A POPULAR GP who has served generations of patients for nearly 50 years is to retire at the end of the month.

Dr Neil Joseph, who lives in Prestwich, has taken the decision to hang up his stethoscope after celebrating his 65th birthday.

He currently works at the Minden Family Practices at Bury's Moorgate Primary Care Centre.

He is a former chairman of the Manchester Jewish Chaplaincy Board and has also been a one-to-one-teacher in maths, physics, Biblical Hebrew grammar and Talmudic law studies. Dr Joseph is a regular synagogue lecturer on matters of religious interest.

Born and educated in London, he represented Great Britain in a schools' athletics match against Germany in 1968 and a year later at a full international Maccabiah Games meeting. In 1970, he represented Cambridge University in an athletics match with Oxford University.

In 1974, he qualified with a MAMBBChir (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) from Cambridge University/Westminster Hospital.

Dr Joseph moved to the North West and in 1975 became a postgraduate houseman in general medicine at Bury General Hospital and later worked at Hope Hospital in Salford and at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

In 1978, he became a principal in general practice at Minden Family Practices and two years later was attached to Bury's community drug team as a GP- clinical assistant, a role he continued to fulfil until 2001. In 1982, he qualified for Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP). Between 1985 and '95, he served as a GP trainer and since 1986 has been an associate member of the British Medical Acupuncture Society

Locally, Dr Joseph has been GP lead for the drug (misuse) liaison service at Minden Family Practices since 2007 and is also attached to the Early Break young people's substance misuse clinic.

For the past 12 years, he has been chairman of Minden Medical Services Ltd, responsible for the running and maintenance of staff and buildings for all three practices.

Although he officially retires at the end of March, Dr Joseph plans to undertake some locum work "to keep his hand in".

Reflecting on his medical career, he said: "Clinical medicine and general practice, inparticular, have been a very important part of my life. My three children are a paediatrician, ENT surgeon and a prospective care of the elderly consultant. My love of medicine has certainly rubbed off."

He and wife, Patricia, a pharmacist and magistrate, are kept busy by their eight grandchildren and love of walking in the Lake District.

Dr Joseph added: "The community in which we live and take a very active part in charity work and religious studies and as lay leaders of the community ensures a very rounded lifestyle that we enjoy immensely."

Commenting on his years in GP practice in Bury, he said: "I'm now seeing third and fourth generation families here since I started which is quite something. Once I retire, I will able to concentrate more on my hobbies and I'd very much like to write to a book on religious studies."