LONDON, March 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

A company which was started to make it easier for GPs and NHS Consultants to learn from each other has celebrated its 10th birthday by booking its 2000^th event.

Essentially Medical provides free educational sessions for GPs, their nurses and healthcare assistants delivered by local Consultants at a time and location of the practice's choice.

The GPs and Practice Managers choose from a variety of topics within each clinical area and request different Consultants either monthly, or whenever convenient In order to fit into demanding work schedules meetings can be held before work, during lunch or once the surgery is closed with refreshments provided.  A Certificate of Participation is issued to all attendees.

Evelyn Diamond set up the business, which now has more than 140 Consultants in their teams, in Hertfordshire in 2004. It now covers large parts of London and Middlesex and will soon be launching in south east London and Kent.

Dr Martin Harris, a GP who practises from a north west London surgery, said: "This service allows us to keep updating our skills and knowledge in the comfort of our own practice. It's a great way to meet and learn from local Consultants who all have a specific area of expertise. It's an ideal opportunity to build rapport and relationships with Consultants for the benefit of our patients."

Mr Daryll Baker, a Consultant Vascular Surgeon and Head of Vascular Services at the Royal Free Hospital in London, said: "I've been involved with Essentially Medical since its early days. What they do is to create a fantastic setting for myself and other Consultants to update GPs on our different specialities and to help them with any general issues or with individual patients. It's a superb, informal way of helping GPs and consultants put names to faces rather than rely on listings in a handbook."

Mrs Diamond, worked as a marketing manager at a private hospital for a decade before setting up the company because of what she saw as a gap in the profession.

She said: "Many of the NHS Consultants I worked with expressed their concerns that many local GPs just didn't know who they were.

"I began Essentially Medical as a way of bringing local GPs and local NHS Consultants together so they could learn more from each other to benefit their respective local patients.

"This developed into the Consultants giving up their time to visit GPs and share their expertise at surgeries or other locations at a convenient time.

"It saves the NHS money because after the educational meetings GPs feel able to make informed decisions on a patient's health, dealing with problems without having to make what is often an expensive referral to a hospital.

"The cost is totally free to surgeries as the meetings and refreshments are sponsored by pharmaceutical representatives who are allowed to make brief presentations before the Consultants give their talk or conduct question and answer sessions.

"For the representatives it's not about selling products it's about building relationships.

"I'm proud of what my team and I have achieved over the years and we look forward to the next eight years when we celebrate our 20^th anniversary . Our service is mutually beneficial to all involved and I believe it is a real win / win scenario."

Notes to editors: 

Further case studies and interviews with Mr Baker and Dr Harris are available on request.

The meetings are free for the GPs and their teams to attend.

Refreshments are provided by Essentially Medical.

NHS Consultants give their time for free.

The meetings usually last no longer than one hour and are held at the most convenient time and place for GPs.

Essentially Medical has more than 140 NHS Consultants on their roster.

How Essentially Medical make its money is by getting the meetings sponsored by pharmaceutical companies who are keen to establish rapport and build relationships with Drs and Practice Managers.

All meetings are arranged within the suggested guidelines set out in the ABPI code of Practice.

For more information on Essentially Medical visit - http://www.essentiallymedical.co.uk

SOURCE Essentially Medical