Islip Medical Practice

Last Monday, I went to Oxford to spend a day with Dr. Lisa Ibbs in the Islip Medical Practice. I started off by visiting the local nursing home, The Manor, which cared for elderly patients, mostly with severe dementia. The Islip Medical Practice provides regular medical support to The Manor and its residents. Having regularly visited Rowden House, a residential home, I could very easily notice the difference in the severity of the condition of the residents, most of whom were bedridden. Next, I sat in with the Practice Nurse, where I learnt the general role of the Practice Nurse and a lot about childhood immunisations. This showed me how much doctors rely on the nurses for a wide range of tasks, such as tests, vaccinations and chronic condition check-ups, e.g. diabetes. After lunch, I went to the dispensary where I helped find drugs for peoples’ prescriptions. After being repeatedly instructed to check the type of drug (e.g. capsules vs tablets) as well as the dosage, I further appreciated the importance of getting the medication right. I was also told that morphine was kept in a locked opaque cabinet, and had to be signed out by doctors due to its controlled drug status and addictive properties. I spent the rest of the day with Dr. Ibbs, mainly in her surgery. Firstly I watched Dr. Ibbs change a catheter which demonstrated a common complaint with an ageing population. Next, I saw the other end of the age spectrum – a baby’s 6-week check-up, where Dr. Ibbs checked the baby’s measurements, hips, skull and breathing. It was adorable! I then saw a large range of patients with conditions from conjunctivitis to ankle injuries to stomach pain. This taught me the large variety of illnesses that GPs have to know about, and that GPs have a very different relationship with the patient than most hospital doctors. Dr. Ibbs also told me that, whilst you do get a lot of people coming to their GPs for common ailments like coughs and colds, you also get a lot coming for chronic disease check-ups. Finally, I accompanied Dr. Ibbs (as duty doctor) on a home visit to an elderly patient with a suspected infection. Whilst I only had a day, it did give me a real snapshot of life as a GP.