Dr Vicky Evans
MB BS, BSc(Hons), DRCOG, DFFP, MRCGP

Born and brought up in a large family in South Wales, I finally set out to make my way in the big city, attending Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School. I graduated in 1988, with an extra BSc in pharmacology. Having qualified, I migrated to the South West for the sea and scenery and never looked back!

My hospital training was undertaken almost solely at Plymouth, encompassing particular interests in Ear, Nose and Throat, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Care of the Elderly and an extended period in Casualty. Following my General Practice training year at Stannary Surgery, I spent a fascinating year’s secondment with the Department of Public Health, broadening my outlook and research skills.

After travelling around the country as a locum General Practitioner, I finally realised the futility of trying to find a practice as good as this one ... and joined Stannary Surgery as a Partner in July 1997.

Since becoming a Partner, I have developed my skills in many areas including developing further my research skills, becoming a Trainer (guiding other doctors through their year’s training in General Practice), attaining the Certificate in Pre-Hospital Trauma Life-Support, maintaining clinical standards in General Practice and training in Acupuncture.

My hobbies include swimming, walking, sailing and skiing on the physical side, but as a rule I tend more towards the Arts with music, sketching, painting and reading being my main passions. I am an active and enthusiastic member of a book-group and am always on the lookout for any new book recommendations!

I have one delightful son born December 2005 and a beautiful daughter born in August 2006. I love working in the rural community of Tavistock, particularly as part of the team that is ‘The Stannary Surgery’.

Dr Graham Johnson
BSc(Hons), MB BS, DRCOG, MRCGP, MFTM RCPS(Glasg)

I became a Partner in late 2002 after working at the surgery on and off for a few years, initially on loan from the Royal Navy and later as a Locum GP. My interests are general, although I have developed a particular interest in Travel Medicine over the years and more recently in laser therapies.

Following graduation from University College, London in 1990, I spent the first 10 years of my career in the Royal Navy, initially at the former Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth. Four of those years were on 'active service' at sea and, following successful completion of the Commando course, with the Royal Marines, before I returned to hospital jobs for further clinical experience.

Two years of surgical training at Derriford were followed by a year of obstetrics and gynaecology and paediatrics in Peterborough. I became a fully fledged General Practitioner in 1999 after further training in Gibraltar.

In 2006, I was elected a Founder Member of the new Faculty of Travel Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. I am also a director of Remote Trauma Ltd, a specialist security and health risk management company, and a director of The Stannary Clinic Ltd, a medical aesthetic clinic based in Tavistock.

Early on I was determined to stay in the area upon leaving the Navy and made plans to find a local maid to ensure my entrapment. I am now married to Jeanette, and we have seven youngsters and a noisy but happy home further up the Tamar Valley. My outside interests include gardening, sport and any excuse to get outdoors with the children.

Dr Sarah Robbins
MB BS, DRCOG, MRCGP

I come from a medical family and, rather than break with tradition, read medicine at University College London. Graham Johnson was in the same year, but I will say no more about that, on the understanding that he does likewise about me! My university days were a lot of fun. As college Sports Captain, I played sport six days a week, including hockey, athletics, tennis, rugby (yes, girls can play it too!) and cricket (ditto). It was playing cricket at St Thomas’ Hospital that I met my husband, Peter.

At some point, I did some work and qualified in 1989 with distinction in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. I spent five years as a hospital doctor, enjoying posts in the major specialities in London, Winchester and Portsmouth. In 1994 I became a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners. I took up a unique post in London that allowed me to divide my time between General Practice and my other main interest, Accident and Emergency Medicine.

In 1998, my husband was offered a consultancy in Derriford and we moved to Tavistock with our two young daughters. I have gradually adjusted to country life, to the extent that I now even keep chickens...

My particular medical interests are Child Health and Immediate Care and also Homoeopathy, in which I hold postgraduate qualifications. On a personal note, I enjoy all sports and although no longer play competitively, put a lot of effort into maintaining my fitness, principally through running, rowing and walking. I also enjoy sewing, playing bridge (badly) and my Labradors.

Having worked with the team at Stannary Surgery for eighteen months, I was delighted to take up the offer of a Partnership in January 2004. It is a great place to work.

Dr Andrew Kaitiff
MB, CHB, MRCGP, DRCOG, DFFP

I qualified from the University of Birmingham in 1994. I did my first house job in Walsall and then moved to do my second house job in Derriford largely on the back of a cricket tour during which we played the Plymouth Hospitals cricket side dressed up as Elvis as I recall! The opposition captain kindly agreed to allow me to do his house job.

I then moved further south, as far as Australia in fact, where I spent a year doing Accident and Emergency and Intensive Care medicine, as well as playing cricket, surfing and travelling around a remarkable county. It seemed a shame to travel so far and only work in Australia, so I spent the next year in Christchurch, New Zealand doing Psychiatry and Health Care of the Elderly.

It was time to return home and I decided that the South West would be the place where I might settle. I joined the G.P. training scheme here and qualified as a GP in 1998. 1 then worked as a locum GP for 6 yrs during which time I also worked as Ship’s Surgeon on board the RMS St. Helena. I also met my wife Rachel during this time who is also a GP. We currently have two children.

I have a keen interest in all things sporting; golf, tennis and horse-riding, to name but a few, but my main passion is cricket. I play cricket for Tavistock C.C. where I am not only expected to bat, bowl and field but also mend various individuals when bits of them cease to function!

I am looking forward immensely to working in the best practice in Devon and Cornwall and developing an unplayable quicker delivery.

Dr Patrick Drennan
MB BS, D. Obst

I decided to return to my West Country roots in 1998 (my paternal grandfather was the Congregationalist Minister to Tavistock during the 40's, and my father's first experience as a medical student was accompanying a Whitchurch GP out on horseback to home visits.)

I became the full time GP at HMP Dartmoor, with one session per week at Wharfside Surgery for my sanity, and remained at Dartmoor until I retired in May 2006. I am pleased to return to mainstream general practice, although I enjoyed my time behind bars.

I am a GPwsi Substance Misuse, have Section 12 (MHA) approval from the Secretary of State for the DoH, and thus have an unhealthy interest in mental health problems.

My wife is a Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist (Macmillan Nurse) but my two grown up children have nothing whatsoever to do with medicine (daughter is in film production and son in finance).

My hobbies are gardening, theatre, music (particularly jazz/blues), photography (currently doing evening course at PCAD) and going on holiday to faraway places.

I am a country member of the Tavistock Business Association. We live on Dartmoor, where we use the facilities to the full to enjoy walks with our huge but friendly black Labrador Jake. We also have several bantam chickens to upset my careful planned seed sowing programme.

April 2008
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