Dr Katie Thomas is the new GP for private appointments at Yeovil Hospital's Kingston Wing

Private GP service in Yeovil expands due to popularity

Tait ap EllisOctober 22, 20241 Comment0

A PRIVATE GP service first launched in Yeovil Hospital last year has recruited a new GP to deal with the increased demand.

Yeovil Hospital’s Kingston Wing has seen more than 400 patients since it first opened with Dr Charles Middle in March 2023.

Dr Katie Thomas has now been appointed to help deal with the increased demand.

Private GP appointments are now also being offered at Parkside, the private wing of Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, with all profits going straight back into the NHS.

Hannah Pitman, private patients service manager at Kingston, said: “What is being offered now, both in Taunton and Yeovil, is designed to complement the existing NHS GP service and not replace it.

“The purpose is to fill the gap in the market where a patient requires a longer consultation, a quicker or more convenient appointment, a second opinion or a service that is not available on the NHS.”

The services being offered by the Kingston Wing and Parkside are available to people of all ages, including children.

They include:
• Travel vaccinations
• Immunisations
• Medicals including HGV, Taxi etc
• A more convenient appointment time or longer appointment
• Health checks / well person packages, including HRT
prescribing, osteoporosis assessments, breast screening and
prostate cancer screening
• People visiting the UK or not registered for an NHS GP
• Onward referral for private diagnostic tests, to a private
consultant, or for private elective surgery
• A second opinion

Ms Pitman added: “The demand in these challenging times has proved the need for a second GP in Yeovil and we are delighted to welcome Dr Thomas.”

Dr Thomas qualified at St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London, in 2000 having also completed a BSc degree in psychology during her training.

She is an experienced GP, and has worked as a GP partner in the Somerset area for more than 15 years.

Now she is following a portfolio career combining private GP work with the role of senior medical officer for a boarding school and NHS GP work.

Dr Thomas said: “I feel it is a privilege to work closely with my patients and their families, whether it’s guiding them through chronic illness management, providing preventative care, or supporting them through life’s challenges.”