We are a large, friendly GP Practice just off the Gloucester Road (A38) in North Bristol. The Surgery is purpose-built and we offer a large range of services. We have 11,500 registered patients of all ages, including a large number of students. Our list is open and we welcome new patients living in our area.
History Of Gloucester Road Medical Centre
The original Gloucester Road surgery was established by 2 GP’s in 1947 and was sited on locally named Pig-Sty Hill in Bishopston. Our more senior patients will remember some of the past Doctors who manned the surgery over the years including Dr Stock, Dr Heron, and Dr Bunting.
With a pressing need to provide an expanding range of services and to modernise the practice, it eventually became necessary to find a site on which to build alternative premises. As it is a formal requirement to stay within a half-mile radius of an existing surgery, finding a suitable place was going to be tricky. We were delighted to learn of the availability of a ¾ acre cleared site, which had originally housed the Gloucester Road Tram Depot dating back to 1892.
Unfortunately, the tram system went into decline around 1938 and the last tram was destroyed in 1941. From then on, this plot of land had a number of other uses including a car showroom. However, we were able to purchase the site in 1992, still complete with 6’ deep tram inspection pits and railway lines, albeit buried under a lot of concrete.
The following 2 photographs show work in progress with the diggers and a younger version of our senior partner Dr Lavin, surveying the site.
Our purpose-built new medical centre opened in September 1993 and nominally bears the name Tramway House. Indeed, we have endeavoured to retain several of the site’s unique features including some of the original tramlines that were unearthed early in our excavations. The following photograph shows Dr Anthony Smeeton with Ms Anne Crabtree, a very loyal and keen supporter of the practice cutting the tape at our official opening.
Our current senior partner Dr Edward Lavin joined the Practice in 1979 as a GP Trainee. He enjoyed his training year so much that he returned as a Partner in 1984. At that time, Dr Anthony Smeeton was the senior Partner, who worked alongside several other GPs including Dr Sue Dibdin and our most recently retired GP and Senior Partner Dr Paul Payne.
For many years, the Practice worked closely with Avon and Somerset Constabulary and several of the GPs were Police Surgeons. This surgery was considered to the main Police Surgeon service for North Bristol.
As our medical list has grown from 10,200 in 1993 to its current 11,500, so has our compliment of GPs and staff from 18 to over 30. We consider ourselves fortunate that many have stayed with the practice over the years, which we hope engenders an air of familiarity and trust for patients.
