Careers Week - Dr Arun Mandepanda Thimmiah, GP

Dr Arun Mandepanda Thimmiah, is a General Practitioner for Abbey Road Surgery and Chair of Morecambe Bay Primary Care Collaborative (GP Federation). He has been a GP since 2010 and Chair of the GP Federation for the last 12 months.

Here he tells us more about his role.

Tell us how you got your role?

Dr Thimmiah said: "My qualifications include a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP). I undertook the GP Vocational Training Scheme at Northwest Deanery. My previous roles have included Executive GP in Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (Furness locality) prior to the formation of Morecambe bay Clinical Commissioning Group."

What does your role involve?

Dr Thimmiah said: "My daily role includes assessing, diagnosing and treating people in General Practice. I have been carrying out the COVID vaccination programme along with my colleagues from Barrow and Millom Primary Care Network. I am the Chair of the GP Federation and Member of the General Practice Provider Alliance – an integral part of Bay Health and Care Partners representing General Practice."

What have been the best bits and challenges of your role?

Dr Thimmiah said: "Every day in General Practice is a challenge due to the variety and complexity of problems people have which are health and social care related. The most exciting thing about working in General Practice in recent years is the ability to work with colleagues from other parts of the system such as the hospital, social care, community teams, police and Voluntary organisations in order to join forces and manage patient care in a holistic manner."

Life outside of work:

Dr Thimmiah said: "I love playing cricket and have played in the hospital’s cricket team against some of the local clubs. Living in such a beautiful part of the world opens up a world of opportunities for outdoor activities like the famous Wainwrights and other Lake District walks which I have found very enjoyable."

Top tips for people wanting to get into the profession:

Dr Thimmiah said: "If you are a person who loves a challenge and has a passion for being able to help people, this is the time to join General Practice with the new opportunities that Primary Care Networks create. There is no better place to work in the UK than in the Lake District, join our fantastic team in Morecambe Bay."