I was born in Nottingham and grew up in Liverpool – the place to be in the 60s! From a young age I expressed a strong desire to study medicine and in 1970 followed in my brother’s footsteps to The London Hospital Medical and Dental College.
As a student I developed an interest in child health, spending a three month elective period at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore studying paediatric neuro-development. Following qualification I worked in paediatric departments at Guy’s and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals, achieving college membership in 1979.
Wanting to be more involved in continuity of care, family practice, and also the meeting of my wife who is from Somerset, led to me re-locating to Exeter in 1980 to train as a general practitioner. Two years later I was offered the opportunity to take over a long-established single-handed practice here in Totnes from Dr Barry Shelmerdine.
Since this time the practice has grown considerably, moving from Bridgetown to the centre of town in 1983, then building Catherine House in 1987, and the addition of three doctors – the latest actually being my son.
I have a passion for helping the development of future generations of doctors and have been involved in GP training for 30 years, and since the opening of The Peninsula Medical School in 2002 the practice has welcomed medical students at various stages of their training.
Alongside practice commitments I hold key roles in the development of the medical school in undergraduate and postgraduate education. This includes work as an examiner at several medical schools and The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. I spent some time at Harvard Medical School in 2010 and was recently appointed an Associate Professor in Clinical Education. I am a Director of The Academy of Medical Educators.
I consider myself immensely fortunate to have lived and raised a family in such a beautiful area. During my spare time I enjoy walking our Cavalier King Charles spaniels, collecting antique maps and following the variable fortunes of Everton Football Club.
