Tenant Talks with Willow Brook Clinic

‘Family.’ This is the first word that comes to mind when talking with anyone at Willow Brook Clinic, a multidisciplinary practice where the mantra is “Get Well, Stay Well”. There is an unusual warmth to this health care establishment that has been nurtured over the years. I sat down and discussed the clinic with foot health practitioner Moira de Groot who, along with her husband Craig, owns and manages this independent health enterprise.

Moira and Craig left South Africa for pastures new in 1999. By fortuitous circumstance, they came to Bristol and immediately fell in love with the city and its people. Craig had passed his chiropractor licenses in the UK and their vision was to build a business centered around community and health.

In 2008 a significant redevelopment of the old Tesco store in Bradley Stoke paved the way for the Willow Brook Centre to be built, and Moira and Craig’s vision began to come to fruition. The clinic opened in November 2009 amidst a financial recession in the UK and with a new born baby and toddler in tow, Moira and Craig simply got on with the job. From the outset they had the support of Karen Ferguson, the practice manager at Willow Brook Clinic. Karen has remained with the clinic for the full 14 years and anyone who interacts with Karen will tell you that she is a driving force behind much of the clinic’s success.

The clinic, and society, have been through 2 financial recessions since 2009 and the covid pandemic. Despite the hard knocks, Moira and Craig can proudly boast that they have retained employees since day one. Not many health care providers are able to say this.

“It’s taken blood, sweat and tears to get us to where we are now” Moira says with the conviction of a mother celebrating her family. “We still see patients to this day that have been coming here since 2009”. 76% of our business is through word of mouth. We have no hard sell here, no online booking, it’s about personalities and people”. There is an openness and honesty about Moira. When asked how a treatment plan is developed for a patient, she insists that success is as much about the patient buying into the plan as it is the practitioner executing it.

The future looks good for the clinic as trends towards personal health and wellbeing continue to rise. “This is why gyms and fitness are so popular now, there is an invested commitment to individuals personal health and our clinic is aligned with these ambitions,” Moira states. To satisfy the demand, the clinic has recently hired a new graduate chiropractor whose modern approach and understanding of new techniques perfectly complements Moira and Craig’s proven philosophies towards holistic health care. “Our clinic has always treated people from across our community, however we find that the demand for our services is ever increasing,” says Moira when asked about the evolution of the industry. “A doctor’s appointment, on average, lasts 9.2 minutes, waiting lists are well over target – people who are in pain should be able to access remedy and relief quicker – that is the service we provide to our community”. You can easily detect the seriousness of the matter in Moira’s voice again, speaking up for her family – her patients. The clinic was formed on foundations of family. Moira, Craig, Karen and the entire team have seen pain, joy and change. What family doesn’t? Family should stick with you through tough times and this is exactly what the family at the Willow Brook clinic will do for you.

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