From the moment you step through the door you realise that this is no ordinary health clinic.

For starters you’re greeted by a living wall of plants while, in the background, music plays through top of the range Bang & Olufsen speakers.

As you sink into your chair in the carpeted waiting area you’re offered a choice of drinks including 14 select teas from Fortnum & Mason.

On the walls, commissioned work from Andrew Cope, a member of the academic team specialising in commercial photography at Arts University Bournemouth.

The seven consulting rooms feature some of the most advanced medical equipment on the market including two top of the range ultrasound machines.

Westbourne’s The Clinic @78 – which offers a range of health services including private GP consultations – has recently celebrated its first anniversary.

It’s the brainchild of Dr Rob Benepal, who worked in the NHS for 12 years before moving into the property business.

His idea, first envisaged four years ago, was to create a health ‘one stop shop’.

The Clinic@78 in Poole Road offers a comprehensive range of services.

A 25-strong multi-disciplinary team of experts, many also working in the NHS, cover a wide variety of conditions and medical and lifestyle fields.

They include specialist consultations, diagnostic procedures and investigations, as well as general health checks, screenings and a range of minimally invasive treatments and minor surgeries.

Rachel Hall, Clinic Manager

The private GP service is open Monday to Saturday (8am to 8pm on weekdays and 8am to 4pm on Saturdays).

Early morning, evening and same-day appointments are available.

Consultations can be as a one-off service, or regularly, and 20 to 40 minutes long.

Prices start from £90 for a 20 minute consultation while a 30 minute appointment costs £135.

Any necessary prescriptions are covered by the consultant fee.

The clinic’s website states: “As a private GP in Bournemouth, we offer you more time than NHS GPs to discuss your concerns, examine you and make an appropriate management plan with us.

“We welcome patients of all ages, and you don’t need to register with us or live locally to book a consultation with our doctors.

“We offer short waiting times, in a quiet space without crowds.”

The difficulty in getting phone GP appointments, let alone face to face, and within a reasonable amount of time through the NHS, frequently make the news headlines.

But Rob, pictured left, said the clinic did not set out to compete with the NHS but, instead, provide an alternative service, alleviating some of the pressures.

It was also not equipped to deal with emergencies.

He said: “We offer first class patient care.

“We also provide one single point of contact.

“It means our patients needs can be managed within a single system.

“It ensures a smooth booking process, minimal waiting times and fast, simple referrals.

“Everything we’ve done is deliberate and has been thought through meticulously.”

Eschley Abramow, Reception Manager

Feedback, added Rob, had been very positive with some patients travelling considerable distances to attend the clinic.

Working Feedback, the customer experience website, gives The Clinic @78 an ‘excellent’ rating based on 80 reviews.

Rob said: “I was aiming for a ‘wow’ factor and I think we’re achieving that.

“Our doctors and consultants are happy because the administration back-up allows them to see patients.

“We do the rest, cutting through the red tape.”

Key members of the administration team include Rachel Hall, Clinic Manager, and Eschley Abramow, Reception Manager.

Simon Scarborough, pictured, former General Manager of Bournemouth’s Norfolk Royale Hotel and now MD of Simon Scarborough Associates, is providing training in customer service.

His brief is to create an ethos among the team of efficient, friendly first-class service, akin to a 5-star hotel, where nothing is too much trouble.

Simon said: “Rob has created something very special here.

“It’s a genuine pleasure to be working with him, and his team, on something quite unique to the area.

“I can see similar clinics opening up across the country one day.”

• clinic78.co.uk