DR Roy Lamb, the retired founder and senior partner of Locking Hill Locking Hill Surgery in Stroud, has died at the age of 88 years

He passed away in the renal unit at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital after a short illness on Friday.

Dr Lamb trained at Charing Cross Hospital in London, where he met his wife Marion, who was a student nurse.

After qualifying in 1956, Dr Lamb gained experience in medicine, surgery and received a diploma in obstetrics and anaesthetics, followed by two years of GP experience in Somerset and the Isle of Wight.

In late 1962, Dr Lamb took over the single-handed practice in Uplands, Stroud, from Dr Royal, firstly setting up a small surgery in a terraced house in Slad Road and eventually moving his surgery to Brookfield House, Lansdown.

Six months later, Dr Jack Newton (after whom Dr Newton’s Way was named) and Dr Lamb combined GP practices and also worked together as surgeon and anaesthetist on the ear, nose and throat operation lists at Stroud General Hospital.

Dr Lamb continued to administer anaesthetics at Stroud and Standish Hospitals for the rest of his career, combining it with his work in general practice.

After nine years at Brookfield House, the expanding practice moved to the newly built Beeches Green Health Centre.

After a further nine years, along with four partners, Dr Lamb instigated the building of Locking Hill Surgery, coincidentally opposite his first surgery premises in 1962.

Alongside looking after generations of the same families, Dr Lamb introduced pre-school medical checks for children, was one of the first to employ a dedicated health visitor as part of his team, and helped to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds to provide diagnostic equipment to improve Stroud Hospitals, including the for the operating theatre and anaesthetic rooms.

He was president of the Gloucestershire Chest Fund and Stroud Hospital League of Friends, and with Dr Codling he set up cytology screening in the county.

Dr Lamb was also involved in the decision to install the first NHS-funded body scanner in the country at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

Dr Lamb has been supported throughout his career by Marion, who took on the roles of telephone receptionist, secretary and practice nurse, all whilst bringing up six daughters.

After retiring in 1993, Dr Lamb continued to work part-time in the casualty department at Stroud Hospital for a number of years.

Over 30 years, Dr Lamb served on 15 committees (chairing some of them) in Gloucestershire and the South West Region, including membership of the Gloucestershire Area Health Authority and Family Practitioner Committee.

After retirement, he was chairman of Gloucestershire Chest Fund for 10 years and was president of the Stroud Hospitals League of Friends for 19 years only stepping down in 2018 at the age of 86.

Dr Lamb leaves Marion and their six daughters, six sons-in-law and 16 grandchildren, as well as many friends and ex-colleagues who will sorely miss him.