Forest Health Group

Forest End Medical Practice

We are a friendly, medium-large sized practice of 20,000 patients, working over three sites in Bracknell, a former new town in East Berkshire. Our main site is in the grounds of Sainsbury supermarket in the Birch Hill area, and we also work from Skimped Hill Health Centre in the very centre of town, as well as Boundary House surgery in between. We are easy to access from the M3, M4 and M25; current staff come in from Windsor, Ascot, Maidenhead and north Surrey as well as from Bracknell itself. Bracknell is a lively and growing town which is benefitting from significant new developments and investments, and our patient list reflects its mixed demographic. ’The Lexicon’ shopping development is a great addition to the town. The town is well served by cycle routes and leisure activities.

Our practice has lots of young families and pockets of deprivation as well as the leafier parts inhabited by families moving into the area for jobs in IT and telecommunications. We also look after the residents of Astbury Manor Care Home.

Dr Sarah Lewandowski and Dr Rachel Boyce are the trainers in the practice, although all of our team is involved with training. We have eight partners, four salaried doctors, three clinical nurse practitioners, and usually one or two trainees (STs and FY2 doctors). Two of our salaried doctors are ex trainees who have chosen to stay on after GP training. We have a weekly Monday meeting which covers clinical and practice issues, and we regularly perform audits and significant event analysis as well as sharing our continuing professional development and having outside speakers. We also have protected time for all clinical staff at the locality ‘BASE’ meetings which update us on current clinical guidelines and new services for our patients. Between us we have special interests in diabetes, dermatology, minor surgery, sexual and reproductive health including coils and implants, clinical commissioning, vasectomy, and medical education – and our trainees are encouraged to take part in all of these, as well as involvement with the wider primary health care team.

Our trainees have a dedicated session with their allocated educational supervisor, with a 1.5 hour long tutorial and protected time for self-study. Speciality trainees will also undertake joint surgeries and teaching on the consultation to help them through their Clinical Skills Assessment. We encourage them to take an active part in all of our practice activities as well as coming along to our social events, and they will be an integral member of the team for their time with us. We also consider pastoral care to be very much part of our responsibilities towards our trainees, and they are looked after and mentored, whilst still being well prepared for independent practice when they leave us.

We welcome phone calls and informal visits if you are considering coming here – do call and we’ll show you around.​

Dr Sarah Lewandowski and Dr Rachel Boyce