About Us

Practice History

The practice was first established around 1895 when Dr Andrew Donald a Glasgow graduate began practicing as a GP in Draycott. He had lodgings on South St with a family named Sheldon. He had no surgery and saw his patients by traveling around the area on his cycle or horse. As well as Draycott he also took on patients from Borrowash, Hopwell and Breaston.

In time he married Maud Sheldon and they moved to a house "Bower Villa" near the corner of Derby Road and Hopwell Road which then became known as "Donald's House". He practiced from the front room so this became the first of the surgery premises and around 1920 he opened a branch surgery at Breaston. Apparently he was often reputed to say "Oh yes, Oh yes, put him down and let him pass away!"

He had an association though not a partnership with Dr James Smith from what was to become the Overdale practice, who came to Borrowash in 1924 and they shared a surgery in the front room of what is now the Borrowash Post Office.

Dr John Clyde joined Dr Donald around 1927, he lodged at "Brookfield" in Breaston which then became the branch surgery and he worked in the practice until 1935 then moving on to the Bristol area.

Another partner Dr William Main an Edinburgh graduate joined around 1927 who lived at "The Birches" on Station Road in Borrowash and the practice developed a branch surgery there. Dr Main died suddenly in 1937.

In 1935 Dr Donald took on another partner Dr Christie who came from Banff, an Aberdeen graduate who qualified in 1932. He worked as a locum in Appleby where he met and married a Gladys Bulchart . Dr Christie moved into "Brookfield" on Derby Rd Breaston which continued as a branch surgery. As part of the partnership agreement Dr Donald insisted Dr Christie should employ 2 maids, a cook, and a parlour maid to answer the door to patients. The parlour maid had a bad stutter and once when answering the door she upset a patient who stuttered and thought she was taking the "Mickey".

Dr Christie was called up in 1941 to the 5th Army RAMC where he served in Italy and North Africa until 1945.

His 2nd wife recalls the many years she used to act as a receptionist, answer the doorbell and the phone.

Dr Stanley Neilson-Dow was introduced as a partner in 1937 who moved into "The Birches" at Borrowash. Around this time the practice established branch surgeries in Chaddesden which was rapidly being developed in the 1930's, which led to the practice working from rented rooms initially at Spinney Road around 1943 then at 79 Chaddesden Park Road, open 2-3pm Monday to Friday. In addition there was a part time surgery rented from Mrs Fearn at 83 Nottingham Road, Spondon opposite the Crown Inn which remained open until 1972 and was open for 1 hour twice a week.

During the war a number of different assistants helped the practice to cope. Dr Dow used to carry out tonsillectomies at home! No waiting lists then!

After Dr Donald died in 1946 Dr's Christie and Dow decided to separate the partnership and Dr Dow continued to practice from Borrowash, Spondon and Chaddesden. Dr Christie continued to work from Breaston until 1958 then joining Dr Duggan from the Overdale Practice. He retired in1971 selling "Brookfield" to Dr Crompton. At his retirement he recollected that he must have delivered about 1,000 babies.

Dr William Russell an ex RAMC major joined Dr Dow in 1946 and around then they bought land and built a pre-fabricated building on Northwood Avenue the site of the present scout hut where they transferred the surgery to. Dr Russell was also a clinical assistant for 25 years in the dermatology department of the DRI.

In 1955 for a short period Dr Fraser Florence was an assistant in the practice. He was one of the first doctors who realized the association between thalidomide and fetal malformation and reported his suspicions in the British Medical Journal.

Dr Paveley joined in 1955 and became president of the Derby Medical Society as did Dr Hedley later.

In 1955 when the practice consisted of 7,500 patients the partners purchased a plot of land opposite from Alice Parnell and the practice became one of the first in the area to move across the road into purpose built premises at 5 Northwood Avenue in 1957. This building was extended in1977 and 1986.

In 1968 Dr Sykes from the Overdale practice explored the possibility of amalgamating the 2 practices together, but no decision was ever reached. In 1978 the practice was even considering closing the Chaddesden surgery but this never happened.

Finally the practice moved from Northwood Avenue into the present Chaddesden surgery built in 1991 and it was extended again in 1998.

The Borrowash surgery transferred from Station Road to the present building which was opened in 1970 and was further extended in 1979 and 1993.

The latest development was in 1999 when the practice expanded to a third site by taking over the care of students at The University of Derby, making us the largest practice in Southern Derbyshire..