STAFF and patients have bid a fond farewell to Dr Tom Bell, who retired last week after serving the town's practice for 28 years.

Dr Bell celebrated his retirement last Friday at the practice with colleagues (pictured right). He trained at Guy's Hospital in London, and worked in hospitals for ten years. He spent a brief spell working in New Zealand and Fiji before settling in South Zeal. He started working at Okehampton Medical Centre in 1985, until his final day last Friday.

Dr Bell said he was sad to leave, but felt the major NHS changes taking place marked a good time to bow out from the practice. He also felt the practice had a bright future, with the construction of the new medical building on the former cottage hospital site making good progress.

He said: 'In many ways I will be sad to leave as we have a good team here and I will miss the staff and partners, though I have to say it is also a bit of a relief!

'The last thing the NHS needs right now with the ongoing financial situation is a major re-organisation. If there hadn't been that re-organisation I might have stayed on another couple of years, but that helped make my decision.

'When I started we worked in a building with a flat roof back in 1985. We moved into portable cabins in the Mill Road car park by the toilets for a year while that building was torn out and replaced with this one.

'The partners bought the old hospital and the site to try and protect the car parking for patients and if possible the old hospital building. We were very sad to lose it, but it became impossible to keep it.

'The new building will offer a huge improvement of facilities, and expansion of services that will serve the centre for another 30 to 50 years at least.

'I found it depressing trying to save the old hospital building and failing.

'The new building offers a fresh start for the centre and services, and I am very optimistic for the centre's future.'

Alison Shelton, practice manager, worked with Dr Bell for 15 years. She said: 'It has been an absolute pleasure to work with him. He is in my view, one of the last traditional old time family doctors around.

'All of us wish him the very best.

'Okehampton Medical Centre and all his patients will sorely miss him.'