Haringey GP of 40 years Dr J Pandya set to retire this week

Dr Jatin Pandya, 73, will end his career at JS Medical Practice on April 1.

He said that he would be leaving his profession “with his head held high”.

Dr J Pandya will step back alongside his wife, Raksha Pandya, practice manager, and his daughter, Dr Sejal Pandya, the other partner of JS Medical Practice.

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The Pandyas said that they hoped to travel together as a family, as they haven’t had the chance during their years at the practice.

Dr J Pandya added: “I enjoy golf – I haven’t had much opportunity to play over the last few years but I’m hoping to pick that up again.”

He said that his “career highlight” was when he received a MBE from Queen Elizabeth in 2004.

Dr J Pandya was awarded a MBE in 2004 (Image: JS Medical Practice)

The 73-year-old GP started working for the NHS 48 years ago, after he graduated from medical school in Surat, India, and took up a job at the Prince of Wales Hospital near Tottenham Green.

He said: “It’s been a privilege to be able to serve the population with whom I started my career.

“We’ve had such positive feedback from the patients – it’s unbelievable.”

Dr S Pandya, who joined the practice in 2006, remembered pictures she had taken as a child outside St Ann’s Hospital, in South Tottenham, where her father also worked before becoming a GP.

She said: “Little did I know that all those years later I would come back to Haringey to serve this population.

“I’m incredibly proud and happy that I’ve been able to give back to our roots. It’s quite nostalgic.”

Dr S Pandya said that she had taken the decision to take a step back from the practice at the same time as her father so that she could spend more time with her 10-year-old son, who recently had a major operation.

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JS Medical Practice, which has three sites in Philip Lane, Park Lane and Westbury Avenue, serving 13,000 patients across Haringey, will continue to run as usual over the next year, with its contract passing to another practice.

Mrs Raksha Pandya, who joined in 1999, said that she had “learnt a lot” during her time as practice manager.

She added: “The whole practice has got one ethos – it’s like a family practice and we really care for our patients and our employees as well.

“I just want to say thank you to all our patients.”