Meon Health Practice is so much more than a doctors’ surgery. We are lucky to have a range of health professionals available to help you get the right care when you need it.
Our health professionals work across our three surgeries and within the local community. They are all highly trained and we will direct you to the most appropriate person or service to help you when you need us.
Our clinical staff are supported by patient advisors and administrators with a management team who oversee the delivery of all services.
Alongside our GP doctors, we have:
- Advanced Practitioner Nurses (ANPs) and Practice Nurses
- Phlebotomists and Healthcare Assistants
- Musculoskeletal (MSK) Practitioners
- Clinical Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians
- Paramedics
- Social Prescribers and Health and Wellbeing Coaches
- Care-Coordinators, Patient Advisors and Administrators
- Management Team and Assistants
Medical and other healthcare students
Occasionally, medical students are attached to the Practice. You will always be asked for your consent when a student is present. If you do not wish for a student to be present at your consultation, please advise the healthcare professional.
Find out more about our staff below:
Our Doctors
Our Practice Partners and GPs:
Dr Surekha Amonker
GP (Female)
Qualifications: MBBS, MRCGP
More about Dr Amonker
Dr Tom Bertram
GP Partner (Male)
Qualifications: MBChB MRCP MRCGP DRCOG OLY
More about Dr Bertram
Outside work, Dr Bertram is an advocate for an active lifestyle and enjoys good food as well as time with his family. He is a double Olympian and played Premier League hockey for nearly twenty years, although now spends any spare weekends competing in long distance running and cycling events.
Dr Alison Bowden
GP Partner (Female)
Qualifications: MA (Cantab) MB BChir MRCGP (2014)
More about Dr Bowden
Outside of work, Dr Bowden enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys – cycling, walking, swimming and eating ice cream at their beach hut.
Dr Jill Choudhury
GP Partner (Female)
Qualifications: MBBS DCH DFSRH MRCGP 2008
More about Dr Choudhury
Outside work, Dr Choudhury enjoys taking part in park runs with her young family.
Dr Andi Clay
GP Partner (Female)
Qualifications: MBChB (Sheffield) 1990, MRCGP 1996, DFRSH 1996, PGCME 2015 (Winchester)
More about Dr Clay
Dr Katie Dixon
GP Partner (Female)
Qualifications: BM 1991 MRCGP DFSRH LOCIUT LOCSDI
More about Dr Dixon
Dr Uche Edet
GP (Female)
Qualifications: MBBS 2011, MRCGP 2023
More about Dr Edet
Dr Barra Elzehery
GP (Male)
Qualifications: MBBCH, MRCGP 2023
More about Dr Elzehry
Dr Paul Howden
GP Partner (Male)
Qualifications: MB BS (London) 1990, MRCGP 1998, DOccMed 2002, FRCGP 2022
More about Dr Howden
Dr Howden qualified from Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School, London in 1990. Following this he served a short career commission as a Medical Officer in the Royal Navy with time spent at sea and more locally at Royal Hospital Haslar and HMS Collingwood, whilst also completing his GP training in Gibraltar. Dr Howden has been a partner and based at our Whiteley surgery since July 1999, now working part-time. He also works part-time in a Clinical Lead role for the Hampshire and IOW Integrated Care Board, having previously been Deputy Chair of Fareham & Gosport Clinical Commissioning Group.
Outside of work, a knee injury saw a conversion from playing football to cycling for recreational fitness, whilst the passion for football has been maintained at Fratton Park supporting Portsmouth FC. Now that his three children have grown up and largely left home (no pressure George!) he also enjoys walking and increasing travel opportunities.
Dr Louise Hudman
GP (Female)
Qualifications: BA MB BChir DRCOG MRCGP
More about Dr Hudman
I qualified from Cambridge University in 2002. I spent the first 9 years of my life as a doctor in the Royal Navy and deployed several times. After completing my GP training in the Highlands Practice I worked as a locum GP for several years, combining that with travelling. I have now been back with Meon since 2018 as a salaried GP.
In my spare time I enjoy walking and playing hockey, a good cup of coffee, a piece of cake (obviously in moderation) and spending time with my family and very needy cat.
Dr Megan Johnston
GP (Female)
Qualifications: MBBS BSc DFSRH DRCOG MRCGP 2004 London
More about Dr Johnston
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Dr Priya Joshi
GP (Female)
Qualifications: MBBS (2013) and MRCGP (2020)
More about Dr Joshi
Dr Joshi qualified from St George’s, University of London in 2013. After completing her Foundation Training in the Midlands, she did her GP Training in Somerset before moving to Hampshire. She has been working at Meon Health Practice since 2021. She is fluent in Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu.
Outside work, Dr Joshi enjoys cooking and baking, as well as spending time with her husband and children.
Dr Sarah Knight
GP (Female)
Qualifications: MBChB BSc DRCOG DGM MRCGP
More about Dr Knight
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Dr Esther Lakes
GP Partner (Female)
Qualifications: MBChB BSc DRCOG DGM MRCGP
More about Dr Lakes
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Dr Rem Lee
GP Partner (Male)
Qualifications: MBBS MRCGP DCH DRCOG 1986 London
More about Dr Lee
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Dr Janet Naylor
GP Partner (Female)
Qualifications: BM MRCGP DRCOG 1992 Southampton
More about Dr Naylor
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Dr Byron Neale
GP Partner (Male)
Qualifications: BSc MSc MBBCh MRCGP
More about Dr Neale
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Dr Helen Pethrick
GP (Female)
Qualifications: BSc MSc MBBCh MRCGP
More about Dr Pethrick
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Dr Jenny Rattray
GP Partner (Female)
Qualifications: MBchB MRCGP DCH DTM&H 2005
More about Dr Rattray
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Dr Jo Ridgway
GP Partner (Female)
Qualifications: MBCHB (Bristol 2002), MRCP part1 (Jan 2006), nMRCGP (2008), DFFP (2008)
More about Dr Ridgway
Dr. Ridgway has been a GP partner for nearly 10 years and a doctor for 22 years. She graduated from Bristol Medical School in 2002 and subsequently worked in a Sydney emergency department for a brief period before settling on the South Coast, where she completed a two-year medical rotation before beginning her GP specialist training.
Married with two children, who occupy a significant portion of her time as a “mum taxi,” she also enjoys activities such as walking along the coast, bodyboarding, and sailing. Dr. Ridgway prioritizes fitness and finds enjoyment in activities such as walking, running, and spin classes.
Dr Mary Udo
GP Partner (Female)
Qualifications: MBBCh 2003 MRCGP 2014
More about Dr Udo
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Dr Nigel Wade
GP Partner (Male)
Qualifications: Mc ChB MRCGP 1987 Birmingham
More about Dr Wade
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GP Registrars
Meon Health Practice is a registered GP training practice. We have a number of additional fully qualified and registered doctors training to become a GP through placements. These doctors are called GP Registrars. Each of our GP Registrars are supervised by an experienced GP mentor.
Locum GPs
We occasionally use fully qualified Locum GPs to cover periods of GP absence.
Physicians Associate
Our GPs are supported by a Physician Associate (PA). Our PA is a clinical graduate who works within a multidisciplinary team, trained in the medical model, under the supervision of our GPs.
Our Nurses, Healthcare Assistants & Phlebotomists
Meon Health Practice Nursing Team
Our nursing team consists of:
- Practice Nurses, Advanced Nurse Practitioners and other Specialist Nurses
Our nurses are all highly qualified and many of them are specialists in long term conditions. Our nurses help with the prevention and management of diabetes, coronary heart disease, heart failure and other heart conditions, stroke, hypertension, asthma and COPD, cervical cytology, travel health, sexual health and contraception, plus provide immunisations. - Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) are nurses who have completed extra training and academic qualifications to Masters level. Their expertise means they can assess, diagnose, refer and treat patients in a similar way to GPs. Our ANPs work with in our Urgent Care Team and Complex Care Team (see information about these teams below).
- Healthcare Assistants (HCAs)
Our trained HCAs support practice nurses with their daily work and carry out tasks such as health checks and measurements, long term condition reviews and other checks. They may act as a chaperone when a patient or doctor requests one. - Phlebotomists
These are professionally trained staff who can take blood samples from patients.
Together, these health professionals provide a range of clinics and services from our surgery locations.
Our Lead Nurse is Laura Miller.
Our Musculoskeletal (MSK) Practitioners
Our Musculoskeletal (MSK) Practitioners help patients with bones, joints and muscle care including arthritis and back pain. These professionals are sometimes referred to as First Contact Practitioners.
You may be offered an appointment with an MSK Practitioner who will assess your problem and determine what support and treatment is needed. If you require physiotherapy as an ongoing treatment, they may refer you to the community physiotherapy service.
Our Clinical Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians and Prescribing Administrators
Our highly trained Clinical Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians look after all aspects of medications, including annual medication reviews, high risk medication monitoring and reconciling hospital medication changes as well as general medication queries.
Specialist Prescribing Administrators support the team to handle the 5,500+ prescriptions requested by our patients, hospitals and other NHS departments.
This team is led by Lead Pharmacist, Ria Shingdia.
Our Paramedics
Paramedics work within our multidisciplinary Complex Care Team (see information about this team below). Our Paramedics support patients who need help in their own homes and local residential care homes.
Our Urgent Care Team
This team consists of Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) and Minor Illness Nurses who work closely with our GPs to assist patients who need same-day / urgent care. These nurses are trained to treat health problems such as ear, throat, skin, chest and urinary infections and can prescribe medication where necessary. They are also experienced at managing acute flare ups of long-term health conditions such as asthma and COPD.
Our Complex Care Team
Our Complex Care Team includes GPs, Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs), Paramedics and Care Co-ordinators. The team support patients who need help in their own homes and those in local care homes. Their work includes reviews of housebound patients with long term conditions and ward rounds for patients in nursing, residential, Learning disabilities and Mental Health homes. The team also monitor and support patients with palliative care needs. Each week, they liaise with other local community services to help patients. The team also helps to deliver the covid and flu vaccination programmes.
This team is led by Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Mary Scobell.
Our Social Prescribers and Health & Wellbeing Coaches
Our Wellbeing Team support patients with non-medical issues that do not need a medical prescription from a doctor. They are here to support with life situations you may be struggling with. The team consists of Social Prescribers and Health & Wellbeing Coaches:
Social Prescribers can take time to get to know you over a number of sessions, identifying what matters to you and helping you identify what support you may need.
Health Coaches will support and guide you to become more active in your own health and care. This could involve self-managing a long-term health condition or support to lose weight, prevent diabetes, stop smoking and more.
Solent Mind Mental Health Advisors work with the team to support patients.
Together, the team host weekly patient drop-in sessions where you can come along for a chat. They also provide several walking groups and exercise classes.
Our Wellbeing Manager is Jane Majidzadeh.
Our Patient Advisors, Administrators and Management
We have a substantial team of well-trained Patient Service Advisors and Care Coordinators who work at the Practice. They provide the link for patients to the Practice and are your initial point of contact for all enquiries. These Patient Services staff know a lot about NHS services and can signpost you to the right care at the right time. The questions they ask you are written by doctors to help obtain the information needed for our healthcare professionals to assess your care needs.
Working behind the scenes, our Patient Service Administrators are a vital part of keeping the practice running smoothly. They support and maintain our appointment schedules, the IT and clinical systems we use plus process the large amount of documents, letters, registrations and patient referrals.
Our Management Team is here to coordinate operations and ensure the Practice delivers a safe and robust service for our patients. They are supported by a small team of administrators and assistants.
Our Management Team welcome your feedback about your experience at Meon Health Practice.
Our Managing Director is Amanda Gray.
Our Research Team
Meon Health Practice is a research-active practice. Research is critical in helping prevent, diagnose, and cure diseases. Our Research Team may invite you to participate as a patient in research they are carrying out.
This team is led by Dr Rem Lee.
Other NHS community teams – Midwives, Health Visitors, Community Nurses
Our Practice works closely with other NHS community teams:
Midwives
Midwives provide antenatal clinics at a variety of locations in the local area. They monitor progress and offer help and advice on all aspects of pregnancy, delivery and postnatal care.
If you are pregnant, please self-refer for maternity care online.
After you submit this form, the hospital will review your information and contact you to arrange your antenatal care. The maternity service will notify us that you are pregnant. There is no need for you to contact us unless you are worried about the pregnancy.
Health Visitors
Health visitors are advisors on child care and work closely with our doctor and nurse teams. The health visiting team will be notified of the birth of your baby. They may visit after birth and will be in contact with you throughout your child’s early years.
Telephone: 0300 373 0216
email: farehamhvteam@southernhealth.nhs.uk
Website: www.hampshirehealthyfamilies.org.uk
Community Nurses
Community nurses provide skilled nursing care for housebound patients living in the community.
School Nursing Team
The School Nursing service works in partnership with children, young people and their families to ensure that pupil’s health needs are supported within their school and their community.
Telephone: 01489 554992
Website: www.hampshirehealthyfamilies.org.uk
Parents and young people can also get support and advice by texting their ChatHealth on 07507 332417
Tell us how we are doing
We receive many compliments about colleagues and always ensure feedback is shared with them. If you feel we have got something wrong, please let us know. We will try to rectify problems and find ways to improve our service.