A BURY GP has hung up her stethoscope for the final time.

To mark her retirement from Townside Primary Care Centre, Dr Pauline Cleary received numerous flowers and cards from colleagues and patients.

She was one of two doctors at the Peel practice in Knowsley Street, having come to work in the town almost 30 years ago Born and bred in Manchester, she graduated in medicine from Sheffield University in 1979 and later undertook house officer rotations at various hospitals in the city.

In 1982, she worked at the neo-natal unit at St James’s Hospital in Leeds and a year later took up a post at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool.

In 1983, she began GP training with a registrarship in Manchester. And in 1985 she started at Bury’s Peel Health Centre, in Angouleme Way, as one of two doctors in the practice which ultimately moved to Townside in July, 2009.

Dr Cleary, aged 58, who is unmarried, said: “Before I moved to Bury, I didn’t really have any connection to the town, although my sister had moved there. Previously, I lived in Crumpsall.

“I was very fortunate in that I was happy in Bury and didn’t want to move on.”

Before she retired, she and her fellow Peel GP looked after a 3,500 patients.

Commenting on her retirement, Dr Cleary said: “I just felt it was time to move on to the next stage of my life and I’m sorry to go. But I’m going to miss the people terribly.

“My patients have been marvellous and my colleagues wonderful.

“I’m very grateful for all the flowers, cards and sentiments I’ve received.”