Dr Andy Freeman, Dartmouth Medical Practice
How long have you worked at the practice?
Three years and nine months.
What’s it like being a local GP?
Challenging yet rewarding. Tiring yet invigorating. No two days are the same and I love it. My last surgery consisted of three babies, three children aged 3-14, five adults between the ages of 18 and 55, and six over 55s.
Do you often get asked to go beyond the call of duty?
We appear to! With inadequacies in the provision of social care, we are tasked to fill the gap and with a population skewed towards the more mature we’re never short of work! Recently while arranging a prescription, I was asked to do some shopping!
What’s the best part of the job?
Getting to know patients individually and families collectively - this is key to the role of traditional General Practice. Understanding how everyone links together within a community like Dartmouth is something that takes time and - nearly four years in - I feel I’m getting there.
What other careers did you consider?
I was initially keen on being a journalist and spent some time at the Lancashire Evening Post as a 15 year old. When I realised this meant lots of hours sat in an office and less as a roving reporter I considered a solicitor or accountant. However, working at a local nursing home gave me some health and social care experience and I was bitten.
It would be nice to find some time to work with local schools on strategies to prevent ill health. This could involve exercise schemes and workshops to promote healthy eating. Perhaps partnerships with Sainsburys and Lidl to promote fresh fruit and vegetables rather than processed foods.
Do you live in town?
No, I am a ‘foreigner’ - Kingsbridge
Do you ever come across an illness that you have to look up in a book?
Sometimes, although we tend to look online now if researching a rare condition. We often find patients have done their own research. The information age is upon us and I embrace it by giving patients web sources to refer to.
What changes would you like to implement?
It would be nice to find some time to work with local schools on strategies to prevent ill health. This could involve exercise schemes and workshops to promote healthy eating. Perhaps partnerships with Sainsburys and Lidl to promote fresh fruit and vegetables rather than processed foods.
Do you eat healthily?
On the whole! Although my ‘Last Supper’ would be a Lamb Vindaloo with extra chillies.
How many people do you see that could have dealt with their problem at home?
Difficult to quantify. There’ll always be issues that could be dealt with without any medical input but in such cases we provide reassurance. People often just need to know that self-management will be ok. As a practice, we’ve agreed we need to work on better ‘signposts’ directing patients to the most appropriate place for their query.
Where is your favourite place to unwind?
Any Monday morning gloom is instantly dispelled by a walk alongside the Dart.
What else do you do when you’re not at the practice?
My youngest son is not yet at school so I look after him two days a week. My love of Star Wars has been passed on to the boys, who’re both film buffs. I enjoy watching many sports and would love to see the Ashes in Australia. I have travelled around China and South America and would rate Argentina and Iceland as my two favourite destinations to-date. I also harbour ambitions to visit Japan.
Does your family find it useful having a GP in the family?
Not sure. My wife, Claire, is also a GP. I suspect that being ‘medical’ means we are perhaps a little maverick with our own children’s health, although thankfully they have been well to-date. My youngest son shows some appetite for being a doctor...but he’s only four! While I’m broadly positive about the role I’m not confident in where the NHS will be in 10 -15 years time. My eldest son wants to be a Jedi, so no problem there!!
First published By The Dart magazine August 2016
