General practitioners have an important role in looking after patients in their homes and within the communities where they live. They are part of a much wider team whose role includes promoting, preventing and initiating treatment. GPs look after patients with chronic illness, with the aim to keep people in their own homes and ensuring they are as well as they possibly can be. GPs are often the first point of contact for anyone with a physical or mental health problem and patients can be at their most anxious. Looking after the whole person – the physical, emotional, social, spiritual, cultural and economic aspects through patient-centred approaches is a vital part of any GP’s role. This is becoming more important with terminally ill patients often choosing to stay at home.
Senior Partner
Dr. Edwards trained at Nottingham medical school and qualified in 1988 before starting work in a variety of hospital jobs in Yorkshire. He came to Westbury Group practice in 1993 and now spends nearly all his time working in the Bratton surgery which looks after most of the patients of Bratton, Edington and Coulston as well as some people from Steeple Ashton and Erlestoke. After Debbie Beale’s retirement in 2017, he is now the Senior Partner. Dr. Edwards is married with three children.
Partner
Qualified in 1997 from Dow Medical College , Karachi, Pakistan. Completed his Bath Vocational GP Training in 2005. He Joined Westbury Group practice as a partner in 2014.
Dr Zak is a Clinical lead in dermatology, asthma, COPD and diabetes. Also have special interests in minor skin surgery and joint injections and in training of junior doctors.
He usually works at the practice on Tuesday to Friday.
Partner
Dr. Moore qualified 1997 from University College London. He is a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners and a member of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine. John works regularly in an Orthopaedic Clinic and has experience of working in elite-level sport. Sporting injuries remain an ongoing interest.
Salaried GP
Imran qualified as doctor from University of Punjab Lahore Pakistan in late 2002. He has worked in general medicine, general surgery and psychiatry before starting his postgraduate GP training in Bath. He has also worked in paediatrics at the Royal United Hospital as a GP Registrar during his training. He qualified as a GP in 2011 and started working for Westbury Group practice as salaried GP. His specialist interests include psychiatry and elderly medicine.
Salaried GP
Dr. Sangster undertook her medical training at the University of Leeds, qualifying as a doctor in 2009. She spent the following two years working in hospitals in Leeds before living for a year in Rotorua, New Zealand. Here she worked as a doctor in the departments of paediatrics, obstetrics & gynaecology and emergency medicine. Following her return from New Zealand she completed her GP training in Bath, working at Smallbrook Surgery, Warminster, before moving to Westbury Group Practice in 2018.
Salaried GP
Dr Burch is originally from Malaysia and qualified from University of Wales College of Medicine. She did 8 years of hospital training in General Medicine and Anaesthetics and was a private Repatriation Medical Officer, travelling to over 40 countries. Dr Burch has been an NHS GP for 12 years and is a Private GP with particular interests in Preventative/Lifestyle Medicine, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Functional and Myofascial Disorders. She is also trained in Western Medical Acupuncture, Functional Medicine, Dry Needling and Electrotherapy. She enjoys gardening, singing in a choir, pilates and walking, plus with her husband she manages a Malaysian Food Facebook group with over 34,000 members.
Salaried GP
MRCGP (2020), MBChB (Edin) (2010), LLB (Hons) (2004), Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance (2008). Dr Jessop qualified at Edinburgh University in 2010. She then trained in Emergency Medicine in East London before moving to Bath to complete her GP training. She is trained to insert contraceptive implants and has a keen interest in minor surgery and medical education. She is currently working towards completion of diplomas in psychosexual medicine and diabetes care.
Salaried GP
Dr Ward qualified from Oxford University in 2013 before completing his GP training in Bath and the surrounding areas, including working in Westbury for a year as a registrar. He returned to the surgery in 2020 as a salaried GP. He is a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Physicians. Dr Ward has a special interest in cardiology and is currently studying for a postgraduate diploma in this field. He can perform a range of joint injections.
Remote Salaried GP
Salaried GP
A locum doctor is a doctor who temporarily fulfils the duties of another. These professionals are still governed by their respective regulatory bodies, despite the transient or freelance nature of their positions. Below is a list of our regular locums.
Dr. Michael Gumbley
Dr. Debbie Beale
A GP Registrar is a qualified doctor who is training to become a GP through a period of working and training in a practice. They will usually have spent at least two years working in a hospital before you see them in a practice and are closely supervised by a senior GP.