In the 19th century Thornbury was provided with medical care by a number of apothecaries and surgeons practising from their own homes. At the beginning of the 20th century Dr E M Grace (brother of Dr W G Grace of the Gloucestershire cricket playing family) saw patients at Park House, and Dr L H Williams, who came to Thornbury in 1895, practised from Oriel House on Castle Street. Dr Williams was also medical officer to the workhouse (the present Thornbury Hospital) and public vaccinator.
In 1925 he went into partnership with Dr David Prowse, who with his wife Dorothy practised from a surgery at 20 Castle Street, and lived a few doors away in Wigmore House. They had three children, Roger, Alison and Hilary, all of whom became general practitioners. Dr Roger Prowse joined his parents in the practice, and on their retirement. Dr John Causton, who had married Alison Prowse, joined Roger in 1959. As the population of Thornbury expanded in the early sixties, Dr M John Whallett joined as full time partner, and Drs Alison Causton and Diana Whallett, who were already doing locum sessions, joined as part time partners as their children grew older.
Around this time, there was a lot of debate in general practice about whether to join together in larger groups in local authority buildings, or stay in smaller practices owned by doctors. Drs Prowse, Causton and Whallett decide to move to the newly built Health Centre in 1965, and Dr Peter Ticehurst joined the partnership as Thornbury continued to grow.
In 1980 Dr Roger Prowse retired, and Dr W Harvey Burnham, who had recently returned from a position as senior medical officer on the South Atlantic island of St Helena, was appointed to the partnership. In 1981 Dr Peter Ticehurst unexpectedly moved to Ampleforth in Yorkshire, and Dr Peter Burney moved south from the other side of the Pennines to take his place. On 1990 and 1991, Drs Alison and John Causton retired, and were replaced by Dr Clive Roberts and Dr W John Foubister respectively, taking the partnership to 5 full time and one part time partner. Contact with the Prowse family continued though since Hilary, working under her married name as Dr Newton, undertook regular locums in the practice till the end of the decade. When part of the Thornbury Hospital site was redeveloped, we were pleased as a practice to see the name Prowse Close was chosen to mark the family’s long association with medical care in the town.
In 1997 Dr John Whallett retired and Dr Gregory Clarke (complete with fish tank) joined us. Dr Diana Whallett continued as a part time partner until she joined John in retirement in 2001, and was replaced by Dr Briony Lodge.
2003 was a difficult year for the practice. Dr Roberts moved to a partnership in Horfield, and Dr Burnham took early retirement, as did our practice manager! Dr Allan Harris joined the team, moving from a Gloucester surgery, and Dr Helen Bradley moved from Rotherham to bring the partnership back to full strength.
The early years of this decade have seen a major expansion in the practice team, with increasing numbers of nurses and administrative staff to cope with a greater emphasis on preventative care in the community, driven by government policy and new GP contracts. Most practices would like to see a period of consolidation, but change continues at an increasing pace. Our future challenge relates to a replacement for the ageing Health Centre and Victorian hospital, to improve the medical services and care facilities for the people of Severnvale.
Dr Peter Burney 2007
