The Doctors

Dr Sheila V O’Hara (Female) MB ChB

Dr O’Hara our senior partner, is a full-time GP who qualified in Manchester in 1969. She became a GP trainer in 1981, is chairperson of the local GP trainer group and also sits on the Croydon Local Medical Committee. She is a clinical governance facilitator and GP appraiser for Croydon Primary Care Trust. Dr O’Hara is a tutor for medical students at Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ Medical School. She has two grown-up children and is a grandmother.

Special interests: Developmental paediatrics, women’s health and teaching.

Dr Ravi Sondhi (Male) BSc (Hons) MBBS MBA

After qualifying at St George’s (London) in 1984, Dr Sondhi left medicine for four years to pursue a business career before returning to Croydon to complete a two-year vocational training scheme. He completed his GP training at Portland Medical Centre practice and became a partner in October 1991. Dr Sondhi is currently medical director of Croydoc (the local out-of-hours service) and chairman of the professional executive committee at the Croydon Primary Care Trust. He is married to a GP and has three children.

Special interests: Gastroenterology, urology and antenatal care.

Dr Paddy Jackson (Female) BA (Hons) MB ChB

Born and brought up in India, Dr Jackson completed her education at Durham University (Chinese Honours 1978) and Manchester University (Medicine 1988). She finished her vocational training as a GP in Croydon in 1993 and, following a period at another Croydon surgery, became a full-time partner at Portland Medical Centre in September 1995. She currently holds a clinical assistant post in dermatology at Mayday Hospital and is a tutor for Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ Medical School. Dr Jackson is married to a teacher and has three sons.

Special interests: Diabetes, dermatology and cardiology.

Dr Rabia Dabo (Female) BM MRCGP

Having qualified at Southampton University Medical School (1996), Dr Dabo spent some time specialising in psychiatry before completing her GP training at Portland Medical Centre. She joined PMC on a full-time basis in October 2001 and is now working with us on a part-time basis. Dr Dabo is a tutor for Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Medical School.

Special interests: Psychiatry, developmental paediatrics and teaching.

Dr Jaimin Patel (Male) MBBS DCH DRCOG MRCGP

Dr Patel qualified at Guy's, King's and St Thomas' in 1999. After gaining clinical experience at Mayday University Hospital, Dr Patel completed his GP training at a local practice and joined Portland on a full-time basis in August 2003. He is now also an educational supervisor for Foundation 2 Doctors from Guy's King's and St. Thomas' Medical School. Dr Patel is married and has one daughter.

Special interests: Sports medicine, minor operations, antenatal care and developmental paediatrics.

Dr Yogesh Contractor (Male) MBBS MS FRCS MRCGP

After qualifying in India in 1990, Dr Contractor spent several years gaining experience in a hospital environment both in India and in the UK, before joining Portland Medical Centre as a GP Registrar in August 2003. Since completing his GP training Dr Contractor has worked on a full-time basis for Portland and Whitworth Medical Centres. He is married with two children.

Special interests: Minor surgery, joint injections and child health.

Dr Oge Ilegbune (Female) MBBS

Dr Oge (as she is known) qualified in Nigeria in 1998 and, after gaining clinical experience mostly at Mayday and East Surrey hospitals, completed her GP training at Portland Medical Centre in July 2006 and immediately took up a full-time post with the Portland/Whitworth Group. Dr Oge is married with two young children.
Special interests: Child health and obstetrics.

Our Primary Health Care Team

Practice Manager Julie Francis

Senior Receptionist Louise Beech

Practice Nurses

Pat Miles Sonia & Daley Archer

Nurses are available by appointment for general advice and routine procedures. They offer a full health promotion service including diabetes, asthma, coronary heart disease, hypertension, well woman (including cervical smears), well man, family planning, immunisations, travel vaccinations and advice, HRT and weight counselling.

Health Visitors

The health visitors are registered nurses with additional qualifications, who specialise in the care of children under five. They are available throughout the week to give advice and support to families with babies and young children. The health visitors attached to this practice are based at Thornton Heath Health Centre and can be contacted on 020 8684 2424. The health visitors hold a child health clinic once a week, between 9.30 and 11.30am on Monday mornings at St Chad’s Church Hall, Burgoyne Road (opposite the surgery) or at Thornton Heath Health Centre on Tuesday afternoons (1.30 to 4.00pm) or Friday mornings (9.30 to 11.30am). These are open clinics and no appointment is necessary. The recommended developmental assessments are by appointment, as are home visits.

District Nurses

Our district nursing team are based at Woodside Health Centre, Enmore Road, South Norwood. They provide treatment and advice to the housebound and patients recently discharged from hospital. They also provide counselling and support to the terminally ill. District nurses take referrals from GPs and hospitals as well as self-referrals and can be contacted on 020 8656 0213, or via the surgery.

Zero Tolerance

This practice considers aggressive behaviour to be any personal, abusive or threatening
comments, bad language, physical contact and aggressive gestures. In keeping with the rest of the National Health Service we operate a 'zero tolerance policy' with respect to the protection of all staff. This means that no abuse of doctors or staff is acceptable, whether verbal or physical and any patient behaving in this manner will be removed from the practice list with immediate effect, and in some cases the police will be called.