I trained as a medical student and GP in Bristol, before becoming a full time GP in Reading in 1985. Alongside this I did an MSc in General Practice, was a GP trainer and Postgraduate Tutor at Royal Berkshire Hospital. In 1995 I took up a part-time post as Senior Lecturer in Primary Care at St Mary's (Imperial College) London, alongside my practice Reading. In 1998 I moved to Bristol, first as Senior Lecturer and becoming Professor in 2004. 

My academic work has always arisen from my experience of working as a GP in practice. As a partner in Reading I understood how quality of care is as much to do with systems and organisation as it to do with clinical skills. I was one of the first to introduce Nurse Practictioners to general practice (co-authoring a text book for practice nurses), and had a major role in introducing computerisation, disease management clinics and designing and building a new health centre. In South Bristol, I worked in one of the most deprived areas of England, and I am passionate about reducing health inequalities and improving care for the groups of patients who need it most. In particular I am interested in the need to improve care for patients with complex, multiple problems, and to offer patients personal 'whole-person' care from a doctor they know and trust.