Doctor takes ‘very well-earned’ retirement after three decades serving patients

Staff at a GP surgery in town are sad to see a doctor take a “very well-earned” retirement following his long service to patients.The Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries have announced the retirement of their longstanding GP partner, Dr Ian Hotchin.Dr Hotchin has served the community for 34 years, and will bring the curtain down on his career at the end of March.

He has been a partner at Southgates Medical Centre for more than three decades. Southgates merged with The Woottons in 2016, and he has also been covering patients there in more recent years.Dr Hotchin has had special interests in substance misuse and palliative care, and has worked for years at the Tapping House Hospice in Hillington, covering ward rounds for end-of-life patients.He has also been a trainer and mentored more than 50 GPs throughout his career. Emma Batchelor, practice manager at the Lynn surgeries, said: “Dr Hotchin has cared for thousands of patients during his career, many of who, we are sure, will miss him dearly.“He has been a huge support to his friends and colleagues at Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries throughout the years and has been senior partner for the last eight years. “We all wish him and his wife Jo, who also retired recently from a nursing career of more than 40 years, a very happy, healthy and long retirement.”The patient participation group has advised: “Given that Dr Hotchin is well-known to many members of the PPG given his exceptionally long service at the practice, coupled with the fact that he was a key trainer of new GPs, the group was really sorry to learn of his retirement – accepting, however, that it was very well-earned.“As a mark of their appreciation, the PPG presented Dr Hotchin with a small gift to mark his retirement.”