A POPULAR GP has hung up his stethoscope after caring for people in the upper dale for 27 years.
Patients in and around Middleton-in-Teesdale paid tribute to Dr Jonathan Nainby-Luxmoore during a retirement event at Utass (Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Service) last Wednesday.
Among many other things, Dr Nainby Luxmoore will be remembered for helping start the farming charity following a spate of suicides in the area.
He said: “We founded Utass in the first six months I was up here. It is fantastic to have seen it grow. It relieves the social isolation for farmers. It provides a safety net during crises and we try to pre-empt them. It helps prevent a lot of metal health issues.”
He added that Utass also provides excellent facilities for young people in the upper dale through its weekly youth clubs. Dr Nainby-Luxmoore came to Teesdale from the South.
The 60-year-old studied medicine for three years at Oxford before doing his residency at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, in London. An 11-year stint as an army doctor followed.
Dr Nainby Luxmoore said: “My departure was delayed because of the First Gulf War.”
Apart from serving at 34 Field Hospital in the Gulf, Dr Nainby-Luxmoore spent time in Hong Kong and Belize. He also did duty as a GP at Sandhurst. He said his arrival in Middleton-in-Teesdale 27 years ago could be attributed to a three line listing of a remote rural practice looking for a partner that appeared in a medical journal.
At the time he struggled to get an interview with the senior partner then Dr Peter Austin.
Dr Nainby-Luxmoore said: “He didn’t think an Oxford and Army background would fit in Teesdale.”
In those days between 40 and 50 doctors were applying for GP posts, he said.
After securing the interview, which included holding a surgery with patients, Dr Nainby-Luxmoore, was given the position. Since then he has developed a close bond with the community.
He said: “It has been a fantastic career. The most memorable thing for me is the practice team. It has always been a pleasure to come to work. Each day is a challenge and you have no idea what is going to happen.
“I have a lot of memories with the team and a lot of memories with the patients. It is a privilege to be involved with patients, you become an honorary family member. You are there during birth, serious illness and bereavement, so you build a close rapport with patients.”
He said that the main reason for his retirement was to spend time with his wife Sarah, something that was restricted while working up to 12 hours a day as a GP.
Although he is moving to the Isle of Wight, his links with the dale will remain strong as he continues as a trustee on the Utass board.
