Mark Street Surgery employs an Advanced Practitioner (Alison Williams) who work alongside the GPs to provide high quality care to our patients. 

Advanced Practitioners are highly trained specialist clinicians. They have undertaken additional masters level medical training in order to provide advanced high quality care and to prescribe medication to our patients. 

Advanced Practitioners can provide treatment and advice for many problems for which you may have seen a doctor for in the past. Their main areas of expertise are in the management of acute common illnesses and long term conditions.

The Advanced Practitioners can assess and examine you, make a diagnosis and provide advice and treatment including a prescription if required. They can make referrals to hospital doctors or other health care professionals, and admit patients into hospital when necessary.

The Advanced Practitioners work closely with your doctor and liaise frequently with her/him about your care.

The Advanced Practitioners at Mark Street Surgery are improving access with the GP’s to ensure that acutely ill patients are seen quickly and by the appropriate person.Please be assured that a doctor’s appointment will always be available should you prefer but you may get an earlier appointment if you opt to see the Advanced Practitioners.

Advanced Practitioners can treat you for the following symptoms, this is not an exhaustive list….

• Acute back pain, joint sprains
• Acute chest infection
• Cystitis
• Diarrhoea, constipation, piles
• Dizziness, giddiness, unusual headache
• Earache, swollen glands
• Oral thrush
• Raised temperature that does not improve after one week of pharmacists’ advice and home treatment.
• Shingles
• Tonsillitis, cough, sinusitis, sore throat, colds and flu-like illnesses.(NB. a cough may persist for up to three or four weeks after other cold/flu symptoms have gone.)
• Urinary tract infections,
• Vaginal thrush, soreness, lump or discharge
• Vomiting
• Wounds, scalds, burns, rashes

Advanced Practitioners may also help you with many other problems such as menstrual disorders, unexplained weight loss, breast lumps, sexual health advice, depression, change of contraception method and pill.

Appointments with the Advanced Practitioner

Urgent Assessment Clinic

Urgent same day appointments are available every weekday with the Advanced Practitioner.

Alison is trained to a high standard to deal with your problem whether by prescribing medication or arranging tests or investigations as appropriate. She  can also access the On Call Doctor for help and advice and refer for a second opinion if necessary.

This service is for patients with acute or urgent problems that have either started or worsened within the last 48 hours.

Follow Up Appointments

If you require a follow up appointment with our Advanced Practitioner, Alison will either book this appointment with you in your consultation or she will ask reception to contact you to book an appointment.

This follow up appointment can be booked as a face to face appointment or telephone appointment. We appreciate that patients sometimes find it difficult to come down to surgery for multiple appointments this is why we have introduced the use of telephone consultations.