A Trowbridge GP has retired after working for 27 years at Bradford Road Medical Centre.

Dr Steve Rowlands, 60, from Holt, was senior partner at the practice until Monday. He will continue his role as chairman of the Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

He said: “Being chair and senior partner was two full-time jobs and the CCG is a new challenge and new direction.

“It is a huge responsibility being chair (of CCG) but I love the role.”

Dr Rowlands is also hoping to ‘improve my game of golf’ and spend more time with his wife and grown-up children.

He said: “I have mixed emotions. It is very sad. There has been lots of laughter and tears.

“I have got hundreds of cards from patients and I will miss them. The patients and staff have been wonderfully kind.

“I have seen a lot of changes. When I first started out we had a 24-hour commitment, where you had to work five days a week, plus every third weekend and every third night.”

The doctor worked in Bermuda and the South Pacific and spent a year training at Adcroft Surgery in Trowbridge before starting at BRMC.

He said he was particularly thank grateful toJane Milton, practice manager at BRMC, and Lesley Mortlock, the practice’s office manager.

He said: “They grew up with me and learnt the job.”

Dr Ian Swan, of BRMC, said: “Steve’s sense of humour and his charisma will be greatly missed by us all at BRMC.”

l Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group is continuing discussions with NHS colleagues over proposals to centralise vascular surgery, Wiltshire Council’s Health Select Committee was told recently. The proposals, announced earlier this year, would mean patients having to travel to Bournemouth, Bristol or Cheltenham.