Our Staff

Doctors

Dr Hazel Dendle

MBBS (Newcastle 1994) MRCGP DRCOG DFFP

I have been with the Practice since 2002. As well as providing all general practice services, I have a special interest in Women's health, sexual health and contraception. I'm also a GP trainer.

Dr Matthew Hackett

MBBS (London 1988) MRCGP DRCOG DCCH

I've been with the Practice since 1997. I offer a full range of General Practice care, Practice Lead for Diabetes and GP Cancer Lead for Co. Durham Clinical Commissioning Group.

Dr Orla Whitehead

I'm a salaried GP, with interests in mental illness including dementia, paediatrics and care of the elderly. I also work at Newcastle University as an academic, where I research spiritual health.

Dr Amy Rowan

MBBS (Newcastle 2009) MRes MRCGP DRCOG

I joined the Practice in 2015. I have an interest in medical education, and provide a full range of general practice services. I became a Partner at the Weardale Practice in January 2017.

Dr Ben Rowley

MBBS (Newcastle 2008) MRCGP (2013) DRCOG

I've been with the Weardale Practice since 2014. In addition to the full range of general practice care, I'm the main provider of medical supervision to Weardale Community Hospital. I am also a trainer for GP Registrars.

Dr Tom Rowley

MBChb (Glasgow) MRCGP

I joined the Practice as a Partner in 2017. I offer a full range of general practice care.

Trainee GPs

The Weardale Practice is an accredited GP training practice. This means that from time to time, in addition to our regular GPs, you may meet a junior doctor who is training to become a GP. Junior doctors are fully qualified doctors and will have already trained and worked in hospitals. You can expect them to provide the same range of full GP services.

Nurses

Practice nurses are qualified registered nurses. They help with health issues such as family planning, healthy living advice, blood pressure checks and dressings. The Practice nurses run clinics for long-term health conditions such as asthma or diabetes, minor ailment clinics and carry out cervical smears.

Lynsay Clarke

Emergency Care Practitioners (ECPs)

ECPs work in the GP team to diagnose and treat a range of conditions, as well as prescribing medication.

Mark Dillon

I'm an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) and work as part of the GP Team. My role is to offer speedy access to primary health care through diagnosing and treating a range of acute illnesses and ailments, including prescribing medication. I joined the Practice in November 2018.

Julie Huntrods

Julie is an experienced Advanced Nurse Practitioner and is here to help deal with all urgent (acute) requests working alongside Mark Dillon, Julie Price and our GP Team.

Healthcare Assistants

Healthcare assistants support Practice nurses with their daily work and carry out tasks such as phlebotomy (drawing blood), blood pressure measurement and new patient checks. They may act as a chaperone when a patient or doctor requests one.

Karen Nicholson

I mostly work at the Health Centre in Stanhope. As a Healthcare Assistant, I do blood tests, ECG (heart monitoring tests) and health checks for patients.

Philippa Richardson

Healthcare Assistant and Clinical Read Coder

As well as doing blood tests, heart monitoring tests, or ECGs, and health checks with patients in Stanhope, I'm also a Clinical Read Coder. Recording and coding the details of patients' visits means we better understand everyone's needs.

Diana Bell

I'm mainly based in the Stanhope Health Centre, but sometimes work in Wolsingham and St John's Chapel. I look after patients who need blood tests, ECG (heart monitoring tests) and health checks.

Administration

Julie Armstrong

I manage the branch surgeries in Wolsingham and St John’s Chapel.

Trish Barron

I'm part of the Administration support team.

Lorraine Brooksbank

I'm the Team Lead for the Administration Staff.

Glenis Moses

I work in the Administration support team at the Weardale Practice.

Lesley Richardson

I'm a Receptionist in the Administration support team.

Sandra Vasey

I'm one of the Administration support staff.

Audray Shoulder

Audray joined our team in March 2020 and is an experienced clinical coder as well as working part of the week as a health care assistant in our nursing team.

Melanie Williams

I'm part of the Practice's Administration support team.

Pharmacists

Kate Waistell

Clinical Pharmacist

I joined the Practice in April of 2019, having previously worked in community pharmacies across the North East. I studied at the University of Sunderland, and hope to specialise in psychiatric medicine or women's health. I'll be doing medication reviews and clinics with patients, as well as prescribing medicine.

Thomas Watkinson

Clinical Pharmacist

As well as prescribing medication, I hold medication reviews with patients, and do in person and over the phone clinics.

Gemma Williamson

I started at the Practice in 2019. I am a member of the Pharmacist team. I work to help with medication queries as well as conducting some medication reviews with patients.

Lisa Hext

Clinical Pharmacist

I carry out medication reviews with patients, as well as offering clinics both in person and over the phone.