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I entered general practice in 1988. The 1965 GP charter1 influence over the preceding decades convinced me and many of my contemporary graduates from medical school that general practice was ‘a worthwhile, effective, and satisfying career with clinical freedom in a personal family doctor service’.2 In particular, while preparing for my MRCGP exam in the previous few years I encountered the Leeuwenhorst 1974 definition of general practice,3 which included the almost poetical phrases: ‘The GP is a licensed medical graduate who gives personal, primary, and continuing care to individuals, families and a practice population. It is the synthesis of these functions which is unique’, and ‘Prolonged contact means that he can use repeated opportunities to gather information at a pace appropriate to each patient, and build up a relationship of trust which he can use professionally’.3 This was a truly inspiring job description for me and remains so today (although I suspect the primary gender choice is no longer appropriate).Competition for general practice partnerships in 1988 was fierce and 30–40 applicants for one post was not uncommon. I felt fortunate to join a similarly enthused GP in Billingham, Cleveland (as it then was) where I worked for a decade.A mid-life crisis or whatever led me to move to work as a GP in relatively rural Australia in 1999. Certainly the warm climate and outdoor lifestyle were good for my family of five children.For the last 4 months of last year and first few months of this year I chose to return to the UK NHS taking up a GP maternity locum post in Teesside. I found that general practice in the UK has moved significantly away from the model that attracted me in 1988 and suspect that the changes are more pronounced for …

A final g'day to English general practice