and reduce the spread of drug-resistant pathogens.

We have continued to work closely with colleagues at the University of Southampton School of Medicine, and have hosted a number of studies in the past year, which we hope have been of interest to our patients. At the moment we are taking part in ALDDES, a study which aims to determine whether a simple blood test can provide early information about liver disease, and enable people to make lifestyle changes, which can significantly reduce their risk of suffering liver damage. MIBS is a study looking at Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Currently we are looking for patients who are willing to help develop an educational website about IBS; later in the year we will invite patients to take part in a randomised study, which will compare the website with existing treatments.

Much of our research involves asking patients to participate when they attend at the surgery.  However some of our work can only be done by writing to you. If we do write to you about a study we hope that you will consider carefully whether you are able to help.  However you are under no obligation to take part. If you prefer that we do not write to you at all about research, please let us know.

All the research that we undertake here at Nightingale Surgery has been carefully chosen because of its potential to improve patient care, and we adhere to the strictest standards of confidentiality and ethical governance.

No identifiable information is ever released to researchers without your written consent.

Much more information about our work is available from our website: www.wrpc.nhs.uk. Alternatively please feel free to speak to a member of the team:

Dr Peter White, R&D Lead

Kate Martinson, Research Manager

Carolyn Bowen, Recruitment Manager

Sister Claire Hallett, Research Nurse