The practice was first established around 1895 when Dr Andrew Donald a Glasgow graduate began practicing as a GP in Draycott.
He had lodgings on South St with a family named Sheldon. He had no surgery and saw his patients by traveling around the area on his cycle or horse. As well as Draycott he also took on patients from Borrowash, Hopwell and Breaston.
In time he married Maud Sheldon and they moved to a house “Bower Villa” near the corner of Derby Road and Hopwell Road which then became known as “Donald’s House”. He practiced from the front room so this became the first of the surgery premises and around 1920 he opened a branch surgery at Breaston. Apparently he was often reputed to say “Oh yes, Oh yes, put him down and let him pass away!”
He had an association though not a partnership with Dr James Smith from what was to become the Overdale practice, who came to Borrowash in 1924 and they shared a surgery in the front room of what is now the Borrowash Post Office.
Dr John Clyde joined Dr Donald around 1927, he lodged at “Brookfield” in Breaston which then became the branch surgery and he worked in the practice until 1935 then moving on to the Bristol area.
Another partner Dr William Main an Edinburgh graduate joined around 1927 who lived at “The Birches” on Station Road in Borrowash and the practice developed a branch surgery there. Dr Main died suddenly in 1937.
In 1935 Dr Donald took on another partner Dr Christie who came from Banff, an Aberdeen graduate who qualified in 1932. He worked as a locum in Appleby where he met and married a Gladys Bulchart . Dr Christie moved into “Brookfield” on Derby Rd Breaston which continued as a branch surgery.
As part of the partnership agreement Dr Donald insisted Dr Christie should employ 2 maids, a cook, and a parlour maid to answer the door to patients. The parlour maid had a bad stutter and once when answering the door she upset a patient who stuttered and thought she was taking the “Mickey”.
Dr Christie was called up in 1941 to the 5th Army RAMC where he served in Italy and North Africa until 1945.
His 2nd wife recalls the many years she used to act as a receptionist, answer the doorbell and the phone.
Dr Stanley Neilson-Dow was introduced as a partner in 1937 who moved into “The Birches” at Borrowash. Around this time the practice established branch surgeries in Chaddesden which was rapidly being developed in the 1930’s, which led to the practice working from rented rooms initially at Spinney Road around 1943 then at 79 Chaddesden Park Road, open 2-3pm Monday to Friday.
In addition there was a part time surgery rented from Mrs Fearn at 83 Nottingham Road, Spondon opposite the Crown Inn which remained open until 1972 and was open for 1 hour twice a week.
During the war a number of different assistants helped the practice to cope. Dr Dow used to carry out tonsillectomies at home! No waiting lists then!
Dr Christie was called up in 1941 to the 5th Army RAMC where he served in Italy and North Africa until 1945.
His 2nd wife recalls the many years she used to act as a receptionist, answer the doorbell and the phone.
In 1955 when the practice consisted of 7,500 patients the partners purchased a plot of land opposite from Alice Parnell and the practice became one of the first in the area to move across the road into purpose built premises at 5 Northwood Avenue in 1957. This building was extended in1977 and 1986.
In 1968 Dr Sykes from the Overdale practice explored the possibility of amalgamating the 2 practices together, but no decision was ever reached. In 1978 the practice was even considering closing the Chaddesden surgery but this never happened.
Finally the practice moved from Northwood Avenue into the present Chaddesden surgery built in 1991 and it was extended again in 1998 and 2008.
The Borrowash surgery transferred from Station Road to the present building which was opened in 1970 and was further extended in 1979 and 1993.
The latest development was in 1999 when the practice expanded to a third site by taking over the care of students at The University of Derby, making us the largest practice in Southern Derbyshire.
Over the years of multiple, sometimes complex changes within the NHS, the Practice has remained agile to adapt to these often enforced changes. The Practice currently forms part of the Primary Care Network (PCN) with neighbouring Overdale Medical Practice with the aim of collaborative partnership working.
Doctors Past and Present
Dr Donald c1895-1946
Dr Clyde c1927-1935
Dr Main c1927-1937
Dr Christie 1935-1948
Dr Dow 1937-1968
Dr Russell 1949-1980
Dr Paveley 1955-1991
Dr Stark 1960-1991
Dr Hedley 1966-1995
Dr Hamilton 1969-1975
Dr Hunt 1975-1992
Dr Doughty 1976-1985
Dr Thomson 1979-2014
Dr Disney 1985-2022
Dr James 1986-present
Dr Keeling 1987-2018
Dr Rivers 1992-2014
Dr Cox 1992-2021
Dr Hollis 1992-1993
Dr Fieldhouse 1994-2017
Dr Stephenson 1995-1996
Dr Hill 2005-present
Dr Horry 2005-2016
Dr Register 2005-present
Dr Stadtgen-Wicks 2005-present
Dr Burnett 2006-present
Dr Hampshire 2011-present
Dr Lim 2012-present
Dr Mustafa 2013-present
Dr Power 2015-2015
Dr Millar-Craig 2015-2017
Dr Clark 2016 – 2017
Dr Furness 2017-2019
Dr Coxon 2017-2019
Dr Ludlow 2017-2019
Dr Zocchi 2017-2018
Dr Wright 2018-2019
Dr Notley 2018-present
Dr Pooley 2018-2020
Dr Tumurugoti 2019-2020
Dr Meyer 2019-present
Dr Robertson 2020-present
Dr Youngs 2020-2022
Dr Stewart 2020-present
Dr Jones 2021 – present
Dr Alva 2022 – present
Dr Mathew 2022 – present
Dr Mistry 2023 – present