Dr Peter Lane MB ChB 1983 MRCGP

General Practice is a great career. Things change all the time! It's challenging but very satisfying.

For many years I was involved in teaching GP skills in Barnsley and have found it has helped develop my approach to consultations. Discussions with patients should be regarded as a partnership rather than a doctor "telling" patients what to do.

My interests in the practice are in the areas of mental health (some studies say nearly a third of GP consultations are about mental health issues) and substance misuse. Many people will be aware of the devastation caused to families and the local community through drugs.

I am the chairman of our local consortium, a group of 8 teaching practices in Barnsley looking at how we can improve patient services and am involved in setting up a new and exciting programme of support for patients with long-term conditions (like heart disease, diabetes, lung disease). Barnsley has more of these conditions than most other areas of England so it is a really important area to tackle.

Outside of my work my passion is my family. My 3 children are all now young adults but somehow my wife and I seem to get involved in all sorts of their plans and hopes. I think that life for young people of this generation can be really tough and there are few guarantees of work or success. Their optimism and enthusiasm is catching and I am always pleased to hear many of the really encouraging stories from some of the local young people.