We are a rural practice providing general medical services to 7500 patients in the Mynydd Mawr area of the Gwwendraeth Valley.

The majority of patients live within four miles of the surgeries at Penygroes and Cross Hands and we are prepared to care for people in the immediate villages within the practice boundary recognized by the Carmarthenshire Local Health Board.

The partnership consists of four full time equivalent practitioners. Three partners are full time and two partners share full time responsibilities in a job-share responsibilities. Currently you are registered with a named doctor but this will change in the near future following new contract arrangements to being registered with the practice.

We provide full maternity care, child and adult immunization, health promotion clinics, a seasonal influenza programme and minor surgery. We take part in health promotion activities and research and regularly contribute to Welsh language publications, radio and TV programmes. The partners are authors and co-authors of papers on health matters and are actively involved in community health projects.

The practice also employs a Health Care Assistant, four practice nurses; one part-time and two job-share state registered nurses with special practice nurse training and one part time state enorolled nurse. The practice nurse works either with the doctor or independently, running their own nursing, health promotion and chronic disease clinics at Penygroes and Cross Hands.

Our administrative staff includes a practice manager and three senior administrative staff. Our reception staff include a senior receptionist at each surgery and four part-time receptionists. All our staff have been trained to the standard required by the Local Health Board and their skills updated on a regular management training courses. The practice was the first in Carmarthenshire to be awarded the Investors in people award in 1999.

All patient information is kept in confidential hand held files and computer software and the system conforms to and satisfies the requirements of the Data Protection Act. Our computer system is upgraded regularly and used for patients’ records and prescriptions.

The surgeries are purpose built and the surgery at Penygroes was extended to accommodate a first floor in 1999, and the Cross Hands Health Centre is shared with our neighbouring practice and community team. The buildings conform to the requirements of the disabled, patient privacy, minor surgery, security of records and the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The partners would like to pay a special tribute to our predecessors in general practice, namely the late Dr B I Evans and Dr R G Thomas. We are indebted to both doctors for building a successful practice during the difficult post-war period and latterly in the post industrialized period of the eighties and nineties.. We also would like to pay a tribute to Dr D D W Williams and Dr M A M Daniel, both of whom we have enjoyed a close working relationship with during their time in general practice.

We greatly value the service given by our colleagues and we would also like to thank our receptionists, nursing staff and patients group for their dedication and to our former receptionists and nursing staff for their loyalty to the practice.

In March 2002 the practice paid a fond farewell to our retiring partner, Dr. Prakash after 23 years dedicated service to our patients and we wish him and his family a well earned and successful retirement. We also extend a warm welcome to Dr. Johnathan Kinnear who has recently joined the practice as a new partner. Dr Kinnear comes from Llanelli and looks forward to working in the Gwendraeth valley.