Your Elected Voices

The Committee: Quick Fire Questions

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Early Bird.

My completely useless hidden talent?

I can throw an axe!

Never without:

A decaf coffee (very very sad, the caffeine is much missed).

If I had a walk-on song, it would be: 

I’m Every Woman (Chaka Khan) or Labour (Paris Paloma).

My unofficial role in the team: 

Mama Bear and Mother Hen.

Our unofficial team superpower: 

Detailed memories and laughter.

One thing that makes this team feel different: 

Mutual care and determination.

The Official Version

Rachel first moved to Devon in 2002 after training in Nottingham and hasn’t really looked back. After a decade or so of hospital medicine (gastro/hep), she saw the light and moved to General Practice where she’s been happily ensconced ever since. She lives in Plymouth with her other half and where she works as a salaried GP. Her apparently now adult(!) step kids are still local too, and they are all fairly outspoken about how wonderful Devon is. Rachel has been a partner and a locum in the past, juggles some chronic health issues with her need to stay involved in GP politics locally and nationally, and will be found happily bobbing about in the sea or drinking coffee near it whenever possible. The accent? Originally Canadian but she’s lived in seven countries on four continents, so it wanders. 

The Committee: Quick Fire Questions

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Early Bird.

My completely useless hidden talent?

Love a bit of Sudoku.

Never without:

My emotionally dependent dog.

If I had a walk-on song, it would be: 

Kate Bush: Running up that Hill (which I do daily with the dog).

My unofficial role in the team: 

Making the coffee.

One thing that makes this team feel different: 

Diverse team from round the county.

The Official Version

I am a locum GP having previously worked at Honiton Surgery for 17 years. I enjoyed a sabbatical last summer with my husband, teenagers and dog. I live in East Devon and love being outdoors. I run most days with my dog and have just learnt cross country skiing! It’s interesting working in different practices now and also appraising GPs with various roles. I am looking forward to being part of the LMC board and supporting GPs/practices. I have held various GP leadership positions before and this is a new challenge!

The Committee: Quick Fire Questions

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Early Bird.

My completely useless hidden talent?

I know a lot about Australian super league netball.

Never without:

Phone.

If I had a walk-on song, it would be:

Michelle Ma Belle by the Beatles.

My unofficial role in the team: 

Make everyone else feel better about their tech skills.

Our unofficial team superpower: 

Everyone wants to make a difference.

One thing that makes this team feel different: 

Positivity.

The Official Version

The Committee: Quick Fire Questions

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Night Owl.

My completely useless hidden talent?

Skimming stones.

Never without:

A healthy dose of cynicism.

If I had a walk-on song, it would be: 

Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra

My unofficial role in the team: 

Quiet strategy.

Our unofficial team superpower: 

We’re elected.

One thing that makes this team feel different: 

I feel a responsibility to be receptive to a wide range of opinions that we may not hold or are used to outside our usual clinical habitat.

The Official Version

I chose a career in General Practice because I was drawn to the flexibility, variety, and opportunity it offers. I’ve always valued the ability to pursue different interests, to be entrepreneurial, and to invest personally into a practice. With several GPs in my family, I grew up familiar with traditional principles of general practice: a sense of autonomy, being a patient advocate, and holding responsibility for a population.

After I completed my VTS training in Oxford I developed an interest in education both with the University and then as a trainer myself. After a short period working as a GP in Australia in 2018, I moved to Devon and joined Haldon House Surgery in Exmouth as a Partner. My education interest has evolved over time more towards coaching, and I also now have roles as a new to practice coach and GP appraiser.

In 2023 an opportunity arose in our PCN and I found working with the PCN to be interesting and challenging. My preference is that practices have priority as I believe that the most effective delivery of healthcare is through a GP partnership model, but I also acknowledge the reality of a landscape being forced upon primary care to move to at-scale working. Clearly there are differences of opinion between the profession and government about the 10 year plan. But we must make healthcare work sensibly for both patients and GP practices despite these tensions. I am motivated to join the LMC to help ensure any changes to primary care are positive, avoid destabilisation, to protect the ethos of our profession, and to support colleagues.

Outside of work I am lucky to have a wonderful family. I have two boys, and my wife Kirsty is a local GP and menopause specialist. I enjoy my garden and walking our faithful Golden Retriever Ozzie on Woodbury common.

The Committee: Quick Fire Questions

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Night Owl.

My completely useless hidden talent?

Exceptionally talented at getting my Land Rover stuck given the slightest opportunity.

Never without:

Penknife and Spaniels.

If I had a walk-on song, it would be: 

Chili’s – Scar Tissue.

My unofficial role in the team: 

Chief Mr Competitive, who genuinely tries to play it down but mostly can’t help himself.

Our unofficial team superpower: 

Enthusiasm, ‘Joie de vivre’.

One thing that makes this team feel different: 

Essentially, having the platform, opportunity, and agency to make a real difference for the good of General Practice.

The Official Version

I am a GP Partner at Compass House Medical Centres in Brixham, South Devon, and have worked in NHS general practice for over 14 years. I trained at Nottingham Medical School and completed my GP training in North Devon. I have since worked across the county, including in North Devon, Exeter and now South Devon, giving me a broad appreciation of the diversity of our communities and the different challenges and rewards that come with practising medicine in both rural and coastal settings.

I genuinely enjoy being a GP. The continuity, variety and privilege of supporting patients over time remains at the heart of why I chose this profession, and it continues to be the most rewarding aspect of my work. Alongside my clinical role, I am a GP trainer and educator with a specialist interest in dermatology, and I value the opportunity to support and inspire the next generation of
doctors.

I have a particular interest in health inequalities, especially within coastal and fishing communities.
In Brixham, I have led the development and delivery of Fishing for Better Health, a GP-led quayside clinic designed to improve access for fishermen and others who may not easily engage with traditional healthcare. This work has been recognised nationally, and more recently has secured funding to develop a parallel skin cancer awareness initiative, Spot Check, aimed at early
detection and prevention within high-risk coastal populations. Together, these initiatives have reinforced my belief that primary care must be adaptable, responsive, and rooted in the communities it serves.

I have served as a South Devon and Torbay LMC subcommittee member for the past three years, and I am due to take up a role on the Devon LMC Committee. Through this, I am keen to continue contributing to the future of general practice. I care deeply about the sustainability of the GP partnership model and the importance of maintaining continuity of care, and I am interested in helping to shape policy and system design in a way that reflects the realities of frontline practice
and supports high-quality, relationship-based care. I am particularly interested in supporting GP trainees as they transition into independent practice, with a view to retaining doctors within the profession and strengthening the long-term sustainability of general practice. I also value fostering a sense of shared purpose and professional pride across the GP community.

Outside of work, I am married to a GP and we have four children, so life is busy and very much centred around family. Living and working on the South Devon coast, I enjoy making the most of the outdoors through windsurfing, surfing, fishing and foraging, and I have a strong interest in cooking from fresh, local produce. I place a particular emphasis on wellbeing and physical fitness, both for balance and to sustain the demands of clinical work—although I have learned that spending too long underwater is not always the most practical approach to achieving either.

The Committee: Quick Fire Questions

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Night Owl.

My completely useless hidden talent?

Playing Harmonica – badly.

Never without:

Music.

If I had a walk-on song, it would be: 

Pressure drop by Toots and the Maytals.

My unofficial role in the team: 

Devil’s advocate.

Our unofficial team superpower: 

Seeing change as an opportunity.

One thing that makes this team feel different: 

Being solution focused.

The Official Version

Sam is a GP partner at Ide Lane Surgery in Exeter. He believes the strength of General Practice comes from the teams we work within, our connections with our patients and our nimble flexibility to adapt to systems changes while holding on to what works. He is a strong advocate of Continuity of Care to reduce workload, improve quality of care and, most importantly, for GP job satisfaction and wellbeing. In his spare time he enjoys sailing, swimming and time outdoors with his family. He volunteers for a national youth group, The Woodcraft Folk, and is trying to create a nature reserve on the outskirts of Exeter.

The Committee: Quick Fire Questions

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Night Owl.

My completely useless hidden talent?

Stargazing.

Never without:

Pen and paper.

If I had a walk-on song, it would be: 

Blood Bank – Bon Iver.

My unofficial role in the team: 

The optimist.

Our unofficial team superpower:

Shared purpose. And teleportation (Devon is a big county).

One thing that makes this team feel different: 

The depth of talent.

The Official Version

I’ve been a GP Partner at Fremington Medical Centre in North Devon since 2019. I am also Executive Partner and a GP trainer.

I grew up in North Norfolk and after a short golfing career developed an interest in academia and read Molecular Medicine at Sussex University with a view to a research career. I was however encouraged into a Medical School application and subsequently enjoyed four wonderful years on the Graduate-Entry Programme in Oxford before moving to beautiful North Devon, where my wife and I decided to settle and raise our family. I trained on the North Devon VTS scheme. We have 3 beautiful children (10, 8 and 4) and in my spare time I enjoy nothing more than being ‘Dad’ – interspersed with a healthy dose of golf, amateur astronomy, cycling, hiking, camping, reading, good food and gardening.

The Committee: Quick Fire Questions

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Night Owl.

My completely useless hidden talent?

Fast reader.

Never without:

Glasses.

If I had a walk-on song, it would be: 

The Joker

My unofficial role in the team: 

Dad.

Our unofficial team superpower: 

Recognising when its going Pete Tong.

One thing that makes this team feel different: 

Never worked before as a group.

The Official Version

The Committee: Quick Fire Questions

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Early Bird.

My completely useless hidden talent?

Knowledge of native and non-native mammal species within the UK.

Never without:

Green Bodum Flask.

If I had a walk-on song, it would be: 

The Great Escape theme tune.

My unofficial role in the team: 

Other health care professionals education and development advisor.

Our unofficial team superpower: 

To problem solve and create opportunities.

One thing that makes this team feel different: 

Contemporary ideas to support with the facilitation of health care, provided by motivated individuals.

The Official Version

Simon began his medical career in 2000 whilst serving as a Royal Marines Commando. Following his initial medics training at the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar and Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, he went on to qualify as a Special Forces Paramedic, completing additional specialist training in San Diego. Having worked in numerous countries and environments across the world his final military post was in the Emergency Department at Derriford Hospital holding both clinical and leadership roles. After 12 years of service, he transitioned to South Western Ambulance Service (SWAST) as a Paramedic, later progressing to become an Emergency Care Practitioner at Derriford on completion of a BSc (Hons) in Emergency Care. He spent two years as a Lecturer Practitioner at Plymouth University, teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students, and earned a PgCert in Academic Practice during this time.

In 2015, Simon joined Beacon Medical Group as a Paramedic Practitioner. He has since completed an MSc in Advanced Professional Practice and qualified as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner. A pioneer for the role of Paramedics in primary care, he has led the development of advanced practice pathways for multiple professional groups, helping overcome both organisational and professional barriers. Simon has completed the NHS England Consultant Practitioner portfolio and contributes to workforce development, supervision, education, and service improvement through training programmes, prescribing education, and clinical audit.

He has also completed the ProPharmace Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) training for supervising pharmacist prescribers, the Multi-Modular Supervision Course (MMSC), and co-developed and teaches module 3C for advanced practice supervision. Simon became a Partner in 2022 and now leads urgent care services and advanced practice development within the organisation.

Simon sits on the South West Paramedics Education Network and provides advice on primary care issues. He has presented for Primary Care UK (PCUK) podcasts, represented the NAPC at national events, supports Devon Training Hub with advanced practice study days, and is also an active member of the Royal College of Paramedics.

He lives on Dartmoor with his wife Joanne, their 12-year-old twins, a dog, and several hens. He enjoys running and circuits in all weathers on Dartmoor, often alongside his neighbours from the village.

The Committee: Quick Fire Questions

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Early Bird.

My completely useless hidden talent?

Knowing all of the characters and story lines in Peppa Pig, a talent I would rather keep hidden!

Never without:

A bottle/glass of water.

If I had a walk-on song, it would be: 

Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen.

My unofficial role in the team: 

Bringing optimism into any situation.

Our unofficial team superpower: 

Using our diverse experiences to solve what can feel unsolvable.

One thing that makes this team feel different: 

We all value and respect each other’s opinion which may differ from our own.

The Official Version

I have been a GP partner at Chilcote Surgery, Torquay, since 2011, alongside that I have picked up a few other roles. In 2012 I joined the South Devon and Torbay LMC subcommittee and the joined the LMC Devon board in 2022. In 2014 I started working for the then Torbay and South Devon CCG before moving over to Torbay and South Devon Hospital where I now work 2 sessions as a GP Clinical advisor, and have been involved with the role out of Systm1 and ICE across community services and general practice. I am also a Mentee to newly qualified GPs and both an educational and clinical supervisor to Foundation 2 doctors.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my young family. You’ll often find me out on my bike or at the gym, where I like to unwind and recharge.

The Committee: Quick Fire Questions

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Early Bird.

My completely useless hidden talent?

I am able to play Christmas songs on my cheeks (face I hasten to add)!

Never without:

My oversized water bottle (I’m secretly channelling that “smack the pony” water bottle sketch)

If I had a walk-on song, it would be: 

Ride on Time by Black Box.

My unofficial role in the team: 

Vocal organised do-er and renowned stealer of pens!

Our unofficial team superpower: 

Drawing on one another’s humour and shared passion for helping practices, clinicians and the profession to help reset and re-energise each other.

One thing that makes this team feel different: 

Valuing what each individual brings to the table and making the work fun.

The Official Version

I grew up in the heart of Torridge in Devon, my grandparents were dairy farmers and I was blessed with a childhood spent in the countryside out in fields on quad bikes and milking cows! Growing up and throughout life I have been obsessed with any playing and watching any and all sports, especially hockey, football and netball.

I came to medicine via a non-traditional route, having not done science at A-levels and completing a degree in Modern History and Politics at Cardiff University in 2006, before moving to London to do a 6-year medical degree at Guys, Kings and St Thomas’s Hospital Medical School. After qualifying in 2012, I completed my post-graduate training in London and Kent, I really enjoyed Emergency medicine, palliative care, general medicine and elderly care and thus chose to train in General Practice to have exposure to all of these and more.

After completing my GP training in 2017 I moved back to Devon and joined Albany Surgery, becoming a GP partner there in 2019. The best thing about being a GP is getting to know your patients and their wider families and watching them change and evolve over many years, this remains a privilege. I am also very interested in medical education and supporting colleagues to reach their potential and lectured at Plymouth University for a couple years, before leaving to free up some time to build my house!

I have remained heavily interested in politics and being involved in the junior doctor strikes of 2015/16 galvanised my desire to work to escalate and address the issues effecting clinicians and the profession. I am truly passionate about protecting our profession and supporting GPs and practices and this led me to become a Local Medical Committee representative on the South Devon and Torbay subcommittee in 2023. Since then, I have worked with the committee to raise and resolve issues throughout this time and have been heavily involved in pushing for better mental health provision, support and prescribing in the county.

Away from work, I have a long list of books to get through, I have a decent vinyl collection and watch far too many films. I enjoy countryside runs with my wife and hyperactive Cockerpoo, gardening with my very laid-back judgemental cat and I help to care for my elderly grandparents. Due to time pressures I’m unable to play hockey regularly now, but I do enjoy HIIT and weightlifting sessions and after dislocating my knee last year have taken up strongwoman training!

The Committee: Quick Fire Questions

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Early Bird.

My completely useless hidden talent?

Knowing all the episodes of Bluey.

Never without:

An earworm.

If I had a walk-on song, it would be: 

Some Might Say by Oasis.

My unofficial role in the team: 

Guitarist.

Our unofficial team superpower: 

Being greater than the sum of its parts.

One thing that makes this team feel different: 

Agreeing that it’s cream and then jam on your scone (this is the Devon LMC after all).

The Official Version

I live with my family in Exeter where I works as a GP Partner at Mount Pleasant Health Centre. I currently work 7 sessions and I am the representative for Mount Pleasant at our Nexus PCN board meetings. As well as this I also supervise the PCN Pharmacy team and I am an F2 supervisor and supervisor for Imperial Medical School students. I settled in the South West in 2012 during my Foundation Years placements at Torbay Hospital, this was after spending my childhood in the North West, studying Chemistry in Durham and then studying medicine in Birmingham. Outside of work I enjoy hiking up mountains (love the Lake District), running, bouldering and playing guitar.