Meet the newest doctors in the Portsmouth CCG

Dr Simon Simonian and Dr Carsten Lesshafft are now part of NHS Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group.

Dr Simonian is a newly-qualified GP living locally and working mainly at the Primary Care Alliance, having completed his training at the Craneswater Group Practice in Southsea.

He said: ‘I feel that a hands-on approach to challenges arising within healthcare is essential in evolving our services to address local needs, as well as looking towards new possibilities such as technologies and resources available in order to achieve this.’

Dr Lesshafft, who qualified from the University of Mainz in Germany, and has worked as a GP in Birmingham, Derby and Willenhall, will become a full-time GP for the Trafalgar Medical Group Practice, which runs the Osborne Road Surgery and Eastney Health Centre.

He said: ‘I am conscious that in order for the local healthcare system to be able to progress and evolve, Portsmouth CCG and its partners must make sustainability a key priority for the people who work in it.’

CCG clinical leader Dr Linda Collie said: ‘It’s always good to welcome new faces, new ideas and a new insight into what we are doing and how we can further improve services.’