CELEBRITY GP Mark Porter is hoping to diagnose the right answers when he takes his position on the famous Mastermind black chair.

Dr Porter, who lives in Minchinhampton, will appear on the Christmas edition of hit BBC quiz show Celebrity Mastermind to raise money for Stroud charity Meningitis Now.

The GP, who is a patron of Meningitis Now, will take to the chair with his chosen specialist subject history of the Porsche 911 car as well as a general knowledge round.

As a result, Meningitis Now will receive a donation from the BBC.

The popular programme, presented by John Humphrys, will be aired on Thursday, January 2 at 7pm on BBC One.

Sue Davie, chief executive of Meningitis Now, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Mark for taking part in the show on our behalf.

“Both the donation and the publicity for us on a prime time TV show are fantastic. We’re all looking forward to watching the programme.”

Dr Porter is the doctor on BBC’s The One Show and presenter of Radio 4′s flagship medical series Inside Health.

He is a familiar face to millions and one of the most experienced media medics in the UK.

Since joining the BBC in 1992 he has worked across the corporation’s various media, including 10 years as the health editor on Radio Times and eight years presenting Radio 4′s Case Notes.

Dr Porter spent five years working in hospitals before moving into general practice in 1990 where he still works today in Wotton-under-Edge. He was appointed MBE in 2005 for services to medicine. Meningitis Now was formed in 2013 after the merger of Meningitis Trust and Meningitis UK.

The merger will enable the Meningitis Trust and Meningitis UK to continue funding their key areas of focus, preventative research and lifelong support,while building on the education and awareness work of both organisations.

There are an estimated 3,400 cases of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia each year in the UK and one in ten people who get bacterial meningitis will die, while one in three will be left with life-changing after-effects such as brain damage or limb loss.

The Government is currently considering bringing in a new vaccine to protect babies against meningitis B, which accounts for 50 per cent of cases.

Representatives of Meningitis Now took a petition containing more than 20,000 signatures calling on the Government to sanction the introduction of the new vaccine to Downing Street in October.

For more on Meningitis Now, the disease and how to support the charity visit meningitisnow.org