About Basingstoke

• A message from the Associate Director in General Practice

During the 1960s, Basingstoke was designated a New Town and was transformed from a quiet market town into a large commercial centre. The appearance of the old town centre was drastically altered, with a major demolition of the old town and the construction of a new "modern" shopping centre with large pedestrian precincts and multi-storey car parks.

The town's population rose from 26,000 to 60,000 between 1961 and 1973, the growth in the population coming largely from the London over-spill. The town continues to grow and the population has risen to just over 100,000 in the 1990s. Currently the town centre is undergoing a £300 million redevelopment with the Festival Place shopping centre. Population projections suggest there will be further expansion for many years to come.

The majority of employment is currently in white-collar jobs such as the Civil Service, IBM, and the AA. There is some light industry and Basingstoke is part of the "silicone valley." Housing is of a good general standard and unemployment is very low.

There are comprehensive sport and recreational activities in Basingstoke including the Anvil (a new concert hall and conference centre), a theatre, a ten-screen cinema, ice rink, and ten pin bowling alley. There are a number of golf courses and several sports clubs. Unspoilt countryside and some picturesque villages surround the town. We are just 45 minutes away from London by train and 30 miles from the coast. The road network within Basingstoke is excellent. The M3 and M4 provide easy access to other parts of the country.

Before Basingstoke expanded as a new town, it prospered as a small market town and references to the manufacture of woollen goods in Basingstoke can be found from an early date. Older residents of the town recall the sheep being droved in from the Candovers to market.

In the eighteenth century Basingstoke was an important staging post on the turnpike road from London to Andover, and the coming of the railway in 1840 brought more trade to the town. However, the documented history of Basingstoke begins with the Doomsday Book, which records a market, an important pre-Norman Conquest church, and three mills. Two areas of Basingstoke, Kingsmill and Houndsmill now refer to the presence of the old mills.

The town is surrounded by a number of tourist attractions. Basing House, Stratfield Saye House, the Vyne, Wellington Country Park and the Basingstoke Canal are all popular places to visit. The Willis Museum records local town & country life and there is a large interactive museum opening supported by a lottery grant. The Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum is nearby which is the only large Roman town in England that did not develop into a large modern town or city. All the sites and attractions in London are only 45 minutes away by train.

North Hampshire Hospital

The GPs maintain close links with the local district hospital. Links are maintained through meetings and regular social contact. Local GPs work as clinical assistants or hospital practitioners in most departments in the hospital. There are also weekly post-graduate meetings for hospital clinicians and GPs, often with visiting speakers. These meetings deal with important, prevailing subjects.

The out of hours GP service "Hantsdoc" is based in the North Hampshire Hospital and provides an excellent opportunity to meet and get to know all the other local GPs.

The hospital and trust are currently forging closer relations with Frimley Park Hospital to develop and expand medical services for the local population. The hospital also has a world-renowned department of surgery, which specialises in liver surgery and colo-rectal cancer.

GP training

GP Registrars in the Basingstoke area join colleagues from Alton, Andover, Salisbury, and Winchester on the day release course based in Winchester.

This is a well-organised course starting with a getting to know each other week in Normandy. The course always has good feedback, is well structured and lasts for most of the year. The local GP trainers have regular meetings to improve their own skills within their trainer group.

Coming to Basingstoke for your General Practice registrar year will give you the opportunity to meet and treat a varied population, in an expanding town. There is a good standard of medical care in and around Basingstoke and high standards are set to ensure that you have a comprehensive training and to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary for your career in general practice. The process is obviously tailored to your previous experience and will be regularly reassessed through the year.