'Fortunate' Dales GP retires after nearly 20 years

A GP who spent nearly 20 years serving remote communities in the Yorkshire Dales has described himself as "a fortunate man" following his retirement.

With just 1,600 patients, Reeth Medical Centre was the smallest GP surgery in North Yorkshire and one of the smallest in the country before its closure on 29 May.

Dr Mike Brookes, who has served the population of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale since 2007, paid tribute to patients and colleagues in a farewell message alongside his wife Marie, the practice manager.

He said over time they had become "like an extended family".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Central Dales Practice, based at health centres in Aysgarth and Hawes, will now run services from Reeth Medical Centre three days a week, with the surgery due to reopen on Tuesday.

Brookes said he had been inspired to become a GP by the book A Fortunate Man by John Berger, which tells the story of a rural doctor working in the New Forest during the 1960s.

"Like the doctor whose story inspired me then, I too can say that I have been a fortunate man," he said.

Brookes said a career in general practice had not been his original plan.

He joined the Army with ambitions to specialise in trauma or reconstructive surgery, but his experiences during the Iraq conflict changed his direction.

"As the sole doctor in a remote setting, I was responsible for everything from routine care to emergencies," he said.

"It opened my eyes to the role of a GP."

After leaving the Army, he was offered a role in Reeth and took over the practice with his wife following his predecessor's retirement.

He added: "Our philosophy has always been to ask ourselves, is this the standard of care I would want for my own family?

"I hope we have remained true to that principle as much as possible."

• 'Loss of our only GP has made us feel scared'

Brookes said deciding to leave had been difficult, particularly as efforts to recruit a successor over the past six years had failed.

He said changes in the NHS and shifting attitudes towards rural practices had made recruitment more challenging.

Despite this, he said he and his wife had been "deeply grateful" for the support shown by the community, including messages, gifts and a collection organised by former medical centre worker Adele Heggie.

Heggie said both would be "deeply missed".

"They think of him as a friend," she said.

Marie had also helped them "by just being on the other end of the phone", she added, "just as much as Mike helps them when they've got a medical issue".

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