Advanced Nurse & Nurse Practitioners

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Our nursing team consists of 4 Nurse Practitioners, 4 Practice nurses, 2 health care assistants.

• The team is lead by senior Nurse Practitioner Tracy Skates

Appointments may be booked up to 3/4 weeks in advance

A Nurse Practitioner or Advanced Nurse Practitioner is a Registered General Nurse (RGN) who has extended skills/qualifications in prescribing & a degree in Nurse Practitioner. They have the ability to triage, diagnose, treat, prescribe and refer. They can also provide information on how best to manage your health or condition. They see patients like the GPs do but they don’t perform nursing duties such as smears & ear syringing etc.

So when booking your appointment, the GP may not be the best person to see, especially if you need an appointment for one of the reasons listed below. Remember Nurse Appointments can be booked up to 8 weeks in advance

If you are uncertain about whether the Nurse Practitioner can help you or not, please ask the Receptionist for advice and she will direct you to the most appropriate clinician for the problem you are presenting with.

Tracy Skates – Nurse Practitioner

Tracy started nursing in 1994 and initially worked in a community hospital. She then went on to work in an Intensive Stroke and Neuro Rehab Unit where she worked for 7 years before moving into General Practice. Tracy has now worked in General Practice for 17 years, during which time she has gained qualification's in Diabetes , Respiratory disease and Women's Health. She also has specialist skills in joint injections, minor surgery and women's health. Areas of special interest: women's health and menopause

Margaret Coleman - Nurse Practitioner

After qualifying in 1984 Margaret spent 3 years working in surgery and orthopaedics at the William Harvey Hospital. She then went onto undertake psychiatric nurse training, qualified and spent a short time working in the community in Farnborough. She moved to the Maidstone area and started working in the district in 1991. Having spent 25 years as a District Nurse in South Maidstone, she decided to move into General Practice in 2006. She was amongst one of the first nurses to undertake the extended training of non-medical prescribing in Kent and to take on the role of nurse practitioner in Maidstone.

Margaret remains passionate about the role of the nurse within the community and has a special interest in Safeguarding the vulnerable patient.