Welcome to The Glebe Family Practice

Dr Schirrmacher Retirement Notice

Dear Patients,

After more than 25 years of being a GP in Medway, the last 13 years as Partner at The Glebe Family Practice, the time has come for me to retire from general practice.

It has been a tremendous privilege to serve as your GP and to be part of this community. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to care for many individuals and families through all stages of life, sharing in both joyful and challenging moments. The trust you have placed in me has been one of the greatest honors of my professional

Medicine has changed considerably during my years in practice, but what has remained constant is the importance of the relationship between doctor and patient. I have been continually inspired by the resilience, kindness, and courage shown by so many of you, and I am deeply grateful for the experiences we have shared.

I would like to thank all my patients for their support, understanding, and loyalty throughout the years. I am also grateful to my colleagues, especially Dr Thackray and our wonderful practice team, whose dedication and professionalism have made it a pleasure to come to work each day.

My retirement will take effect on 1st August 2026. We had the incredible fortune to have secured a new partner, Dr Ike- Morris, who will take over my patient list. Arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth transition for patients. Should you have any questions regarding your ongoing care, please contact the practice team.

While I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life, I will miss the daily interactions and relationships that have made my career so rewarding.

Thank you for allowing me to be your doctor. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to serve you.

With my warmest wishes and sincere gratitude

Dr Eva Schirrmacher

Tortus AI integrated in Phonebar

The Glebe Family Practice is currently trialling a new software called  Tortus AI integrated in Phonebar to help our clinicians in their clinics. If you do not wish for this to be used in your appointment, please make the Clinician aware.

Below, we explain what  Tortus AI is, how your data will be managed, and the benefits it brings to your care and our service- visit the Tortus AI website ​​​​ to find out more

What is Tortus AI?

Tortus AI is an advanced AI medical scribe designed to transcribe patient visits, generate clinical notes, fill out documents, and dictate letters. This tool allows the Clinician to focus more on you, the patient, rather than on typing and administrative tasks.

Tortus AI has been approved by NHS as it adheres to stringent UK compliance frameworks, including the Data Protection Act, GDPR, and NHS standards such as DCB0129, DTAC, and DSPT. This ensures that your personal information is handled securely and confidentially.

Benefits of Using Tortus AI

1. Enhanced Focus on Patient Care: By automating the documentation process, Tortus AI allows us to spend more time interacting with you, improving the quality of care and communication during consultations.
2. Efficiency and Accuracy: The AI scribe ensures that all details of your visit are accurately recorded, reducing the risk of errors and omissions in your medical records.
3. Streamlined Workflow: Tortus AI helps in managing various administrative tasks such as generating patient summaries, filling out forms, and creating letters, making our workflow more efficient.

How Your Data is Managed

1. Data Security and Privacy: Tortus AI adheres to stringent UK compliance frameworks, including the Data Protection Act, GDPR, and NHS standards such as DCB0129, DTAC, and DSPT. This ensures that your personal information is handled securely and confidentially.

2. Local Data Hosting: All data is hosted within the UK, enhancing security and compliance with local data protection regulations.
3. Temporary Data Storage: Audio recordings used for generating notes are not stored permanently. They are processed and then deleted, ensuring your data remains private and secure.

Last Updated 16 June 2026

Dr Chinedu Ike-Morris                                                                                        *

Dear patients

We are delighted to announce that Dr Chinedu Ike-Morris will be joining the partnership at the Glebe Family Practice from the 1st of April 2026.  Dr Ike Morris is a locally trained GP who is committed to the same standards of high-quality personalised care that we are proud to provide at The Glebe. We would like to  extend the warmest of welcomes to Dr Ike Morris and congratulate him on his appointment.

NHS App - John Hopkins Scores

You may notice a test result appear in your NHS app referring to patient need groups or risk stratification called JOHNS HOPKINS ADJUSTED CLINICAL GROUPS SYSTEM SCORE. This is a simple way in which we categorise patients based on their specific health needs. It helps us as a practice to understand the individual needs of our patients based on their health and wellbeing to support personalised care and ensures you get the right support in a timely way. No action is needed from you.

Book Your Free Flu jab at the Practice!

We will be offering Flu vaccinations again this Autumn, starting from Saturday 5^th October 2024. A flu vaccination provides the best protection against an unpredictable virus which infects many people and can cause serious illness.

The vaccination is free and recommended yearly for those most at risk of flu.

Who is eligible for the Flu vaccine?

• those aged 65 years and over.
• those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by the Green Book, Influenz​​​​​​​​​​​​a Chapter 19).
• those in long-stay residential care homes.
• carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person.
• close contacts of immunocompromised individuals.
• Frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and those that are employed by those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants.

There will be three types of Flu vaccines used this year:

• One for patients aged under 60.
• One for patients aged 60 – 64.
• One for patients aged 65 years and over. 

How will I be contacted?

We will contact all eligible patients via SMS message, phone call, email, or letter.

Patients who have consented to receiving SMS messages will be sent a link to book their appointment online.

Please Note! If you have opted-out from receiving SMS messages, you will still be invited for your flu vaccination, but your invitation may take longer to arrive, as it will come via email, phone call, or letter. 

Safe Havens

The Safe Havens offer free mental health support in a welcoming, comfortable, non-judgmental, and non-clinical environment.

Our experienced staff teams are available to provide emotional, social and practical support if you are in crisis or feel you are heading toward a crisis situation.

You can come just for a chat, or to access one-to-one emotional support from trained mental health professionals. We also offer help in creating staying well and crisis plans, and support visitors to access other services and organisations that may be useful to them.

We offer a walk-in service - there's no need to be referred. We also offer virtual support via telephone and video call.

We work closely with GPs, Community Mental Health Teams, Crisis Teams, A&E Mental Health Liaison Teams, Police and Ambulance Services, Street Triage, and other front-line healthcare professionals to ensure that people in emotional distress have a safe, supportive place to go to, with appropriate mental health support available.

People using the service will also be supported by our 24/7 helpline, which offers access to emotional support and information when the service is closed.

Who is this service for?

Anyone aged 18 and over can access the service; you don't need a formal referral or appointment.

Please note: The Havens are not suitable for people needing urgent medical attention (for example, after self-harm). For urgent medical care please attend your nearest A&E or call 999.

Please also be mindful that if your behaviour is inappropriate and/or negatively impacts the safety and wellbeing of others using the service, you may be turned away.

Did you know you can self-refer to physiotherapy?

Patients can complete an online or paper referral form outlining why they feel they need physiotherapy, which will be returned to the musculoskeletal (MSK) triage service for screening by a senior clinician. If physiotherapy is the appropriate treatment, the patient will be able to choose from all AQP providers in Medway or Swale and the referral will be sent to that provider to book an appointment. 
 
If the referral is deemed suitable for the orthopaedic clinical assessment service (CAS) and not physiotherapy, these referrals will be accepted by MCH and an appointment will be booked when the patient reaches the top of the CAS waiting list. We will also accept patients returning for repeat injections or follow ups when they have received care through CAS previously.

Patients can self-refer using the Medway Community Hea​​​​​​​​​​​​lthcare NHS site

NHS National Data Opt-Out

The National Data Opt-Out is a service that allows patients to opt out of their confidential patient information used for research and planning.

Find out how to opt-out

Mind - young perons drop-in mental health and wellbeing support, Gillingham

A relaxed space where 11-18 year olds can speak with a member of Mind about mental health or wellbeing needs. No need to book, just pop by for a chat or support.

More info on the Mind drop-in service (pdf)

Update your details

Moved home? Got married? Have a new phone number or email address? Please, let reception know so that we can update your records. Alternatively you can update you record yourself online using Patient Access if you have registered for this service.