Our Patient Promise and Mission Statement
We promise to treat everyone as an individual with no discrimination.
Our patients will be treated as people not just a medical condition. This means we plan care, which emphasises the patient’s individual needs, dignity and strict confidentiality.
The care given will be research based and delivered with the highest standards. Advice, support and information will be available in order to help our patients make the right choices.
We will set standards of care and review them periodically in the form of audits and we will act upon these results accordingly.
We will ensure that our patients are dealt with by fully trained clinical, reception and administration staff and always dealt with in a professional and courteous manner. Our staff will receive ongoing training and updates to be able to fulfil this promise.
A Short History of "The Practice"
Birkwood Surgery is a four doctor practice - details as per staff pages. We are part of the Panacea Federation and also a member of Grimsby Practices in Partnership Personal Medical Services group.
History of birkwood Surgery now of Westward Ho, Grimsby, North East Lincs.
There has been a doctors’ surgery at the above address since the early 1930’s. Dr Tom Barrowman (Jnr) joined his father in general practice; the main surgery was ‘Struan’, 129 Eleanor Street, Grimsby but Tom had a ‘satellite’ surgery built at the end of the drive alongside his home at 33 Laceby Road.
This consisted of a single storey, two room building - one room as waiting area the other as consulting and dispensing.
In 1948 returning from RAF service in the Second World War and at the birth of the National Health Service Dr John Wilkin joined the practice as Junior Partner.
Shortly afterwards the ground floor of number 33 was converted into surgery use and the building behind the house was no longer needed.
In April 1973 Dr Robert Barton joined the practice and two years later the links with the main surgery, ‘Struan’, where Dr Peter Gray was based, were discontinued.
For the first time in July 1975 Birkwood became a two man practice.
The building behind the house was restored to full use but was rather primitive – one cold winter the water in the taps froze and Dr Barton had to consult in his overcoat!!
In 1973 the ancillary staff numbered two – a secretary/receptionist and a caretaker/receptionist who lived in the flat which was the top floor of number 33.
The surgery population as well as the staff continued to grow for the next 10 years. Dr Wilkin retired in August 1984 and was replaced by Dr Iain Ingram.
Two years later a third partner Dr Christine Brown was taken on. By this time the caretaker’s flat was no longer occupied so some surgeries took place in a room on the first floor.
Plans to extend the building were drawn up and the first extension which demolished the outside surgery was started in 1988. With the resulting extra space the ancillary staff including Practice Nurses continued to increase.
With the increased complexity in the financial and management services Stephanie Pidgen joined the practice in 1995 to prepare for the forthcoming wave of Fundholding the following year; subsequently being responsible for the total management of the practice.
In 1998 the surgery buildings were further extended when the adjoining semi-detached house, number 31, was bought by the practice. Further extensions were added to the rear of the property at a later date.
A fourth partner Dr Lanre Wilson was introduced in the year 2000 when the practice took on the patients of another local practice when the doctor retired there.
Dr Christine Brown retired two years later to be replaced temporarily for one year by Dr Neeru Aggarwal.
In May 2004 Dr Jo Ojadi joined the practice to replace Dr Aggarwal making the doctor base now up to four partners. In 2005 Dr Jean-Pierre Cantin, who was part of an international recruitment project, joined the team as a salaried doctor.
In 2016 the Practice merged with Dr AH Hussain from Weelsby View Medical Centre bringing along her staff including Debbie Bradwell who joined us as Practice Manager.
Written by Dr Robert O Barton 8th February 2006.
Since writing this article – Dr Robert Barton retired from the Practice 30th April 2006 and Dr Karin Severin joined the practice shortly afterwards on 1st May 2006.
Dr Iain Ingram left the Practice on 31st March 2010.
Practice Manager Stephanie Pidgen, who joined us in 1995 retired in December 2011. Jenny Jacklin joined us mid 2011 as the new Practice Manager.
Dr Jean Pierre Cantin left the practice on 31 July 2012.
Dr J Ojadi left the practice on 28th June 2013.
Jenny Jacklin left the practice in January 2016.
Dr AH Hussain joined is in 2016 along with Debbie Bradwell as Practice Manager.