A brief history of The Fishponds Family Practice
For over a century, this practice has been serving the people of Fishponds and its surrounding areas. Founded by Dr. Claude Bernard, the practice was initially located in a Victorian house at 564 Fishponds Road. After Dr. Claude Bernard, his son Cyril took over and led the practice through the war years and the establishment of the NHS in 1948. Eventually, the practice was passed to Richard, the third generation of the Bernard family to run the practice.
By the 1970s, the practice had expanded, with five partners and a team of nurses, midwives, and health visitors working together in a new purpose-built “health centre”. This team included Drs. Richard Bernard, Patti Van Asch, Joe Mandeville, David Felce, and Liz Anstey, who worked together for 18 years until Richard’s untimely death in 1998.
Over the next five years, the practice underwent significant changes, with the retirement of three more partners who were replaced and augmented to fulfill the changing role of primary healthcare. In 2010, Dr. Anstey retired after 32 years of service in Fishponds.
Today, the practice has ten doctors, a practice manager, an assistant practice manager, practice nurses, phlebotomists, health coaches, advanced practitioners, and a dietician. There is also a large support team of Care coordinators and secretaries, all of whom are vital to the operation of a modern medical practice.
While the practice is committed to practicing evidence-based medicine, the aim has remained the same as the aspirations of the Bernard family all those years ago – to provide the highest standards of care to their patients. They firmly believe that it is just as important to appreciate people as individuals and be aware of their place in the family and community