A DOCTOR who has spent more than 30 years treating patients across Tendring and Colchester has bid farewell to the profession. 

Dr John Hoskyns, 61, of Lawford, worked as a GP in Tendring and Colchester for more than 30 years.

Although being a doctor runs in the family, Dr Hosykns initially aspired to be a tank driver when he was younger.

He said: “I wanted to be a tank driver because I was interested in military history when I was younger, I made model air kits and things like that and used to go to the Imperial War Museum in London which was quite a treat.

“My father was a GP in Great Oakley, where I was born, and he had a strong knowledge of the job.

“I saw him work and the way he related to people which motivated me, my older brother also went into medicine so in my late teens as I was quite interested in science as well I decided to pursue being a doctor.”

Dr Hoskyns qualified from Cambridge University and Middlesex Hospital in 1986.

He did his initial training in Ipswich Hospital and worked for 18 months in the anaesthetic department before going to the Luton Dunstable Hospital to train as a GP.

Dr Hoskyns did further GP surgery training in Harpenden before working in Tendring and Colchester practices until 2003.

He joined Riverside Health Centre in Manningtree until his retirement at the end of September.

Dr Hoskyns said: “I am also really interested in music and theatre, throughout my time in Cambridge and an other hospital I was always involved in something theatrical or musical.

“Before working at Riverside I ran a music and theatre production company, MM Productions, alongside working as a GP so I’d do several surgeries a day and pop into Colchester to oversee the company.”

One of Dr Hoskyns’ main medical interests is in diabetes for which he was the practice lead at Riverside Health Centre.

He added: “When I got into diabetes it wasn’t as well structured as it is now, most of the specialty on diabetes was done in hospitals, GPs didn’t get too involved.

“The diabetes field was growing quickly because of rising obesity across the country, I got involved in a group working on it, that group became the North East Essex Diabetes Service (NEEDS).

“In order to become the diabetes lead in the practice I did some postgraduate training, it grew and me and was a role I really enjoyed, I developed more expertise and worked well with diabetes nurse Jo Weeden.”

Dr Hosykns was also the practice’s representative at The Colte Partnership, In June 2017 partners of nine GP practices across Colchester and Tendring merged their practice partnerships to form a super-partnership.

He said: “For the past ten years there has been a lot of concern about how GP’s are running, five years ago there was a great push to get GPs merged to form larger entities and super partnerships.

“NHS England was pushing for this and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) was also enthusiastic, thus The Colte Partnership was formed.

“Since then things have changed with the new political climate and are now pulling back from the partnerships and diverting attention to primary care networks..

Dr Hoskyns has been a member of the Brantham Amateur Theatrical Society (BATS) since 2017 and will increase his involvement as he has retired.

He added: “Throughout my years I found work was about moulding the team around me, I chose practice manager Mel Lodge who was wonderful and the staff were really supportive as well.”

The next show at BATS is musical romantical comedy Guys and Dolls in February 2023, for more information visit batsonline.co.uk/upcoming-shows.