Two popular Wantage GPs bid farewell to the town (From The Oxford Times)

Two popular Wantage GPs bid farewell to the town

7:00am Wednesday 28th July 2010 in

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TWO local GPs are hanging up their stethoscopes after working in Wantage for a total of almost 60 years.

Dr Mark Drury, 58, joined the Church Street Practice in 1980, and Dr Phillip Ambler, 59, joined in 1982.

The pair are to retire from the practice, now in Mably Way, on Friday.

Two hundred patients attended a farewell party organised by the Patient Involvement Group in Old Mill Hall, Grove, last Friday.

Dr Ambler said he would miss the “sense of community” in Wantage.

The father-of-four said: “The people here are very friendly and involved. It has been a fantastic place to work and raise a family.”

Dr Drury, also a father-of-four, said: “We both want to say how lucky and privileged we feel to have worked here.

“All our patients have been amazingly supportive. Wantage values its local health centre.”

He added: “The farewell party was exceptional and we were overcome.”

The pair said the practice would continue to serve Wantage well without them.

Dr Ambler said: “We are optimistic for the future of the practice. The new practitioners coming in share the values of the centre.”

Dr Drury said: “The patients may feel a bit bereaved for a while, but they will come out ahead again, as always.”

He hopes to go to New Zealand to travel and to work. He also wants to travel to Alaska and South Africa, where he has friends.

Dr Ambler is retiring to Dorset and will take a 32-week course in boat-building.

Receptionist Jane King said: “They have been a delight to work with. They are a great pair of doctors. They are always joking and they will be missed by staff and patients.”

Fellow GP Dr Rickman Godlee said: “They will both be greatly missed by patients and staff alike.

“Dr Drury has been at the forefront of improving terminal care in the community. He set up and promoted the Gold Standard end-of-life care, and he was the practice’s lead for diabetes management and also started the Patient Involvement Group.

“Dr Ambler, who began his medical career in ophthalmology before moving into General Practice, continued looking after patients’ eyes not only in the practice and in the Wantage eye clinic, but also on his working holidays in Thailand and Burma.

“He dedicated a lot of his time to management, becoming chairman of the local Primary Care Group.”

John Price, from the Patient Involvement Group, said: “They have been absolutely fantastic.”

Mr Price, 79, of Barnards Way, said: “Both doctors are extremely skilled and both listen to their patients. I am sure their replacements will be as good as them, but it will take time to get to know them.

“Personally, people will miss them, but professionally the practice will carry on.”

Both doctors started at the practice when it was based in Church Street. The centre moved to Garston Lane before moving on to Mably Way.

The GPs’ places will be taken by Dr Matthew Gaw, who is already at the practice, and Dr Richard Carey, who starts next week.