GP retires after 33 years in the town
AWELL-LOVED Southport GP is saying goodbye to his many patients – 33 years after following in his dad’s footsteps.
Dr Kebsi Naidoo retired from the Family Surgery, on Liverpool Road in Birkdale, in July 2016, three decades after he qualified as a GP. He opened the practice in 1988.
Although he left the surgery last year, he missed the chance to say goodbye to his patients after suffering a football injury just days before he was leaving.
He said: “I’m a big Liverpool fan and love football. Just before the bank holiday, I was playing five-aside and ruptured my achilles and ended up in hospital for the first time in my life.
“While I was there, I missed my final days at the practice and never got to say goodbye to all of my patients.
“Now that I am back on my feet I would personally like to thank all my patients, colleagues and friends for all their support over the years, and most of all my dear wife Jane.”
Kebsi’s father, Dr GR Naidoo, often known as Gary, also worked as a GP in the town after emigrating to the UK in the 1960s.
Before emigrating, Gary was a hugely successful GP in South Africa, running his own practice for 25 years and becoming the first non-white demonstrator at the prestigious Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg.
However, to give his seven children the best possible education and free them from apartheid, he gave his practice and belongings to charity and moved across the world to start a new life in Southport.
As well as working at the Leamington Road Surgery (now called the Ainsdale Village Surgery), he also delivered babies at St Catherine’s Hospital on the Promenade, worked as a dermatologist and trained other GPs.
All that hard work clearly had an inspirational effect, with Kebsi deciding to follow the same career path.
“My ambition was to emulate my father’s achievements and to continue in his footsteps,” he said.”
“I opened my practice, The Fam- ily Surgery in 1988 and had 180 patients. With dedication and endeavour, I built the practice to its current list of more than 4,000 patients.”
“For that, I want to say thank you to my dad and all my friends and patients over the years.”
The family trade is far from over though, with Kebsi still working part time at Aintree Hospital and his two daughters, Charlotte and Georgina, also working as GPs.
“I’m so happy to see my daughters carry on as GPs and helping people.
“The major highlight of my life and career was to attend the graduation ceremony of both my daughters when they graduated as General Practitioners in 2015 and 2016”.