Family doctors of years gone by

[Ray1]

My old family GP was Dr Jack Anderson on Foxhill. Was there all my younger life till I left school. Then in 1973 I was put under a doctor at the chest clinic and I am still with that doctor now. His name is Paul Anderson, the son of Jack Anderson. Pauls brother is also a Doctor at the Hallamshire who also did some work on me...............Not a bad coincidence. They were/are all very good Doctors, I wouldnt want to be treated by any other.

[chunkyfunky]

Kidorry Dr O'Leary was my G.P for many years from the age of 4 up to my second pregnancy as I had moved to Norfolk Park by then and he said that I was out of his district. Wish there were Dr's like him now.

[docmel]

For years and years our family GP was Dr Smillie - he had a practise down on St Mary's gate near the Church.

[Rachylou]

We went to Dr Baker on Wadsley lane for years, he brought me into the world and looked after me until I was a teenager.

 

He was great and would always do home visits.

 

The surgery was scary to visit, you had to go in and speak into a microphone to say who you were, no sight of a receptionist then. You all had to sit around the tiny waiting room and remember the order you had arrived in, sometimes we waited hours, I don't think he had a partner, there was only him on.

 

His only son killed himself and I don't think he ever recovered from that, and then Dr Baker and his wife both died in a plane crash on Lanzerote (I think), very sad.

 

Aah Dr Baker was also my Dr and i remember everything you have said. I remember the day my mum came into the front room and told us about the plane crash, I was only about 6 or 7 but i'll never forget him, he was lovely.

Rachael

[Caz1]

i wouldn't dream of naming names but when i was young we had a family doctor who was well into his eighties. I was taken ill one day, room was spinning (not booze as only 11), couldn't taste anything, brown urine, bad headache. Mum called doctor who said i had indigestion and suggested i drink milk and stay in bed. Twice this happened and it was only when my eyes started turning yellow that mum decided to ask for junior partner. He immediately diagnosed hepetitus and sent me to lodgemoor hospital isolation for 2 weeks. Also the same doctor prescribed my mum who had bronchitus with ear drops and heart tablets. It was only because the chemist queried it that it was picked up. however for some reason we didn't dream of complaining. Because he wasnt only our doctor but a well respected friend. maybe it was stupid as now people complain over everything.

[Minimo]

When we were kids our dr was Dr Blake. I can`t remember where his surgery was but we lived on Lansdowne Rd, off London Rd so somewhere round that area. He was incredibly kind when our dad died in 1954 leaving mum with 3 kids of 7 5 and 15 months. That first xmas he brought mum a box of groceries and little luxuries. A real star. Sadly I believe he killed himself many years later.

[Kidorry]

My brother & I were talking about our Dr. O`leary last night. He once took my brother out of work, because, one time when my brother had tonsilitis,which he had quite often,he went back to work before Dr. o`leary had signed him off.The doctor made an un-announced home visit and asked where my brother was.His wife said he was much better so he had gone back to work(no sick pay in those days).The doctor asked where he worked & went straight down & gave the firm a rollocking for letting him start before he was signed off & told my brother to get himself back home.Can you see them taking that much interest today?He was a great doctor.

[Grandad.Malky]

.The doctor asked where he worked & went straight down & gave the firm a rollocking for letting him start before he was signed off & told my brother to get himself back home.Can you see them taking that much interest today?He was a great doctor.

 

Earlier this year I was signed of for one month by a doctor at the hospital, as he wrote the note he said :-

 

“If you drive a car you are not insured because I have told you not to and if you go to work your employer is liable because I have signed you off.”

 

I took is advice.

 

 

Going back to family doctors , on the rare occasion I went I was always greeted by my first name, I thought to myself he would just be reading from the notes.

Years after he had retired I bumped into him in the supermarket and he still knew my name, you wouldn’t get that now, you unlikely to even see the same doctor twice.

[hennypenny]

It was lovely when they used to look after a family from the cradle to the grave and knew all the family members. I also remember Dr Baker seeing my sister playing out in the garden and calling in to rollock my parents as she should have been in bed following an appendicitis operation.

 

Mind you fairly recently Dr Purdy (he has just retired) called to see a patient and found they hadn't been able to make themselves any food that day so he rolled up his sleeves and cooked them some tea

[hillsbro]

We went to Dr Baker on Wadsley lane for years, he brought me into the world and looked after me until I was a teenager. He was great and would always do home visits.

... I don't think he had a partner, there was only him on.

 

His only son killed himself and I don't think he ever recovered from that, and then Dr Baker and his wife both died in a plane crash on Lanzerote (I think), very sad.

 

I remember this well; the plane was approaching Tenerife and crashed mainly due to pilot error - see http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1980/1980-20.htm

 

As you say, it wasn't a group practice; Dr Baker liked to look after his own patients himself and was always willing to visit. He was the staff doctor at the Northern General where I worked 1969-70, and was also held in high regard there.