Sessional GPs, formerly known as locums, are the GPs who plug the gaps which occur in all practices as a result of holiday, illness, maternity and study leave. This used to be a fill-in kind of role for GPs who were between jobs and for some it still is. For many, though, this has become a profession in itself and, without exception, the GPs we aim to hire in Dulverton are all highly trained and expert at what they do. 

Sometimes when you're rubbing your nose right up against a problem it can be easy to overlook the obvious. Sessional GPs bring a fresh look and it is not uncommon for Sessional GPs to spot things which a patient's regular GP has missed. Many of the Sessional GPs are younger, though not all and we have heard some people say they have less confidence in the young, preferring some gray hair and a bit of presumed wisdom. While there is no substitute for experience, the training these young GPs receive today is exceptional. I (David Berger) train the new GPs who work for Devon Doctors in the art of telephone consultations and I have been incredibly impressed over the last several years at just how good they are. They are systematic and thorough in ways in which not so many of the older generation are.

We are fortunate to have an excellent selection of Sessional GPs to choose from and we always endeavour to hire the best. We are in the midst of developing a relatvely small panel of highly qualified Sessional GPs, who we will be asking to cover any absences in the practice. We plan to keep the numbers quite small to allow them to become familiar with the practice and to allow you, the patients, to get to know them as well. We will be publishing their biographies on this website and displaying them in the surgery on the days on which they are on duty.

Please give them a try. You will almost certainly be pleasantly surprised and, you never know, they might just figure out what's been ailing you all this time!