Last month, IN attended the opening of new premises for a nurse-led general practice that had the featured in one of the early issues of the magazine. Cuckoo Lane Practice in West London is a social enterprise practice. The nurses believe that it is one of only a few nurse-led practices in existence. The practice has grown so much in the nine years since the nurses took over that it was necessary to relocate to new purpose-built premises, not far from the original surgery. The reopening was attended by Baroness Cumberledge, who has long been a supporter of nurses and nurse prescribing.
The practice is currently managed by two nurse practitioners, Carol Sears and Julie Belton, and practice nurse Anne Hamerton.
Ms Sears, clinical director of the practice, has worked at Cuckoo Lane for 25 years and prior to that was a midwife. She was one of the first nurses in the UK to take the extended nurse prescribing course in 1994.
Ms Belton trained at Canterbury and Kent hospital as an RGN. She has extensive experience in primary care working as a nurse practitioner and has spent the last 11 years focusing on quality and practice development, improving service provision for patients and the public.
Ms Hamerton trained at West Middlesex Hospital and Chiswick Polytechnic. She has worked in general practice nursing since 1990 and is now the director with responsibility for the practice team.
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