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Timaru House Surgery
Timaru House Surgery
This was a small terraced cottage, from where the Doctors lived and worked. It was diagonally opposite the Dun Cow and was demolished in the early 1970s(?)
When Dr.Foster worked from Timaru House patients waited in the backyard and then moved into the back kitchen to sit on wooden benches.
In Dr. Summerville's time patients came in through the front door and waited in the hall until it was their turn, sometimes for as long as two hours. At a certain time the door would be locked and no more patients would be admitted for that surgery. A large grandfather clock ticked away as everybody sat in silence. The doctor would examine and treat patients, stitching, bandaging and mixing medicines. There was no nurse. After being seen patients would leave through the back door into the yard and out into the back lane.
In about the early 1940s a young Dr Fairbairn took over the Practice. He introduced an appointment system (new at that time). When he, his young wife and two sons later moved to Holmeside Avenue he had a dispensary built in the back yard and employed a dispenser. The treatment room became a waiting room. His house in Holmeside Avenue had a treatment room at the front, just off the hall, which Dr Brown used as an anti-natal clinic.
Dr. Brown who became Dr. Fairbairn's partner lived at the bottom of Carr's Bank (now Dunston Bank)
The Health Centre
A new Health Centre was built in 1970, on the field at the Four Lane Ends, and the Timaru Practice moved there. When Dr. Fairbairn retired in 1975 Dr. Brown joined with Dr. Cross and Dr Aitchison. The two practices now used the Health Centre and Glenpark Surgery on Ravensworth Road. In 1976 Dr. Holmes joined the Practice, followed by Dr. Prudhoe in 1980.
Other Practices
At one time in the 1930s to 1950s there were four doctors in Dunston, all working in their own practices:-
Dr. Summerville Dr. Wilther or Wilthew Dr. Dougall and Dr. Hanson
Dr. Wilther had his Practice in a terraced house on Ravensworth Road. When he retired in about the 1940s Dr. Kelly took over. After the War Dr J M Finnerty joined the Practice followed by a lady doctor, Brannigan and later by Dr. Pannu.
The surgery moved to the top of Ravensworth Road when Dr. Ranu joined.
1994 - 1999 Drs. Pannu, Ranu, Rajan
2000 Drs. Pannu, Ranu and Roberts.
This practice now has surgeries at Bensham and Lobley Hill.
Dr Dougall started up on his own at Glenpark, which he built in 1905. He married two years later. After the three children were born he bought the house at right angles to Glenpark in the road running up the left side and knocked through, so the family could live there, away from the hustle and bustle of the very busy practice. The original nursery was immediately above the surgery and they found it impossible to keep the children quiet during surgery hours.
Later he took on a partner, Dr Alec Hanson, who became a great family friend. Dr Dougall died in 1935. His wife then ran the practise with locums until his son qualified in about 1936 or 37, when he took over at Glenpark. Dr Alec Hanson was still there too at the outbreak of war and held the fort until the end of the war when Dr Dougall’s son was released from the services and returned to Glenpark. He then sold the practice (to his mother’s great horror – she felt quite betrayed) and he moved to Bath.
In 1914 Dr Dougall presented a cup to the Scouts to be competed for annually. It was for Ambulance work. In 1978 the competition was changed to Emergencies. The cup was still being competed for in 1988.
Dr. Hanson a very flamboyant man always wore a flower in his buttonhole. He practised from his house in The Crescent. He was succeeded by Dr Thompson, followed by Dr Simpson. The Practice moved then to Chirton House, 1 Spoor Street.
At one time all the doctors' wives helped in the Practice. Before the National Health Service was introduced in 19? a way of paying for treatment, at that time, was a payment of a weekly amount of a few pence. This was collected each week and was called "The Panel", a type of insurance.