Having initially come to Ashtead for 6 months back in 1994, Alison Anderson and family are still here, and she will be recognised by many both as a local GP and a mother of four.

Alison qualified as a doctor in 1988 and later as a GP in 1993. After working as a part-time General Practice Assistant for a few years she joined Gilbert House Surgery in 1998. "It's a really nice job to have," says Alison. "Ashtead is a very special place. People accept me as a Mum at School and a GP at the Surgery. I especially like the older ladies, they are 80 going on 30 and good fun to look after."

Alison and John have four children, Josephine 10, Holly 6, Robert 5, and Toby 1."We couldn't do without our Nanny,Tina," says Alison. "She is a very important part of our family, she is like a big sister to them. "Tina looks after the children for the three days whilst Alison works.

A typical day starts with a cup of tea from John, breakfast with the children and off to the surgery to start seeing patients at 8.30am through to 11.30am. There are phone calls, queries, visits, time to pop home for a 20-minute lunch at around 2.00pm, surgery again between 3.00pm and 6.00pm and back home by about 7.00pm after more phone calls and the inevitable form filling and letter writing. "We have a baby clinic once a month and I go to quite a few meetings," says Alison. Gilbert House has 8,500 patients with 5 partners and a sister surgery at Linden House in Leatherhead.

As well as a busy job, Alison is very much involved in community and church life in Ashtead. She is a Parent Governor of St Giles' School, is a member of a home group and plays piano or sings at the 11 o'clock service at St George's Church.

Alison enjoys Line Dancing and they love their holidays, somewhere away from the telephones and TV!

"Life is a constant tension of juggling work, children and social things, but most of the time the balance feels right," says Alison.