Meet the Team

Our Doctors

Dr Raj Bethapudi

MRCGP | FRCGP

Dr Bethapudi has been a qualified GP since 2009 and is a postgraduate GP trainer, appraiser and local Macmillan GP.  His areas of interest include cardiovascular disease, cancer and medical education.

After being elected as an executive GP for Sunderland CCG in 2016, Dr Bethapudi continues to serve as a member of the CCG Governing Body. Working as the Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) for Sunderland CCG, a role that helps implement the NHS digital strategy locally,  Dr Bethapudi is passionate about driving technological innovation in practices and making General Practice more sustainable.

He also represents RCGP NE as a faculty board member. Outside medicine, being a married dad of two boys, playing cricket, practicing yoga and meditation keeps him well occupied.

Dr Raju Sagi

MRCGP

Dr Sagi has been a GP since 2006 and has completed MRCGP from Northumbria VTS.  He has a special interest in dealing with complex diabetes patients. He has also previously worked at Sunderland hospital in Gastroenterology and Diabetes specialities, treating patients who were referred for specialist input from Primary care.  

Dr Sagi has completed Diploma in Diabetes from University of Sunderland, Diploma in Palliative care from Teesside University and Diploma in Respiratory Diseases in Primary care from Teesside University. Apart from GP clinical sessions, Dr Sagi performs Joint injections and has an interest in teaching Medical students.  

He is also interested in process mapping aiming at improving efficiency in Primary care and building up system resilience. Outside medicine,  Dr Sagi enjoys staying fit by going to the gym and cycling regularly. 

He also likes reading books on management, leadership and resilience along with spending time with family when time permits

Dr Vrinda Hedge

MRCGP | DFFSRH

Dr. Hegde qualified as a GP in August 2020, and is the women’s health lead at the practice. 

In addition to fitting coils and implants, Dr. Hegde specialises in all aspects of women’s health and general practice. She is actively involved in teaching medical students and currently teaches year 4 and 5 medical students and she also does weekly care home ward rounds as part of MDT meetings.  

Currently, Dr. Hegde is pursuing a Masters in Diabetes and has a keen interest in dealing with patients with diabetes within the primary care setting.

Dr Richard Shelley

MRCGP | BSc (Hons)

Dr Shelley completed MRCGP in 2020 after going through the graduate entry medical program at Newcastle University, working in Durham and Darlington Hospitals and completing the Northumbria VTS. 

Prior to this he studied chemistry at Oxford University and worked as a teacher in Japan and China. He has an interest in education, clinical informatics and joint injections.

Dr Helen Schofield

MRCGP, Diploma in Practical Dermatology

Dr Schofield graduated from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1997, completed the MRCGP in 2001 and has worked as a GP in Sunderland since then. Interests in medicine include women and children’s health and dermatology. Outside medicine, Dr Schofield enjoys spending time with her family, watching her sons play sport and walking on the beach.

Dr Henry Choi

MBChB MRCGP DRCOG

Dr Choi has been a Sunderland GP since 1990. He held lead roles in Cancer and Diabetes and varies management role within PCT and CCG in Sunderland for almost 2 decades. His other interests include joint injection and minor surgery. Dr Choi received the Sunderland and South Tyneside GP of the Year Award in May 2017.

Dr Steven Hamm

MRCGP

Dr Hamm has recently joined the practice after previously working as a registrar at the surgery and later worked for a year in London. He has a special interest in mental health and LGBTQ areas.

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Dr Mariya Mariya

GP Registrar

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Dr Khine Lwin Kyaw

GP Registrar

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Dr Michelle Goh

GP Registrar


Dr Bolu Olofinjana

Trainee GP

*A GP Registrar or GP trainee is a qualified doctor who is training to become a GP through a period of working and training in a practice. They will usually have spent at least two years working in a hospital before you see them in a practice and are closely supervised by a senior GP or trainer.

Our Nursing Team

Joanne West

RCN | ANP

I qualified in 1985 and have had a varied career, even working is prison. I started working in primary care in 1999 as a practice nurse helping patient manage their chronic disease.

In 2005 and I moved to the North east and started my career ambition to progress to ANP level by completing my clinical skills, prescribing and many other courses.

I joined the Galleries Medical Practice 4 years ago and settled in the the role of ANP since then and I work 3 days a week at present

*Advanced Nurse Practitioners are educated at Masters Level in clinical practice and have been assessed as competent in practice using their expert clinical knowledge and skills. They have the freedom and authority to act, making autonomous decisions in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Lesley Robson

Practice Nurse | RGN

Claire Rayner

Practice Nurse | RGN

Kirsten Clark

Practice Nurse | RGN

Jayne Smith

Health Care Assistant

Dawn Roeves

Health Care Assistant

Our Practice Team

Christina Todd

Practice Manager

Christina is responsible for the smooth and efficient running of the Practice as well as the Administration.

If you wish to make any enquiries or have a comment about the service we provide, she will be happy to help.​

Kirsty James

Senior Administrator

Ashleigh Canvin

Secretary

Jan McBride

Workflow Administrator

Patricia Anderson

Medical Secretary

Joanne Marjoram

Medical Secretary

Rowa Magdab

Pharmacy Technician

Reception Team

Gemma Lowrey

Health Care Assistant

Beth Waterson

Receptionist / Prescribing Clerk 

Vicky Johnston 

Office Lead

Bethany Davison

Receptionist 

Donna Leslie

Receptionist

Courtney Garrigan

Receptionist