Tribute to Wellingborough GP and 'flying' doctor

Tributes have been paid to a former Wellingborough GP and police ‘flying doctor’ who was awarded an MBE for his work attending emergencies across the county.

Dr Peter Gordon died following a two-year illness, at the age of 76, after a career of caring for others as a family doctor and medical responder. He received his medal in the 2012 New Year’s Honours.

It was a role that he enjoyed and he volunteered his services helping at blue light incidents after his retirement as a police surgeon with the call sign ‘Medic One’.

He originally applied for the job in Wellingborough to distance himself from his family – both his parents and one of his brothers were doctors in Aberdeen.

Son Andrew said: “He was very well known in Wellingborough. He was a GP for more than 30 years. He made a point of knowing all the patients. People would come round to the house at the weekends."

In 1975, Dr Gordon had successfully applied for a job at a surgery run by Drs Arthur, Fletcher and Duncan starting in High Street. He then moved to Gold Street and finally at Redwell Medical Centre.

He retired in 2009, by which time he had a parallel career working as a medical advisor and forensic examiner for Northamptonshire Police, a role he continued until four years ago.

Son Andrew remembers going out with his dad in the middle of the night in his Saab – the boot of the car packed with equipment.

He said: “He would have loved to have been a police officer. He had the best of both worlds. He would get called out in the middle of the night to examine prisoners or to stitch wounds.

"He also examined every police officer who joined the force.”

It was Dr Gordon’s soft Scottish lilt that was one of his most calming features, helping to disarm a man brandishing a sword when the doctor arrived first on the scene to one call.

He also escaped serious injury when he was hit by a car while attending an accident on the M1 as he was knocked off his feet into the snow.

In 2012 Dr Gordon received his MBE for his work as a volunteer emergency doctor from East Midlands Immediate Care Scheme (EMICS).

In recognition of the bravery he and ten EMAS ambulance crews showed when responding to a road traffic collision on the A14 in 2009, Dr Gordon was awarded an EMAS chief executive commendation.

A keen French horn player and singer, he also dedicated time to Wellingborough Round Table and Rotary Club as well as being an active grandparent to his two grandsons Rafe and Jonty.

Andrew added: “His passion was helping people. People have shared lovely stories about how he would go above and beyond to help them – and his soft Scottish lilt.

”In his final days of his illness he was very stoic and humble.”

Dr Gordon’s funeral will be held at All Saints Church in Midland Road in Wellingborough on Monday, May 23, at noon. His cortege will pass Wootton Hall, Campbell Square Police Station in Northampton and Wellingborough Police Station on the way to the church.