Praise for retiring hospital consultant

Dr Andy Mellon will retire this summer after 24 years as a consultant paediatrician at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

He has fulfilled a front line role throughout this time, combining it with his educationalrole representing Newcastle University’ s Medical School at South Tyne side and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.

DrMellonisnot leaving the trust completely, however, as from the autumn, he will continue to do some limited clinical work in paediatric gastroenterology.

Trust chief executive Ken Bremner said: “Over the course of almost a quarter of a century, Andy has worked to support the needs of countless local children and their families.

“Alongside this extremely important, high-pressure role, he has worked tirelessly in the field of medical education – training and inspiring the doctors of the future.

“On behalf of the trust, I’d like to thank him for his fantastic contribution.”

Dr Mellon, whose work has covered general and emergency paediatric medicine,aswellaspaediatricgastroenterology, said: “I want to thank everyone in the trust who has been involved in helping me in my clinical role and since my first undergraduate teaching role as clinical skills lead way back in 1999. “I have been blessed over the years to work with a fantastic group of colleagues who look after each other and I have also been privileged to share in the lives of thousands of children and their families.

“Hopefully, I have been able to provide them with help and support when they have needed it and I will miss my contact with them.”