About Carolside
Our team and practice
Meet the GPs, practice nurses, clinical and administrative staff who support patients across our local community.
an established practice
Caring for our community
The practice opened in Clarkston in 1904, when the original partners identified a need for medical services in the Clarkston area and moved the practice from East Kilbride. Carolside Medical Centre is among the original practices serving Clarkston. Renovated in the 1980s, expanding into the neighbouring house in the 1990s and reconfigured multiple times since, the practice remains in its original Clarkston location.
The practice has always strived to be progressive and innovative in its approach to health issues and patient care. We have been a GP training practice for decades, and many of the partners over the years started as GP trainees in the practice. We intend to remain at the forefront of new developments, both in clinical and organisational advances. We were early adopters of a Digital Asynchronous Consulting system, and our partners are keenly involved with local policymakers to improve resources for our patients.
high quality care
Practice pledge
The team aim to provide the best possible high quality healthcare for all. We aim to:
- Respect every patient as an individual
- Be honest and open with our patients
- Provide a professional service at all times
- Care for the vulnerable
- Treat patients with dignity
- Promote healthy living
- Create a welcoming atmosphere in the practice
- Keep ourselves up to date on medical advances
- Work as a team with all employees in the practice.
In return we would like our patients to:
- Keep their appointments or ring in to cancel
- Inform the practice when they move
- Be polite to all staff
- Let us know when we are doing well or when things have not gone as expected.
Thank you for supporting us to achieve our aims.
permanent Practice team
Practice Staff
Clinical staff
GP Partners
Dr Alistair McLennan
(he/him)
MBChB Glasgow (1995), MRCS Ed (2001), MRCGP (2008)
GP trainer (West of Scotland) and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer (Medicine) University of Glasgow Medical School
Special interests: cardiology, musculoskeletal, minor operations
Dr Ivana Safarik
(she/her)
MBBS Royal Free London (1997), MRCGP (2006), Postgraduate Diploma in Palliative Medicine Cardiff University (2008)
GP trainer (West of Scotland), Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer (Medicine) University of Glasgow Medical School and Clinical Supervisor for University of Glasgow Medical School
Special interests: palliative medicine and cancer care
Dr Rebecca Hastings
(she/her)
MBChB Glasgow (2003), MRCGP (2011)
Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer (Medicine) University of Glasgow Medical School
Special interest: paediatrics
Dr Lesley Blackwood
(she/her)
BSc (MedSci) (2009), MBChB (2011), MRCGP (2019)
Clinical Supervisor for University of Glasgow Medical School
Dr Guy Rughani
(he/him)
BMedSci (Hons) (2013), MBChB Edinburgh (2014), DCH, DRCOG, MRCGP (2021)
GP trainer (West of Scotland) and Clinical Supervisor for University of Glasgow Medical School
Special interests: paediatrics
Dr Daniel Mathie
(he/him)
MBChB Edinburgh (2016), MRCGP (2022)
Clinical Supervisor for University of Glasgow Medical School
Practice nurses
Sister Catherine Burgoyne
(she/her)
General practice nurse (GPN Hons), RGN, BA Nursing Studies, INP
Sister Suzanne Lee, she/her
RGN, BN Nursing Studies, Clinical Assessment, INP
Healthcare Assistants (HCAs)
Mrs Jane Reid
(she/her)
Mrs Claire McKenna
(she/her)
Ms Audrey Burns
(she/her)
Admin straff
Practice Management
Lindsay Brynes
Practice Manager
BSc. PGCert, PGCert (Dist), PMVTS (Dist)
(she/her)
Read more about the Practice Manager’s role
The practice manager is involved in managing all of the business aspects of the practice such as making sure that the right systems are in place to provide a high quality of patient care, human resources, finance, patient safety, premises and equipment and information technology.
The practice manager supports the GPs and other medical professionals with delivering patient services and also helps to develop extended services to enhance patient care.
Ciara Sedgwick
Assistant Practice Manager
(she/her)
Medical Secretaries
Carol Robertson
(she/her)
Claire McKenna
(she/her)
Administration
Fiona Richardson
(she/her)
Audrey Burns
(she/her)
Reception
Read more about the Receptionist’s role
Receptionists provide an important link for patients with the practice and are your initial contact point for general enquiries. They can provide basic information on services and results and direct you to the right person depending on your health issue or query.
Receptionists make most of the patient appointments with the GPs and nurses. They also perform other important tasks such as issuing repeat prescriptions and dealing with prescription enquiries, dealing with financial claims, dealing with patient records and carrying out searches and practice audits.
Claire McKenna
Tracey Penman
Audrey Burns
Dawn Bell
Christine Kennan
Lynsey Kerr
Karen Lundie
(she/her)
A long tradition of training
Training practice
We are an accredited RGCP training practice, involved in the training of GPs. There is usually at least one GP trainee working alongside the GP partners at the surgery. GP trainees are fully qualified doctors with hospital experience and are attached to the practice for their specialist GP training program where they work under supervision completing their specialty training exams and continual workplace based assessments.
We also train Foundation Year 2 (FY2) doctors. There are usually two FY2 doctors at the practice. They are resident doctors who rotate through general practice before choosing a specialty. They too are fully qualified doctors.
Medical Students
We are a teaching practice, affiliated to Glasgow University School of Medicine.
We have students attached for blocks of teaching, from the first to final years of their studies. It is always very much appreciated if you allow students to sit in and observe the consultation. At times, you may be asked to see the student first and explain your problem before seeing one of the doctors.
This is a very important part of their training but if you feel uncomfortable with students you will always be given an opportunity to decline their presence.
GP Registrars
Dr Mohammad Mateen, ST3
(he/him)
MBChB
Dr Graham Wardall, ST1
(he/him)
MBChB
FY2 Doctors
Dr Juan Larraz
(he/him)
MBChB
Dr Ellie Mcgee
(she/her)
MBChB
Wider healthcare team
Health visitors
Health Visitors are available to help with health matters relating to children under 5 years.
The health visiting team is based at Eastwood Health & Care Centre, Drumby Crescent, Clarkston. Phone: 0141 451 0779.
District nurses
We are supported by a brilliant team of district nurses who predominantly provide care for housebound patients. Their work includes general nursing care and investigations, care after surgery, assessing patients’ needs, care for people who are terminally ill, wound/leg ulcer care, and teaching self-care. Referrals can be made by our doctors and nurses, by patients themselves, or by carers and family.
East Renfrewshire (Carolside team): 0141 451 0820
East Renfrewshire (Carolside) out of hours: 0141 347 8731
Lanarkshire: 0300 303 0107
Practice policies
Key information about our team, registration area and patient rights is set out below.
Our team
General Practitioners, practice nurses and administrative staff, with roles listed for each area of care.
Practice pledge
Information on our registration area and how to register as a new patient in the practice.
Patient rights
Our commitments on privacy, accessibility and how to raise a concern or leave feedback.