Meet…Debbie Green!
Okay, so I am really curious, Debbie – first Pharmacist, then GP. Tell us how this came about?
I trained as a clinical pharmacist initially and worked on the wards at Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital in London. I loved the ward-based environment and started to take part in ward rounds on the acute medical ward and intensive care. After 3 years I made the decision to retrain as a doctor and moved to the South West to start my degree in Bristol.
Which of the two careers above really excited you as a child? Or was there another that did and why?
Definitely medicine! I did a lot of work experience but as it turned out I spent most of my time on the floor. I was terrible with blood as a youngster and decided pharmacy was the closest I could get without getting too close to the action. I soon got over this on the wards with constant exposure and a fair few YouTube videos as a student!
How long have you been working at Tudor Lodge and what is the best and worst thing about your job?
I started at Tudor Lodge as a GP registrar in 2017 with the fabulous Dr Birkett as my tutor. I took on a salaried role after qualifying and finally became a partner in 2019. The best part about Tudor is the team without a doubt. They are all incredible and work so hard in a very demanding environment. Dominos pizza on Friday is also a bonus!
What talent do you yearn for and why?
To play a musical instrument. I never had the opportunity as a child and am still unable to read music. I think it’s a wonderful skill to have and makes people very happy (if you play well!)
General Practice is changing. If you were to predict the future of General Practice in the next 5 years, what would you say?
More collaborative working with other healthcare professionals and using their skill sets to help with the increasing patient demands. Paramedics, pharmacists and specialist nurses all help to reduce the workload for the GP’s and are often better placed to assist the patients.
When you are not working, where are people most likely to find you and why?
On or in the sea! My husband and I run a small coastal rowing club in our hometown and spend a lot of time racing in Devon and Cornwall and off the coast of Portishead and Clevedon.
What is your pain threshold (high, medium, or low) and why?
I’d say high. I’ve had Type 1 diabetes for 28 years so that’s a lot of injections!
If you could make one big or small change at Pier Health tomorrow, what would it be and why?
I think Pier is changing already with more collaborative working between the practices and regular communications to the staff within the organisation. It’s been great to see this over the past few months with more to come by the sounds of things.
