Staff details

Dr Shorten & Partners
Lisburn Health Centre
Linenhall Street
Lisburn
BT28 1LU
Tel: 028 9260 3090

News:

Out of Hours

Lagandoc, the local out of hours organisation, looks after the urgent needs of patients from 6.00 pm to 8.00 am weekdays, and throughout weekends and bank holidays. Lagandoc can be contacted on 028 9260 2204.

Appointments

To make an appointment, please telephone the main Reception number (028 9260 3090) between 8.30 am and 6.00 pm.

Repeat Prescription Phone Line

You can order your repeat prescriptions on our 24 hour phone line. Tel 028 9260 4341.

Seasonal Flu Programme

Seasonal flu vaccination clinics will be held on Wednesday afternoons in October.

Invitations to patients who are eligible for the flu vaccine will be sent shortly.

Announcements

01 Sep - 01 Oct
NHS Smokefree

Find out about all of the free NHS services available to support you as you go try to give up smoking.

01 Aug - 01 Oct
NHS Summer Health

Stay safe in the sun, including sunscreens, sunburn relief, heat exhaustion, eczema and moles. Summer holidays are great fun for children, but can bring risks. Find out more

01 Jul - 01 Oct
Change for Life

Would you like loads of tips and help to make changes for a healthier future? As part of Change4Life, you will receive tons of helpful information, recipes, tools, tips, and games for the kids.

BBC Health

Vitamin B 'puts off Alzheimer's'

High doses of B vitamins may slow the rate of brain shrinkage in older people experiencing warning signs of Alzheimer's disease, a study says.

Hospital boss summoned to inquest

The chief executive of an NHS trust appears at an inquest into an elderly patient's death after she was summoned by the coroner.

NHS IT costs to be cut by £700m

The government has announced £700m of savings in the national IT programme for the NHS in England, cutting the overall cost to £11.4bn.

Second death linked to outbreak

Health officials are investigating a second death which is being linked to a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in south Wales.

Vitamin 'may stop' spina bifida

Scientists begin a study to determine if an everyday vitamin supplement could help prevent a common birth defect.

Payout after brain tumour mistake

A former clergyman receives undisclosed substantial damages after a Nottingham hospital fails to diagnose a brain tumour.

Outbreak probe at industry sites

There are now 12 cases linked to a Legionnaires' outbreak, as health officials focus on south Wales industrial sites in the search for the cause.

More obesity ops 'will save cash'

Millions of pounds are lost in England by the failure of the NHS to provide more obesity operations, a study says.

Inquiry to hear from HIV victims

The injury into contaminated NHS blood products in the 1980s will hear from the victims who contracted HIV and Hepatitis.

Statins 'may cut arthritis risk'

Taking statins may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, a study suggests.

Yahoo Health

FDA warns of deadly side effect with imaging drugs (AP)

AP - Federal health regulators are warning doctors that a class of injectable drugs used in MRI medical imaging scans can cause a rare and sometimes fatal condition in patients with kidney disease.

CDC: Adults eating less fruit, not enough veggies (AP)

AP - An apple a day? Apparently not in the United States.

Study: Flamboyant male dancing attracts women best (AP)

FILE- This is a file photo of John Travolta and Karen Gorney dance in a nightclub scene to disco music in Paramount Pictures 1977 film 'Saturday Night Fever', which explores the restless generation growing up in the 70's. John Travolta was onto something. Women are most attracted to male dancers who have big, flamboyant moves similar to the actor's trademark style, British scientists say in a new study. (AP Photo/HO, File)

AP - John Travolta was onto something. Women are most attracted to male dancers who have big, flamboyant moves similar to the actor's trademark style, British scientists say in a new study.

Doctors see eye hazard in powerful laser pointers (AP)

AP - A 15-year-old boy damaged his eyes while playing with a laser pointer he'd bought over the Internet, say doctors who warn that dangerously high-powered versions are easily available online.

Group backs mandatory flu shots for health workers (AP)

AP - Flu vaccination should be required for all doctors, nurses and other health workers, the nation's largest pediatricians' group says, calling it a long overdue step to protect patients.

CVS Caremark to give away up to $5M in flu shots (AP)

AP - CVS Caremark Corp. said Wednesday it will give away up to $5 million in seasonal flu vaccinations to people without health insurance.

Obesity May Up Death Risk in Older Women With Colon Cancer (HealthDay)

HealthDay - THURSDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Here's yet another reason to avoid obesity throughout your life: Doing so may improve your chances of survival if you're diagnosed with colon cancer.

Doctors alarmed by HIV risk for European gays (AFP)

Homosexual men in Europe are increasingly failing to adhere to safe sex, according to two new studies. In France, transmission of the AIDS virus

AFP - Homosexual men in Europe are increasingly failing to adhere to safe sex, according to two new studies. In France, transmission of the AIDS virus "seems to be out of control" among men who have sex with men, said a paper published on Thursday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 9, 2010 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Smoking Could Harm Sperm, Study Finds (HealthDay)

HealthDay - THURSDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Two new studies provide evidence that smoking can harm sperm - both in smoking men who may become fathers, and in sons born to women who smoked during pregnancy.

MedPage Today

Winter Olympics a World of Hurt

(MedPage Today) -- More than one out of every 10 athletes from around the world who competed in last winter's Olympic Games in Vancouver sustained an injury, researchers have found.

Weight Loss May Release Stored Toxins (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Environmental pollutants trapped in fat cells could be released back into circulation when people lose a lot of weight, researchers said.

FDA Recalls Balloon Catheter

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The FDA has issued a class I recall -- its most serious -- of a balloon catheter due to possible separation during use, which may lodge fragments in coronary arteries and result in serious injury or death.

Little Support for Morning Sickness Therapies (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Treatment for pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting has little high-quality supporting evidence in the medical literature, despite multiple randomized clinical trials, authors of a systematic review concluded.

MDS Remission Often Isn't (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Patients who had a "complete" remission of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) after treatment with lenalidomide (Revlimid) still had circulating drug-resistant malignant stem cells -- and the disease resumed its progression in most patients despite continued treatment, a small study found.

Drug May Improve Abstinence in Alcoholics (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Alcoholic patients can modestly improve their chances of staying abstinent after detox with acamprosate (Campral), according to a Cochrane review.

Bosentan Helps Prevent Hand Ulcers (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A multinational clinical trial found that treatment with the endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan (Tracleer) showed some benefit in preventing new digital ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Chest Compression Okay for Arrests in the Field (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Chest compressions prior to defibrillation are just as good as immediate treatment with an electrical defibrillator for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, researchers say.

Healthcare Reform Covers More and Costs More

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The healthcare reform law will not slow the growth of healthcare spending in the next decade -- in fact, it will accelerate healthcare spending slightly -- but it will also significantly expand healthcare coverage, a new government report found.

New HIV Cases High Among French MSM (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- HIV appears to be out of control among French men who have sex with men (MSM), researchers reported.

Doctors

Nursing Staff

Practice Team

Healthcare Team

Doctors

Dr Wilson WJ Shorten (m)
MB BCh BAO (QUB 1980) MRCGP DRCOG DCH DFFP

Dr Michael A Ruddell (m)
MB BCh BAO (QUB 1985) MSc MRCGP DRCOG DCH FP Cert

Dr Nigel S Campbell (m)
MB BCh BAO (QUB 1988) MRCGP DRCOG DCH Dip Occ Med

Dr S Louise Sands (f)
MB BCh BAO (QUB 1992) MRCGP DRCOG DCH Dip FP

Dr Zoe A Houston (f)
MB ChB (Dundee 2001) MRCGP DRCOG DMH

Dr Alison Warke (f)
MB BCh BAO (QUB 1995) MRCGP DCH,
DRSRH (Faculty of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare)

Training Doctors
We are an approved training practice for qualified doctors and medical students to gain experience in general practice.
You will always be asked whether you are happy for a qualified doctor or medical student to sit in during your consultation. You may request to see the doctor alone.

Registrar
A GP Registrar may be attached to the Practice as part of our medical team for a one year placement. A GP Registrar is a fully qualified doctor who has chosen to specialise in general practice. During this training some consultations will be recorded by video camera. This will only be done with the full understanding and written consent of the patient involved.

GP Retainers
A GP Retainer is a fully qualified general practitioner who is employed by the Practice under a scheme operated by the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency. This scheme supports a doctor who is working part time.

Nurses

Mrs Anne Roberts (f)
Practice Nurse
RN, BSc Health Studies, Dip Health Studies, Dip CHD, Dip Diabetes, NISP

Our Practice Nurse provides chronic disease management clinics including diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive airways disease, hypertension, and weight management. She also provides health promotion and warfarin monitoring.
Health checks such as blood pressure and cholesterol monitoring are also available. Please contact Reception for an appointment.

Our Practice Nurse is involved in research work. We may invite you to participate if you are suitable in a research study. You have the right to decline any such invite.

Treatment Room

Nursing staff in the Treatment Room are available for taking blood samples, checking blood pressure, giving injections, dressing wounds, and removing sutures, etc.

Practice Management

Mrs Irena Nestorowytsch-Irwin (f)
Practice Business Manager
Irena Nestorowytsch-Irwin looks after the overall management, operation and development of the Practice.

Mrs Ruth Whittle (f)
Practice Manager
The Reception team is managed by Ruth Whittle, our Practice Manager. She looks after the day to day running of the Practice administration, hospital referrals and coordination of clinics and surgeries.

Reception

The Practice employs a range of non-clinical staff. We have eight receptionists, some of whom are part-time. They are available to answer patients’ enquiries and book appointments. They take requests for repeat prescriptions and will communicate results of tests where appropriate.

Community Midwives

Sister Sarah Rankin (f)

The Community Midwives, led by Sister Sarah Rankin, provide care for mothers before, during and after delivery and for the baby during the first weeks of life. They hold an Ante-Natal Clinic at the Practice every week and can be contacted through our Reception.

Community Nurses

Sister Anna Payton (f)

Mrs Carolyn Russell (f)

Mrs Pamela Glover (f)

The three District Nurses attached to the Practice provide expert nursing care for patients who are unable to attend the Health Centre. They are in daily contact with the surgery and will assist in organising care outside of hospital, as required. They can be contacted through our Reception.

Health Visitors

Mrs Ethel Funston (f)

Mrs Suzanne Kennedy (f)

The Health Visitors connected to the Practice can provide advice on health matters for children below school age and arrange immunisation and scheduled screening checks up to 5 years of age. They can be contacted through our Reception.

Attached Staff

Other services to which you may be referred include Community Mental Health, Social Services, Podiatry, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Palliative Care.

Practice Information

For quick medical advice online contact NHS Direct