Dr Currie Retires

Having joined ” Charlotte Street” on April Fool’s Day [!],1990, I am retiring from clinical practice on 31st March, after 32 years. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has stuck with me throughout this time. It has been an honour and a privilege to have shared in the highs and lows of several generations of families.

There have been many changes over the years not just affecting the practice of medicine but also affecting the way that our services are delivered. This has been particularly noticeable to service users over the past two years on account of the current pandemic. I wish to thank everyone for your patience and understanding during this very challenging time.

I must also make special mention here regarding my admiration and respect for each and every member of the Charlotte Medical Practice team; receptionists/call handlers, doctors, nursing staff, administrators, management and secretarial staff, the cleaners who come in at the end of the day to clean up after us, and of course all of the attached Health Board staff who now make up our expanding Multi-disciplinary Team – community nursing, pharmacists, mental health nurses, and physiotherapy.

In an era of increasing need for services even before the pandemic, and a reduced capacity to provide them on account of covid-19, it has never been more important for us as patients, to see the right person, for the right problem, at the right time, and in the right place. This is the reason you will often be called back by an experienced member of the clinical team, rather than to be offered an appointment or to be invited to come in and wait. In turn therefore, it often looks as if the surgery is almost empty when you come in! But please be assured, it continues to run at full pelt behind the scenes! Over the past two years your co-operation has ensured that the surgery has neither been a source of community spread of covid-19 nor has the Practice had to close on any occasion on account of a major outbreak amongst staff.

I am happy to say that I am leaving “Charlotte Street” [as many of you affectionately still call her!] in an excellent state of health! We have been fortunate enough to have recruited some excellent new doctors and staff generally, and with very little turnover they do tend to stay! Please continue to look after them all!

Finally, and most importantly… best wishes for the future.

Dr Robbie Currie