All members of the Primary Care Network work across both Newbury Street and Church Street Practices.

A Primary Care Network (PCN) is a group of local GP practices that work together to improve the patient care of their local population. We are part of Wantage PCN, including Newbury Street Practice, and care for 32,000 patients together.

Carrie is the Clinical Director at Wantage Primary Care Network. She works with the PCN manager to lead a multidisciplinary team that delivers high-quality, integrated care to the community.

An example is the joint GP surgery COVID immunisation and booster jabs, flu jabs for housebound and frail patients, and the close monitoring of frail patients with long-term conditions.

I was appointed Operations Manager for Wantage PCN in July 2021. I feel honoured to work with Wantage PCN, which has made significant progress in seeking opportunities to collaborate with the community and develop its multidisciplinary team.

My role in the PCN is to support the Clinical Director in ensuring that the PCN meets the DES’s contractual requirements, including monitoring and reporting key performance indicators.

I oversee the PCN finance, support and work alongside the new multidisciplinary team, collaborate with both practice managers, identify new opportunities for the PCN internally and externally, and engage in stakeholder meetings with community members and healthcare professionals.

Toyosi Akinbami -  Senior Clinical Pharmacist

Hello, I am Toyosi and I joined the PCN in April 2019.

I previously worked in community pharmacies and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with us. To become a clinical pharmacist, you have to complete a five-year programme of academic and practice-based teaching. In the first four years, you study for a Master’s degree in pharmacy (MPharm) at university which is followed by a one-year paid work placement called a foundation training year.

As a clinical pharmacist I work as part of the general practice team and provide expert advice on medicines for our patients and are able to consult with and treat patients directly. This includes providing extra help to manage long-term conditions and advice for those on multiple medicines.

Ffion Baker - Clinical Pharmacist 

Ffion comes from a background in community pharmacy.  She is full time and works with the pharmacy team supporting both practices.   

Martina Paparo – Pharmacy Technician (currently on Maternity Leave)

I joined the PCN team in February 2021 as a Pharmacy Technician. Before then, I trained as a Pharmacy Technician at a community pharmacy working there for 5 years. I earned my Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science and Level 3 NVQ in Pharmacy service skills in 2020.

Emma Nunn – Pharmacy Technician

We have all worked in community pharmacies and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with us. As clinical pharmacists & pharmacy technicians we work as part of the general practice team and provide expert advice on medicines for our patients and are able to consult with and treat patients directly. This includes providing extra help to manage long-term conditions and advice for those on multiple medicines.

Bola Somuyiwa - Remote Pharmacy Technician

Catherine Hooper & Ann Williams

A First-Contact Practitioner (FCP) is an experienced physiotherapist with advanced skills in assessing, diagnosing, and recommending treatment/referral for Musculoskeletal (MSK) problems.

They are often the first person the patient may see for a joint, muscle, and bone problem at their surgery, hence the term ‘first contact‘.

Patients with MSK complaints can be booked in to see an FCP by one of the practice staff or by a GP. An FCP offers expert MSK opinions, but if appropriate, an FCP may refer the patient for an X-ray, blood test, or other investigations.

They may also refer the patient to other services, such as routine physiotherapy, if further appointments are required or to other specialities, such as rheumatology or orthopaedics.

Each team member works the equivalent of 2 days per week per practice. 

Kirsty Gough & Becky Case 

The role of the care co-ordinator is able to proactively identify and work with a cohort of patients (for example the elderly, disabled or at risk) to deliver personalised care e.g. patients with learning disabilities and bring together all of a person’s identified care and support needs and explore their options to meet these into a single personalised care and support plan.  They are able to help patients through answering queries, making and managing appointments, and ensuring that people have good quality written or verbal information to help them make choices about their care.

The Care-Coordinators actively identify and support groups of patients, like the elderly, disabled, or those at risk, to provide personalised care. For patients with learning disabilities, they gather all identified care and support needs into one personalised care plan.

The Care-Coordinators assist patients by answering queries, managing appointments, and providing clear information to help patients make informed choices about their care. 

Mandie Mitchell 

Our Social Prescriber, Mandie, supports Church Street and Newbury Street patients.

Mandie has previous experience working in GP practices and takes a holistic approach to people’s health and well-being, giving people time to focus on what matters to me.

Mandie can connect people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support.

Social prescribing works for a wide range of people, including those with one or more long-term conditions, people who need support with their mental health, those who are lonely or isolated and those whose social needs are affecting their wellbeing. Your GP, nurse, HCA, or any practice team member can refer patients to Mandie.

Sarah Sherriff & Margot Pimm

The Children & Young Persons Wellbeing Workers offer services for 7 to 17-year-olds. They are employed full-time by Oxfordshire Mind and work across both practices.

They will receive referrals from the patient’s GP to provide support for 7-17-year-olds with a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health problem using age-appropriate resources/tools.

Referrals may include, but are not limited to, social, physical health and/or neurodevelopmental issues with an identifiable impact on mental well-being, depression, anxiety, stable psychotic illness and personality disorder.

Matthew Hillis & Rachael Floyd 

Matthew and Rachael have joined the Primary Care Network to provide clinical care of the patients in our local community who are frail and/or elderly. 

They will regularly collaborate with the GPs at the practices, our pharmacy team, consultant geriatricians when needed, and other community teams to meet the needs of the patients, whilst ensuring their families and carers are supported and kept informed with the care and management of the patient.

Ashley Pullinger

Ashley is a qualified Mental Health Nurse and has experience working in secondary care with the Adult Mental Health Team locally and have established links with local third sector mental health services.  Ashley works Monday and Tuesday in Church Street Practice and Thursday and Friday with Newbury Street Practice.

His role is to support all adult patients in the network with a diagnosis of serious mental illness and to try to support patients who may not meet criteria for support from either Talking Space Plus or the local Adult Mental Health Team.

Kimberley Embling & Caroline Sherwood

The nursing associate is a clinical support role that requires professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council. Still, it bridges the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses. 

Caroline and Kimberley deliver hands-on, person-centred care as part of their nursing teams. The Nursing Associate role works with people of all ages. 

Nursing Associates are pivotal in the broader health and care team, providing crucial support in several areas. They facilitate the advancement of healthcare support workers’ careers, allow nurses to concentrate on more intricate clinical tasks, and contribute to expanding the nursing workforce by offering a pathway towards becoming a qualified nurse.