After graduating, I joined the Newcastle Vocational Training scheme, doing hospital jobs around the North East and meeting my future wife Susan, a nurse. I then did a year of anaesthetics before joining Dick Edmunds in Jesmond, where we dragged the practice kicking and screaming into the 20th century! I developed an interest in cancer and became Cancer Lead for the PCT, then joined the LMC, eventually becoming Chair for eight years. I also chaired the local Practice Based Commissioning group which eventually became Newcastle North and East CCG. After retiring from clinical practice in 2012, I continued chairing the CCG until 2014 when I retired completely.
We have one son who is a policeman in Edinburgh and we are enjoying our retirement, travelling in the UK and abroad in our motorhome. For a few years, Dick Edmunds and I played together in a band with John Burn and I continued to play guitar and sing in other bands after retirement but I think my gigging days are done now! I also have a large OO gauge model railway which I have built in my loft over the last forty years but I’m not sure I should admit to that!