DOCTORS

Dr Nigel Tapper

MBChB, FRNZCGP, Dip obs, Dip Sports Medicine

One of the two directors of Medical Corner Doctors,  Nigel graduated from Otago University in 1981 and has been a GP in Rangiora for over 25 years.  He has varied interests as a GP but he still really enjoys looking after families.  He has a special interest in sports medicine, travel medicine, and men's health.  He is involved in the management of Medical Corner Doctors.

Nigel is a keen sportsman and sports watcher.  His interests apart from his family, are rugby, cricket, tennis, golf, cycling, tramping, boating, fishing and travel.  There is always plenty to chat about during a consultation!

NIGEL'S HOURS

Monday 8.30-12 midday

Tuesday 9-12pm & 2-3pm (operating) 3.30-5pm

Thursday 9-12pm & 4-7pm

Friday 9-12pm & 2-5pm

Dr Stephen Walsh

MBChB, FRNZCGP, Dip Physiotheraphy, Dip O&G, Dip Child Health

Steve graduated from Otago University in 1991.  He previously worked as a physiotherapist and subsequently as a rural GP in Southland before joining the Medical Corner Doctors team in 2001. As the other Director of Medical Corner Doctors, Steve is also involved in the management of the practice.

His passions are family medicine and general medicine.  Within the Medical Corner team his role is teaching and overseeing our general practice registrars and medical students.

Aside from medicine his family includes wife Vivien (Dr Viv Binney) who also works part time with us and son Matthew.  Steve is a keen sports follower, especially football and athletics and has wide music and reading interests when not involved in family activities.  Always ready for a philosophical chat.

STEVE'S HOURS

Monday       9-12pm & 2-5pm

Tuesday       10-1pm & 4-7pm

Wednesday  8.30-11.30am & 1.30-4.30pm

Friday         9.15-12.30pm

Dr Lorna Archer

MB BS BSc (physiol)

Lorna graduated from the London Hospital in 1982 and completed her GP training in South East London and also did a year in anaesthetics.  She worked for 13 years in rural general practice in Queenstown where she dealt with a variety of trauma, both major and minor, as well as usual general practice.

She joined Medical Corner Doctors in 2003.  Her special interests are women's health, including fitting of Mirena etc., minor surgery and children’s health.  She has also upskilled in minor surgery through working at the Burwood plastic surgery outpatient unit.

Lorna is also a panel physician for immigration medicals.

Her main interests outside of work are natural history and performing arts.

 LORNA'S HOURS

Tuesday  -  9:30am - 6pm

Wednesday  -  10am - 7pm

Thursday  -  2- 6pm

Friday  -  9.30- 5pm

Dr Viv Binney 

MBChB, FRNZCGP, Dip O&G, NZ Reg Comp Nurse

Viv Binney has been with the Medical Corner Doctors team for 10 years now - on a regular part time basis.  She was a registered NZ nurse (having trained in Christchurch) prior to completing her medical degree at Otago University.  Viv originally comes from Southland and has a family farming background.

She currently also works in Christchurch at the Canterbury University Health Centre and has a regular after hours commitment.  Viv enjoys seeing the wide range of problems that arise in general practice - especially mothers and children. She has also upskilled in minor surgery through working at the Burwood plastic surgery outpatient unit.

Viv lives with her husband Steve and school age son Matthew, in Christchurch and gives family time high priority.

VIV'S HOURS

Thursday  8.30-1.30 pm

Dr Amanda Torkington

MBBS; FRNZCGP; BSC.( Physiology and Pharmacology).

Amanda grew up in Queensland, Australia, and completed her medical degree at the University of Queensland in 2003. She completed her rural GP training in north Queensland before moving to Rangiora and commencing work at Medical Corner Doctors in 2011. She is interested in all aspects of general practice and family medicine. She also enjoys teaching and is actively involved in small group learning with GP colleagues. Family life keeps her busy outside of work hours.She lives in Rangiora with her husband and two preschool aged children.

AMANDA'S HOURS

Monday and Friday 10.00am - 4.00 pm.

Dr Alvin Ling

Alvin joined our team at Medical Corner Doctors in 2013.

Alvin was born in Malaysia and completed his medical training at Otago University. He has worked at Christchurch Hospital as a Medical Registrar and recently sat his GPEP1 after a year’s training as a GP Registrar. Alvin is taking on new patients.

Alvin's consulting hours:

Monday:      9am to 5pm 

Tuesday:     9am - 5 pm 

Wednesday:  9am to 5pm

Thursday:    9am to 5pm

Dr Jonie Girouard (pronounced Gerrard)

 Jonie joined the practice in 2016 she is an experienced family physician from the USA and has settled in North Canterbury with her husband and three children.

Jonie's consulting hours are:

Monday 10am - 7 pm

Tuesday - 8.30 am - 4.30 pm

Wednesday 9am -5 pm

Dr Gert Gammelin

MRCGP UK

Joined the practice in early 2017.  Gert graduated from medical school in Germany in 1996, but has trained and worked in the UK ever since. He has a special interest in heart disease.  He is a keen sports follower and enjoys cycling.

Gerts Consulting Hours

Monday 2 pm-5pm

Wednesday 9 am -5pm

Thursday 9 am -5pm

Firday 9 am -5pm

Nurses

Our nurses have an expansive role at Medical Corner Doctors. As well as assisting the GPs they have their own nurse clinics. We have a team of eight nurses, led by the clinical nurse leader, Alicia Cowey.  

Alicia Cowey – Clinical Nurse Leader 

Alicia has many years experience working in hospitals and general practice. She enjoys acute nursing, 
and working at Medical Corner Doctors provides an opportunity to utilize her wide range of nursing 
skills.  Alicia also enjoys the health promotion aspect of her role.

Lisa Cox 

Lisa has worked at Medical Corner Doctors for the past 5 years and has a background in paediatrics 
and children’s oncology.  Lisa enjoys working in the primary health environment and being able to 
deliver family centred care. Her special interests are diabetes and providing education and support 
to enable clients to self-manage their health. 

Louise Davis 

Louise has worked as a practice nurse for over twenty years and loves all aspects of the job - 
especially the satisfaction of getting to know clients and helping them to manage their illness or 
injury.

Debbie Smith

Debbie has been working  working at Medical Corner Doctors over the last couple of years after a long break.  She is enjoying catching up with everyone and is looking forward to embarking on her care co-ordination role.

Maria Ashby  

Maria has been working part time at Medical Corner Doctors for a number of years and thoroughly 
enjoys working with the “amazing team.” Maria likes the variety of acute nursing and family centred 
nursing as well as the educative role and the rapport that she establishes with patients.  

Jane Newman

Jane qualified in 1994 and has worked in Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland and London. She has 
worked in a number of areas, including medical /surgical, older person’s health, needs assessment, 
palliative nursing and district nursing.  Jane enjoys working with the supportive and fun team at 
Medical Corner who she says are able to deliver a comprehensive nursing service within the 
Rangiora district.  

Kirsten Urquhart 

Kirsten has a background in psychopaedic nursing and adolescent mental health. Kirsten has recently 
returned to nursing after having her family and joined the Medical corner Doctors team  at the 
beginning of 2014.

Claire Falconer

Claire has been nursing for 30 years and has a background in community nursing, orthopaedics and acute care. She has been at Medical Corner Doctors for over two years and has a special interest in asessing acute injuries and plastering.  

Receptionists

Our receptionists are Glenda, Rae, Teresa ,Michelle and Jacky and our administrator is Hazel.