A much-loved GP, who has spent almost a quarter of a century caring for families in Newton Aycliffe, has announced her retirement from Bewick Crescent Surgery.
After more than 24 years serving the town, the doctor says she leaves the profession with “wonderful memories” and immense gratitude to the patients and colleagues who shaped her career.
Her journey into medicine was not entirely straightforward.
“When I was at school, I always wanted to be a vet,” she said. “But my biology teacher told me I wasn’t clever enough and suggested that if I wanted to work with animals, I should marry a farmer!”
A change in direction came when she was around 14 years old and visiting her grandmother in hospital.
“There were lots of very good-looking doctors taking care of my nan and I remember thinking maybe becoming a doctor was a better idea. I’m not sure where all the good-looking doctors went, but it definitely was a great idea and one I don’t regret for a second.”
She went on to study medicine at the University of Liverpool before completing her house jobs at Bishop Auckland General Hospital.
After graduating, she undertook four years of GP training — though Newton Aycliffe was never originally part of the plan.
“I was supposed to complete both of my GP attachments at a practice in Bishop Auckland,” she explained. “But one of the GP trainers stepped down from their training role and luckily Bewick Crescent GP Dr Gordon Ferguson agreed to take me on at Bewick Crescent Surgery.”
Dr Lund (or Hewitt as she was then) later secured a permanent role after Dr Martin Jones offered her a job following the retirement of Dr Saunders.
Reflecting on more than two decades in general practice, she acknowledged how dramatically the profession has changed.
“The demand and pressures on general practice are higher than ever and the system is grossly underfunded,” she said. “We now live in a world of instant gratification, where people can order food or shopping on their phones and have it delivered within the hour, so naturally people also want to be seen quickly no matter how minor their problem.”
Despite the challenges, she says she has truly loved her job.
“It has been an honour and my privilege to do what I do,” she said. “I have met so many fantastic patients and families over the years and have worked with some very special individuals, who have become friends as well as being colleagues. I take with me wonderful memories from my time at Bewick Crescent Surgery.”
She added: “People still continue to amaze me to this day. It is sad that many people dislike their job, but I can honestly say I have absolutely loved mine.”
She also paid tribute to her colleagues and the wider community.
“I have worked as part of an incredible team, and the town and people of Newton Aycliffe have been a huge part of my life. I will always hold that fondly in my heart.”
Dr Lund plans to spend more time with her family, especially parents, spend more time outdoors, (rather than sitting at her desk in Room 8,) hiking, swimming and canoeing. She is also considering becoming a community first responder volunteer for the rural village where she lives and surrounding local area, to assist with the longer ambulance response times to reach rural patients. She also plans to travel back to Kenya to support the tiny clinic on the edge of the Maasai Mara where she worked as part of her sabbatical in January 2025.
As she steps away from medicine, patients and colleagues alike are expected to remember her, not only for her years of dedication, but also for the warmth, humour and compassion she brought to generations of families across the town and her expertise in women’s health.