OUR HISTORY
Stuart Park Surgery has provided medical services to people of the Top End since 1975. It began with Dr Ted Giblin and was originally located on the Stuart Highway. In 1981 Ted moved to the present location in the Stuart Park Shopping Centre and Dr David M. Welch joined him in 1982.

During the early 1980s, many patients came from the Darwin rural area and the developing satellite city of Palmerston, where GP services were limited. As Winnellie developed into an industrial area, workers suffering industrial accidents found they could be seen more quickly and efficiently at our surgery, rather than attending the Darwin Hospital (later renamed the Royal Darwin Hospital). Both doctors Giblin and Welch provided antenatal and obstetric care, delivering the babies of their patients. Thirty years on, some of these babies still attend the surgery, now with their own families.

In about 1983 or 1984, Stuart Park Surgery became the first practice in Darwin to provide training for junior doctors within the Family Medicine Training Program set up by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. These doctors are now known as G. P. Registrars and the training program is organised by Northern Territory General Practice Education (NTGPE). Dr Giblin left the practice in 2001 and Dr Welch continues as the practice principal. Over a thirty-year period, we have assisted in the training of medical students, G. P. Registrars, overseas-trained doctors, and nurses.

Today we are a modern medical clinic with state-of-the-art sterilising facilities, computer systems, and medical equipment. Our doctors are Australian-trained or have received post-graduate training within the Australian General Practice system, and all either hold their Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) or are working towards it.

DARWIN AFTER HOURS MEDICAL SERVICE
Between 2000 and 2014, Stuart Park Surgery provided after-hours medical care under the trading name of Darwin After Hours Medical Service. For most of this time, the surgery was open until 10pm seven days per week, but as more clinics in Darwin began to provide after-hours medical services, patient demand fell, and our closing times were reduced to 9pm weekdays and 3pm on the weekends. With the opening of more medical services across Darwin, after-hours demands reduced further, and we ceased weeknight clinics in 2014. Then, with the arrival of Covid-19 in early 2020, we have reluctantly ceased all our after-hours clinics.

THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners sets the standards for Australian G.P.s. A good Australian G.P. should have passed this exam and hold their Fellowship of the RACGP, or be working in a training position towards the achievement of this award. Stuart Park Surgery has been an accredited Training Practice for doctors working towards this Fellowship since the 1980s. All our doctors either hold their Fellowship or are working towards it.

AN ACCREDITED MEDICAL PRACTICE
The doctors at Stuart Park Surgery strive to provide the best patient care, and the surgery is accredited by the Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL). This is a voluntary accreditation that we undertake in order to ensure we are maintaining a high standard of patient care. To meet the required standards, we allow external assessors to examine all aspects of our medical clinic, doctors and staff every three years. This includes our record-keeping, patient services, staff amenities, sterilisation processes, and so on. We seek patient feedback by conducting a formal survey of one hundred patients and respond to any failings identified.
Stuart Park Surgery is also accredited as a training post for doctors preparing for their Fellowships of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Dr Kim Manias, Dr Catherine Lehmann, and Dr David Welch are accredited teachers and supervisors with the Northern Territory General Practitioner Education (NTGPE) Training Program.