- Medical Degree: University of Glasgow (2002)
- General Medical Council: 6057339
- Hospital Specialty Training: Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Emergency
- General Practitioner Training: West of Scotland
- Areas of Interest: Diabetes, Sexual Health
- Birthplace: Scotland
LinkedIn: Dr Ombarish Banerjee
My life as a medic started in 1997, at Glasgow University Medical School. After five years of med school, which literally flashed by, I was out of university and working as a junior doctor in the NHS. I progressed through my junior and then senior house officer days, working the most ridiculously long hours, but gaining the most incredible experience.
As patients and professionals, in the UK we spend an inordinate amount of time complaining about our health system, yet I can say that when it comes to the UK’s medical training, it truly is the best. Although it frequently feels like you’ve been thrown in the deep end, you certainly do grow up fast, learning to make important decisions in the safest way possible. I spent my first few years working in a diverse range of specialties, including general medicine & surgery, A&E, paediatrics and orthopaedics. At one point my career threw up the opportunity work as an A&E senior registrar in Sydney.
From early on I knew where I wanted to be eventually, general practice. It felt the most complete medical discipline, being skilled to manage almost any medical condition, sub-specialising in a few areas, and being able to work anywhere in the country. This way I could carve out a career, and a lifestyle exactly how I wanted.
I worked in various practices for 4 years, specialising in diabetes and insulin management and also in sexual health medicine. Then I got the chance to join a fantastic NHS practice in South East London, where I remain to this day.
It’s a privilege be a doctor in the NHS, but only given 10 minutes per appointment, there is a frustratingly limited amount of help one can offer. Over the years I had met GPs from around the world, only to realise that the UK’s army of GPs are trained to the highest level of expertise on Earth, only to be then be deployed into a system where they are underutilised. Ten years into struggling, together with my friend and long-time colleague Dr Ricky Gondhia, I made the huge decision start The Montague Clinic, our own Private GP Clinic in London.
The clinic has steadily grown in the 4 years since its inception. We designed our service to provide patients with relaxed and unrushed appointments, and really get to the heart of our patients’ issues.
Running the clinic during a pandemic has been interesting. We had to adapt to the market, offering a reliable covid testing service as well as other covid related health services, our Covid Recovery Certificate service has been particularly popular. However, none of us have enjoyed the Covid pandemic, and the sense that the world is slowly returning to normal has been an enormous reprieve. In the coming months I really hope the clinic’s normal care & services can find its feet again, and we can continue to build what we’re so proud to have started.
