A note from Dr Helen Burgess

Those of you who have visited Ladybarn Group Practice recently will have seen the new mural in the waiting room. Many of you will remember the original practice premises at 177 Mauldeth Road, next to the railway station, with its magnificent magnolia tree at the front. This is where my father, Dr Peter Burgess, first established Ladybarn Group Practice with Dr Stanley Goodman and Dr Peter Chronnell. He was a great advocate of the basic NHS principles of providing high-quality care, free at the point of contact, to families and individuals locally that did not discriminate on the grounds of age, gender identity, sexuality, infirmity, race, religion, or disability.

This is where I grew up as a child until 10 years of age and was also where I first joined the practice as a GP and worked alongside my father for 3 years, so it holds many memories for me. However, the old Victorian house was not suitable to meet the expanding range of services required of a modern General Practice, so a decision was taken to move to the current premises in 2005. We took out a tree preservation order on the magnolia tree, but unfortunately, the new owners did not comply with this, and the tree was cut down.

There have been many changes in the 34 years that I have been a doctor at Ladybarn Group Practice, and I have been reflecting on some of these over the past few months as I have made my decision that it is time for me to retire. Few of those changes have been as great as the challenges of past 2 years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and I am proud of the way that every member of staff here has risen to those challenges to enable the practice to continue to serve the people of our local community during this time.

I have always felt that being a GP is the best job in the world and - despite the physical and mental pressures that it brings - still feel this is the case. It has been my enormous privilege to be part of the lives of so many people, often at very difficult times in their lives, and I will always have very fond memories of my work here. I am confident that the present team of doctors and staff at Ladybarn Group Practice will continue to uphold the principles established by my father to the people of Burnage, Withington, Fallowfield and the surrounding area in the years to come.

The new mural is my retirement gift to the practice; I hope it will bring a bit of colour and joy to the waiting area and remind you of the story of this practice.

My best wishes to you all

Dr Helen Burgess