Medical Student Page

This page is a list of FAQs that we think will help you enjoy your sessions at Giggs Hill Surgery

What is our GP Tutor like?

I'm Dr Matthews and I trained at St George's. I was one of the 80 Guinea Pig students who in 1977 who were the first students to be trained at the "new" Tooting site. In those days the lecture theatres and bar in Hunter wing were brand new. The whole intake fitted in one small lecture theatre (A, B, C) and the complete medical student population could fit in the bar area for a disco along with most of the student nurses! We did firms at Hyde Park Corner including eye opening sessions in the basement "Special Clinic". I was the Student Union Entertainments officer for two years and you'll find me in the Spider Naevae club register record section. I started as a GP tutor 10 years ago when we moved to new larger premises at Giggs Hill. I am the senior partner and am always rushing about!

Why do I do it? To put something back into the system that moulded me into a doctor.

What is Thames Ditton like?

When I first came to Thames Ditton, I drove straight through it and out the the other side without realising! It was just off my A-Z map so I missed it! Now you can easily find it on on-line maps. The village is in a triangle is bounded by the River Thames, the Portsmouth Road A307 and Hampton Court Way A309. It has a very middle class, suburban population. Lots of residents work in London and it is well served by the railway. Some students have been excited by visiting patients on a river boat and on the Thames Ditton Island. There are 12 pubs in and on the borders of Thames Ditton! Plenty of choice for a pub lunch or drink after teaching. There is a virtual village web site.

How do I get to the surgery?

Thames Ditton has a SouthWest Trains mainline train station. The train terminates at Hampton Court which is one stop on from TD. The Hampton Court train runs from Waterloo every half hour and stops at every station from Clapham onwards including Earlsfield, Wimbledon and Surbiton. The surgery is a short walk from the station (see map). There are only 2 trains to Thames Ditton from Wimbledon every hour. If one of these is cancelled, or you miss it, it is better to take a train to Surbiton, as these run frequently. From Surbiton you can catch a bus (details) or walk the 1.3 miles (see map).

Who should I contact at the practice?

The receptionists are always made aware that students will be attending for teaching. Please ring and speak to a receptionist who should be able to help. Alternatively ask for the Practice Manager - Caroline Self or myself. You can email me using the email address provided by the Medical School or via this web site.

What is Thames Ditton Disease?

You won't find the answer in text books. My old senior partner Ann Palfrey used to diagnose many patients with "Thames Ditton" disease. It may be related to the number of Pubs and Off Licences in the Village at that time. There is a keen Bridge community and I worked out that a game of bridge was usuall followed by a bottle or two! This manifested itself in many ways. So I came away from the spider naevae club and into a village with a high spider count!

Any more questions? Feel free to ask. I look forward to teaching you!

David Matthews