Meet the team

Qualified in 1997 from Dow Medical College , Karachi, Pakistan. Completed his Bath Vocational GP Training in 2005. He Joined Westbury Group practice as a partner in 2014. Dr Zak is a Clinical lead in dermatology, asthma, COPD and diabetes. Also have special interests in minor skin surgery and joint injections and in training of junior doctors. He usually works at the practice on Tuesday to Friday.

Dr. Edwards trained at Nottingham medical school and qualified in 1988 before starting work in a variety of hospital jobs in Yorkshire. He came to Westbury Group practice in 1993 and now spends nearly all his time working in the Bratton surgery which looks after most of the patients of Bratton, Edington and Coulson as well as some people from Steeple Ashton and Erlestoke. After Debbie Beale’s retirement in 2017, he is now the Senior Partner. Dr. Edwards is married with three children.

Dr. Moore qualified 1997 from University College London. He is a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners and a member of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine. John works regularly in an Orthopaedic Clinic and has experience of working in elite-level sport. Sporting injuries remain an ongoing interest.

Imran qualified as doctor from University of Punjab Lahore Pakistan in late 2002. He has worked in general medicine, general surgery and psychiatry before starting his postgraduate GP training in Bath. He has also worked in paediatrics at the Royal United Hospital as a GP Registrar during his training. He qualified as a GP in 2011 and started working for Westbury Group practice as salaried GP. His specialist interests include psychiatry and elderly medicine.

Dr. Sangster undertook her medical training at the University of Leeds, qualifying as a doctor in 2009. She spent the following two years working in hospitals in Leeds before living for a year in Rotorua, New Zealand. Here she worked as a doctor in the departments of paediatrics, obstetrics & gynaecology and emergency medicine. Following her return from New Zealand she completed her GP training in Bath, working at Smallbrook Surgery, Warminster, before moving to Westbury Group Practice in 2018.

Dr Burch is originally from Malaysia and qualified from University of Wales College of Medicine. She did 8 years of hospital training in General Medicine and Anaesthetics and was a private Repatriation Medical Officer, travelling to over 40 countries. Dr Burch has been an NHS GP for 12 years and is a Private GP with particular interests in Preventative/Lifestyle Medicine, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Functional and Myofascial Disorders. She is also trained in Western Medical Acupuncture, Functional Medicine, Dry Needling and Electrotherapy. She enjoys gardening, singing in a choir, pilates and walking, plus with her husband she manages a Malaysian Food Facebook group with over 34,000 members.

Dr Jessop qualified at Edinburgh University in 2010, training in Emergency Medicine in London before completing GP training in Bath. She is the lead clinician for Safeguarding at the practice. Vanessa works at both the White Horse and Bratton surgeries; her normal working days are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Dr Ward qualified from Oxford University in 2013 before completing his GP training in Bath and the surrounding areas, including working in Westbury for a year as a registrar. He returned to the surgery in 2020 as a salaried GP. He is a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Physicians. Dr Ward has a special interest in cardiology and has a postgraduate diploma in this field. He can perform a range of joint injections.

I am Dr.Dimitrios Schizas, a General Practitioner with 12 years of experience providing comprehensive and compassionate healthcare. I am committed to supporting patients through all stages of life, offering services ranging from routine check-ups to managing chronic conditions. My areas of special interest include (e.g., women's health, mental health, pediatrics, etc.), and I am dedicated to staying updated with the latest medical advancements to provide the best care possible.

Approach to Care: I believe in a patient-centered approach, where listening and understanding individual needs are at the heart of my practice. I strive to create a welcoming environment, ensuring every patient feels heard and supported on their healthcare journey.

Qualified in London 1994 and completed GP vocational training in 1999, in London. Spent 8 years living and working in Australia (Tasmania), returning in 2011. She has 2 children and a dog, and loves baking, Tai Chi and running. Her special interests are Menopause and Lifestyle Medicine.

A GP Registrar is a qualified doctor who is training to become a GP through a period of working and training in a practice. They will usually have spent at least two years working in a hospital before you see them in a practice and are closely supervised by a senior GP.

A locum doctor is a doctor who temporarily fulfils the duties of another. These professionals are still governed by their respective regulatory bodies, despite the transient or freelance nature of their positions. Below is a list of our regular locums.​

Dr. Michael Gumbley
Dr. Debbie Beale

Lisa qualified in 2005 and worked in secondary care at the RUH and SDH before moving to primary care 11 years ago. Lisa has completed extensive training to increase her knowledge and skills. She regularly takes courses to keep up to date. Lisa is a Non-Medical Prescriber. Her keen interest is respiratory , skin conditions, menopause/HRT, and hypertension.

Catherine is a Registered General Nurse with over 30 years’ clinical experience both in the civilian and military field. She has extensive experience in Primary Care, as well as working in the Urgent/Unscheduled care environment for 20yrs’. Catherine is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and is the Practice Infection Prevention Control Lead and Veterans Lead. Catherine is a Nurse Prescriber and has worked for Westbury Group Practice since 2018. She is working towards her Master's degree in Advanced Clinical Practice; she hopes to complete this in 2022

Julie-Anne qualified as a registered general nurse in 1989 and worked in general surgery before specialising in breast surgery. She moved to primary care in 2005 and joined Westbury Group Practice in 2018. Julie-Anne has enjoyed the challenge of career development and has extended by qualifications to include a Diploma in Diabetes, Contraception and Reproductive Sexual Health. She is a Non-Medical Prescriber and Advanced Nurse Practitioner who works autonomously as a member of our urgent care team

Frany qualified in 1989. After working overseas for a while, she returned to the UK and spent the next 30years in acute settings in hospitals, including surgical nursing, intensive care and latterly Matron for end of life care in Salisbury Hospital. Her post graduate qualifications include a critical care degree, teaching qualification and advanced life support instructor. Frany is a non-medical prescriber and does a mixture of appointments in the surgery as part of the urgent care team, and home visits to acutely unwell patients. Her specialist interests are acute illness rehabilitation, recognising deterioration and end of life care.

Carrie was a general practice nurse before she trained to become an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in 2004. Carrie’s knowledge and skills complement the generalist role of a GP however she has a special interest in women’s health including the menopause and HRT, mental health and diabetes.

Katie qualified in 1991. She was a community nurse for 11 years before moving to general practice. Became a nurse of specialist interest in tissue viability in 2013 and now leads our wound care service and Westbury Leg Club

Terri qualified in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Adult Nursing. She worked at the Royal United Hospital of Bath as a surgical nurse for 2 and a half years before moving to Primary care. Terri specialises in Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare covering a wide range of topics including sexual health, fertility, contraception, cervical screening and many more! Terri is also a trained Intrauterine Techniques fitter/remover and is also trained in the insertion and removal of Subdermal Implants.

Alison qualified at the Oxford School of Nursing in 1987 and worked on an orthopaedic ward for a short time before working at the Royal Liverpool Childrens Hospital on the cardiac ITU.
Whilst in Liverpool Alison qualified as a sick Childrens nurse.
After a move to the south west Alison worked for some years on the childrens ward in Taunton before working as a practice nurse in the Middle East.
Alison has worked as a practice nurse at the White Horse since 2017 but now concentrates her time with the annual reviews for adults with Learning Disabilities

Bio to follow...

Lucy qualified in 2001 with a BSc (Hons) Degree in Adult Nursing and has a background in community and practice nursing. Her post graduate studies include; Diploma in Asthma and COPD, physical examination skills of the adult patient, non-medical prescribing, and teaching and assessing at masters level. Lucy has an ARTP registered qualification in performing and reporting spirometry.

Julia started at the surgery nearly 18 yrs ago. Before that she worked in Theatres, the operating kind, not the stage! She specializes in women's health. This spans from menarche to menopause.
She is a trained Intrauterine Techniques fitter and remover and is also trained in the insertion and removal of Subdermal Implants
This topic is forever evolving. It's a very exciting time for women and their future development

I qualified Plymouth University 2005 (Diploma in Adult Nursing) and initially worked as community nurse, branching into practice nursing in 2006.

I obtained my Diploma in primary care management of Diabetes in 2007 and Diploma in Primary care Asthma Management in 2009.

I worked from 2013-2018 as Nurse Practitioner for British pregnancy advisory service, gaining eKA in sexual and Reproductive healthcare.

I completed my studies in 2023 at the University of Plymouth, earning a BSc (Hons) Degree in Adult Nursing. This is my first job as a qualified nurse, which I am really enjoying. Throughout my training, I worked in a range of settings, including medical assessment unit, private healthcare, vascular surgery, and a dementia ward that later turned into a COVID ward during the pandemic. I was also later in my studies, given the opportunity to pick my own placement, in which I decided to go to primary care, and that’s where I found my love for the field. Although I currently love practicing as a general practice nurse and the variety the job brings, I have a special interest in diabetes and have just gained my masters in ‘The Care of the Adults with Diabetes’ at UWE Bristol. I look forward to continuing to build my knowledge in diabetes and begin supporting these patients.

Molly works as a Nurse within our ‘Living Well Team’. Molly oversees our patients with dementia and frailty.

Molly registered as a Learning Disability Nurse in 2019. Soon, she will also be seeing patients with a learning disability for their annual health checks.
Molly previously worked as a nurse in specialist dementia nursing home.

Charlotte is a nursing associate who joined the practice in May 2022. Charlotte worked as a healthcare assistant in hospital, both in Bristol and Bath, before qualifying as a nursing associate in 2021. Charlotte will be looking after our patients with diabetes and chronic wounds amongst many other general duties

Aaron is a Registered Nursing Associate who qualified in 2022. He joined the practice in 2017 as part of the Reception Team and went onto develop his role, becoming a Healthcare Assistant and now a Registered Nursing Associate. His current role focuses on the management of chronic diseases, caring for those who need treatment for open wounds and administering regular medication and vaccinations.

Mark was born in East London, South Africa. He attended the University of Port Elizabeth and studied Accountancy. Mark emigrated to the UK in 2001. Mark began working in the UK for specialist medical accountants and joined The Westbury Group Practice as the Finance Manager in 2007 in a shared role with another GP practice in the area. Mark joined The Westbury Group Practice in a full time capacity in 2011 and became a partner in 2017. Mark has two daughters, Hannah and Madison. Mark enjoys playing golf and marathon running.

Sam grew up in Westbury and joined the Practice in 2001 as an Admin Assistant. A year later Sam trained to become a HCA and really enjoyed the time spent caring for patients. After some 10 years of mixing both roles, Sam chose to focus her career within the management team and is now enjoying the daily challenges that this brings. Sam is married with one daughter, she is an animal lover and her pride and joy is her beautiful dog and rabbit, she regularly volunteers at a local equestrian club helping to run dressage and show jumping events.

Jane joined the practice in 1988. She first started as a secretary at Eastleigh Surgery and over time has progressed to the administration and secretarial departments. Jane is now working with the practice as the Rota and Income Manager. During her time she has been involved with many changes and developments within Westbury Group Practice. Jane is continually reviewing the working practices and procedures and outcomes of the team, ensuring continued service improvement and development. Jane is married with two children.