A NEW KIND OF CARE: DR RUPERT MILLARD ON BRINGING PERSONALISED PRIVATE GP SERVICES TO WEST KIRBY
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A NEW KIND OF CARE: DR RUPERT MILLARD ON BRINGING PERSONALISED PRIVATE GP SERVICES TO WEST KIRBY
Rupert, congratulations on launching Dee GP. Tell us what inspired you to open a private GP practice in West Kirby. I’ ve been a GP for many years, and I love the privilege of being part of people’ s lives when they’ re unwell or anxious about their health. What inspired Dee GP was a desire to offer patients longer appointments, continuity, and calm surroundings— something that can be hard to guarantee in today’ s healthcare environment. West Kirby is my home, so opening a practice here felt completely natural.
What makes Dee GP different from other options locally? We’ re small and personal. We don’ t use online triage forms or rigid booking systems. Patients can call, email, or even pop in during advertised hours. If the problem is urgent and we’ re not officially open, I’ ll often arrange to see them at short notice. We also offer private blood tests through two excellent laboratories, so results come back quickly and reliably.
Tell us about the team at Dee GP. I’ ve been a GP for ten years. When I’ m not at Dee GP, I work in GP out-of-hours services and in Acute Medicine at Arrowe Park. Both are busy, demanding environments, but the freedom to give patients the time they need is invaluable. Some problems take five minutes; others take thirty. Having that flexibility built in from the start at Dee GP has been transformative.
Appointments are long enough for people to raise everything that matters, without either of us watching the clock. It’ s a calmer, more human way to practise medicine, and I think it makes a real difference. I work alongside Dr Rebecca Clayton, who trained at Cambridge and has a special interest in women’ s health, dermatology, and lifestyle medicine. She brings warmth, compassion, and expertise that patients really value. Together we aim to combine professionalism with a genuinely personal approach.
Can you describe the sort of services people can expect? We cover the full range of general practice— everything from acute illness and long-term conditions to medication reviews, HRT and menopause care, and cardiovascular risk assessments. We don’ t pretend to be a hospital or a walk-in centre, but for thoughtful, thorough GP care, Dee GP is here. We do offer home visits, but only when they’ re genuinely needed— for example, for people who are housebound or too unwell to get to us. For most issues, the clinic is far better equipped.
What does a typical consultation at Dee GP look like? Appointments last up to 30 minutes, so patients are never rushed. There’ s time to explore not just the main concern, but any background issues, medications, or lifestyle factors. I want patients to leave feeling heard and with a clear plan— whether that’ s treatment, tests, or simply reassurance.
How does private practice sit alongside the NHS? The NHS isn’ t free— we’ ve all paid for it through our taxes— and it remains astonishing value for money. The challenge is that NHS general practice receives very limited funding per patient per year, so the service inevitably feels under pressure. Patients’ experiences with NHS GPs are shaped by those constraints, not by the goodwill or commitment of the doctors themselves.
Private practice isn’ t about rejecting the NHS; it’ s about offering an alternative for people who want more time or flexibility, and who are fortunate enough to be able to afford it. I still work in the NHS and have huge respect for it. Dee GP simply allows me to practise medicine in a calmer environment, giving patients the time they often wish they had. Importantly, with our face-to-face care, we don’ t transfer work back to NHS GPs. We examine patients directly, organise our own blood tests and referrals, and ensure that the care we provide complements— rather than burdens— the NHS.
What do you hope patients feel when they walk through the door? Safe, listened to, and valued. Medicine is about more than prescriptions and tests— it’ s about human connection. If someone leaves feeling reassured and respected, then we’ ve done our job.
And finally, what are your hopes for Dee GP in the coming years? My hope is that we’ ll eventually offer appointments six or seven days a week, with more than two doctors on the team. I’ d like Dee GP to be known as the local, friendly private GP practice that people trust— not flashy, not corporate, just reliable, trustworthy, and caring.
If we can build long-term relationships with families across Wirral, and play even a small role in helping people live healthier, happier lives, I’ ll be very proud.
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