Doctors
Dr Vipan BhardwajMBBS DRCOG FRCGP
Dr Bhardwaj qualified from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London in 1993. After graduation he worked in and around London initially in hospital general medicine before embarking on a career in general practice. He became a full-time principal in 2005 when he joined the then Tudor House and Rectory Road Medical Practice. Within general practice Dr Bhardwaj has a range of interests but particularly enjoys cardiology and musculoskeletal medicine, and performs joint injections within the practice on a regular basis. He was the lead partner in the practice for the development of the multi-award-winning Wokingham Medical Centre and since July 2019 has been the Clinical Director for East Wokingham Primary Care Network. Dr Bhardwaj is a local lad, having grown up in Reading. Prior to returning to the area he and his wife, also a GP, spent a number of years indulging their love of travel. He has trekked in many of the world’s mountain ranges and still regularly heads for the hills as often as possible. He is a keen, though novice, rock climber and sea kayaker. He was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners in November 2019.
Dr Husein HafizjiMBBS, DRCOG, MRCGP
Dr Hafizji qualified from St George’s Hospital Medical School in 2000. After completing his General Practice training at the Epsom General Hospital, he worked as a GP in and around Surrey before moving to Wokingham and becoming a GP partner here in 2008. Dr Hafizji is interested in all aspects of general practice and is also heavily involved in clinical commissioning. He sits on the governing board for Wokingham Clinical Commissioning Group and is the Wokingham Lead for Planned care. Dr Hafizji lives in Wokingham with his wife and 2 children and outside work enjoys travelling and playing golf, when time allows.
Dr Helen RutherfordMBBS DRCOG DFFP DOccMed PGCMDE FRCGP
Dr Rutherford qualified in 1992 and has been a GP since 1998. She completed her postgraduate training in London before moving to Berkshire in 2005 and joined the practice as a part-time partner in October 2016. Dr Rutherford knows the area and town well having previously worked for five years as the Medical Officer to Ascot ward at Wokingham Hospital. Prior to embarking on a career in general practice Dr Rutherford initially worked in hospital medicine but soon realised that she preferred the life of a generalist to a specialist. She is particularly interested in lifestyle medicine (sharing the benefits of non-drug therapeutic options with patients to treat and prevent disease) and musculoskeletal medicine (she performs joint injections). Dr Rutherford also works as an Occupational Health doctor and understands how work and ill health often interact. Dr Rutherford is an enthusiastic GP Trainer and GP Appraiser holding a post graduate qualification in medical education. She is also interested in patient education through group education sessions and group consultations. Outside of work Dr Rutherford loves reading, gardening and getting into the Great Outdoors.
Dr Helen LeachBSc (Hons), MBChB (Hons), MRCGP
Dr Helen Leach completed her medical degree at the University of Birmingham in 2012 where she was also awarded the Chancellor’s prize and the Queen’s scholarship. Prior to this she achieved a Bachelor’s of Science in Natural Sciences at the University of Bath. Helen completed her junior doctor years in the West Midlands before completing her GP training in 2019. She has always had a passion to pursue a career in General Practice. Outside of medicine Helen enjoys walking, running, yoga and loves travelling the world having spent time teaching English in Kenya and also trekking to Everest Base Camp.
Dr Krishan ParekhBSc (Hons), MBChB (Hons), MRCGP
Dr Krishan Parekh qualified from the University of Manchester Medical School in 2016, he also obtained a Bachelor's in Psychology from the University of Manchester. Following this, Krishan completed his postgraduate training in the Thames Valley region. His fondness for Wokingham stems from growing up in the local area. Outside of work, he enjoys travelling the world and eating out.
Dr Catherine TichlerMB BS MRCGP
Dr Natalie Burrard-LucasMB BS (Hons) BSc (Hons) DFSRH DGM MRCGP
Dr Natalie Burrard-Lucas completed her medical degree at Imperial College London in 2008. She undertook her specialist training in North-West London and took a yearlong sabbatical in 2012 to work in a rural hospital in Zambia before qualifying as a GP in 2014. She has a special interest in contraception (and is an experienced coil fitter as well as holding the Diploma of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health). She also holds the Diploma of Geriatric Medicine and is passionate about using lifestyle measures to help patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes to improve their health. She has undertaken training in Group Clinics and Group Consultations to help deliver the lifestyle medicine approach to her patients. Natalie has also worked as a prison GP in Oxfordshire with experience in mental health and drug misuse. Outside of medicine, she is passionate about wildlife conservation and has co-authored a wildlife book. In her spare time, she is a competitive swimmer and enjoys reading and running around after her kids.Dr Tayyaba AslamGP MBBS
Lives with husband and two children. Loves travelling (before covid happens) and spending time with family (and of course chatting).Dr Kavitha VangalaGP
Dr Rolf RothermelMBBS MRCGP BSc Hons (1st class) Biomedical Sciences
Dr Rothermel qualified from Barts and the London in 2017. He did his foundation training in North West London and GP training in Reading. He has been a partner at the practice since 2022. Prior to medicine he obtained a first class degree in biomedical sciences at Kingston University, winning a prize and publishing a paper in Parasitology. Dr Rothermel is passionate about all areas of general practice, and keen on education. He lives in Twyford with his wife and two children. His spare time mostly revolves around sports, fishing, gadgets, and climbing.
