As DHU Healthcare begins its partnership with Buxton Medical Practice, one group that’s already made a lasting impression is the hardworking admin team. From managing daily tasks like scanning documents and coding patient records to helping on reception and supporting clinics, they are the engine room of the practice — often unseen, but absolutely essential.
We sat down with the team to find out more about who they are, what they do, and why they love working at Buxton.
A well-oiled machine with heart
“We all do different parts of the job — documents, emails, post, coding — and we cover each other when someone’s off,” one team member explained. “It’s busy, but we genuinely enjoy it. We’re like a little work family.”
They spoke of the strong team dynamic with Kristyne, a GP Assistant who joined a year ago adding: “It’s honestly the nicest team I’ve ever worked with, I attend clinical meetings and support the admin team too, but it’s the people here that make the difference.”
Years of experience — and passion
For some, like Sue, who's been part of the practice for 25 years, the role has evolved massively.
“When I started, we wrote appointments in a book and rubbed them out with a pencil and now everything’s digital, but you adapt. I was given maternity admin years ago and I’ve kept going with it — I manage everything from pregnancy notifications to baby vaccinations. It’s been part of my week for years, and I love it.”
Changing times, consistent care
Over the year there’s been a lot of change, especially with patient growth and the development of some of the systems they work with. James, who has been at the practice for seven years and is now an Administrative Supervisor, said: “There’s a lot more involvement now with work from the Primary Care Network. It used to be we’d send everything to the GP, now we have protocols and do a lot more admin-level coding ourselves.”
Despite the digital shift, the team is mindful of their older patient population, adding: “We’ve got to accommodate patients who prefer face-to-face contact. Many aren’t online and want to see the same GP…we really do understand that and try to accomodate that whenever we can."
Looking ahead with optimism
With the transition to DHU now underway, the team is optimistic. “From what we’ve seen, things aren’t changing too dramatically — just more support, training, and resources. There are free courses and development opportunities we wouldn’t have had before.”
Whether it’s Saturday morning COVID clinics, dealing with insurance forms, or simply helping patients at the desk, the Buxton admin team are quietly making sure the practice runs smoothly, with kindness, care, and a healthy sense of humour.
And the general consensus? “We get on really well, genuinely enjoy coming to work and that says a lot.”
Photo left to right
Rochelle, James, Billie, Kristy, Sue.