Istead Rise surgery was opened in the late 1960s.
The current practice was formed in 2000 incorporating Shorne Village Surgery. A brand new surgery for Shorne opened in 2002 and similarly, a brand new surgery for Istead Rise opened in 2007.
As the patient list grew, to around 7,500, the practice started post-graduate GP training in 2003, and in 2006 the team of four doctors was joined by a First Contact Nurse Practitioner.
In 2008 the team of doctors expanded to five. In April 2009, the partnership expanded to seven, with the five doctors being joined as partners by the Practice Manager and the Nurse Practitioner.
In August 2010 Downs Way Medical Practice merged with Summerhouse Medical Practice in Bexley. Summerhouse became an additional branch surgery with the merged patient list now in excess of 13,000.
Two new partners were appointed in early 2012, bringing the partnership to nine partners.
In December 2019, following the immediate closure of a local Bexley practice, a further 2800 patients joined the practice at the Summerhouse branch, resulting in a total patient list of 16,800 as at February 2020.
The practice is a training/teaching practice. The GP registrars are fully qualified and have a great deal of hospital experience. GP registrars are usually attached to the practice for 12 months. They are at all times encouraged to seek advice when required from the practice partners. The practice also has Foundation Year (FY2) doctors attached for four month periods, who are supervised in the same way as Registrars. The surgeries are also fortunate to have medical students attached to the practice for short periods.
The Practice has an active Patient Participation Group liaising between the patients and doctors to enhance services to patients. For more information the Practice website contains a link to the PPG page.
Website: https://downswaymedicalpractice.co.uk
Universal Telephone Number – Downs Way Medical Practice: 0300 456 2305
Istead Rise Surgery, Worcester Close, Istead Rise, Gravesend, Kent, DA13 9LB
Telephone: 01474 247003
Shorne Village Surgery, Crown Lane, Shorne, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 3DY
Telephone: 01474 247003
Summerhouse Surgery, Beaconsfield Road, Bexley, Kent,DA5 2AE
Telephone: 01322 402210
