Disclaimer: Doc Martin is the property of Buffalo Pictures. I own nothing except my overactive imagination.

Happy Ever After – The Real World

Chapter 34

For me there was no doubt about which candidate to select to be the new GP partner at my surgery. Aside from all the usual banal and politically correct questions that the other members of the interview panel felt obliged to ask, I outlined to each of the three candidates in turn the situation that I had recently found myself in with regard to Louisa's mother and her strangulated hernia, how she had needed urgent surgical intervention, but how the ambulance had gone to the wrong village. I then asked each of them how they would handle such a situation.

Brendan Taylor, the retired GP from Surrey, strongly advocated waiting for the second ambulance to arrive, stating with confidence that it was far too risky to undertake any kind of surgery anywhere other than in a properly prepared sterile hospital theatre, in the hands of a skilled surgeon. No doubt where he was from in Surrey, that probably was the logical answer, as the hospital was nearby and another ambulance could be there in a very short time. He didn't seem to have grasped the remoteness of Portwenn, how the long delay involved in waiting for another ambulance could cost the patient's life. I imagined that as one of eight GP's, along with a team of practice nurses and midwives, there hadn't been much call for him to act on his own initiative or to undertake anything particularly risky in his previous role. I think he was under the impression that very little happened in the village, and so his services would hardly be required, certainly not for anything too taxing, thereby leaving him free most of the time to go fishing and sailing.

Michelle Cox, the candidate just returning from maternity leave, was full of confidence as she chatted about how she liked to get close to her patients, get to really know them etc. etc., but then dithered and prevaricated over her answer to my medical scenario question for so long that in the end I wasn't sure what her answer actually was, something about getting a second opinion I think. In a rural environment like Portwenn, it was all very well being everyone's 'friend', but when it came to medical emergencies, you had to be decisive and confident as there was little by way of back up. The GP in Portwenn had to be able to stand on their own two feet.

John Phillips, the former Oncologist at the Royal Cornwall was the only one of the three who answered that he would operate on the patient right there in the surgery, just as I had done. Of course he did clarify that it was risky, that he would do everything to ensure that the conditions were as sterile as possible, but that on balance it was the patient's best option for a favourable outcome. My views exactly, so without hesitation, he was my preferred candidate, despite the fact that unlike the other two candidates, he didn't volunteer much personal information and came over as quietly spoken and rather reticent in comparison.

Undoubtedly this made him less popular with the other members of the interview panel, as apart from Chris, as they all seemed to have forgotten that the most important requirement for a GP was actual medical competence, rather than being 'friendly' 'approachable' and 'sociable'.

After quite a long debate about the various merits of all three candidates, I could feel myself getting frustrated and short tempered as we appeared to be going round in circles, and I raised my eyebrows at Chris, the Chairman, to indicate that I felt that we needed to just get on with things.

"Well ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure we could go on discussing the various merits of the three excellent candidates all day, so I suggest that we cut to the chase and put it to a vote. In the case of a tie, may I remind you that we have all agreed that Doctor Ellingham has the casting vote, as of course he will be the one who has to work on a day to day basis with his new partner."

There were various murmurings around the table from the other members of the panel before Chris called out the names and asked for votes.

It came as no great surprise to me that the two female members, Gwen Stevens, District Nurse Coordinator, and Nicola Bedale, Social Services Administrator, voted for Michelle Cox, having several times made the point about how the village would appreciate her excellent bedside manner and sympathetic patient skills.

Nor was I surprised that the lay members of the panel, Giles Brown, Head of Portwenn Lifeboat Crew and Michael Grey, Secretary of Portwenn Sailing Club voted without hesitation for Brendan Taylor, having got on with him like a house on fire once they discovered their mutual love of fishing and sailing.

Chris and I were the only logical and sensible ones who voted for the best medical candidate – John Phillips.

So that meant there were two votes for each candidate. But as I held the casting vote, it meant that my choice, John Phillips, was the successful candidate. I heaved a huge sigh of relief, as he was the only one I felt remotely confident that I could develop a good working relationship with, or that I was happy entrusting the care of the villagers to – which of course included Louisa and James Henry – in my absence.

Afterwards, once John had been called in and advised that he was the successful candidate and had verbally accepted the position, we shook hands.

"Thought I'd messed things up with my answer to your hyperthetical strangulated hernia case, when the other two told me how they'd answered. Thought maybe I'd been a bit too radical, you know?" he confessed.

"No, your response to that scenario is what got you the position. It wasn't a hypothetical question, that was actually the situation I was in a short while ago, and I went ahead and operated right there in my surgery," I stated.

"Really, how interesting. Successful outcome I take it? One of the villagers was it?"

"Yes, she went on to make a full recovery. Not exactly one of the villagers, my future mother in law actually," I told him wryly.

"Oh dear lord, no pressure there then!" he exclaimed. "So you're taking up a position in Truro, while I've left mine behind. Strange old world isn't it, as one door closes, another opens, that kind of thing?"

"No regrets, you know, leaving all that behind now?" I quizzed him.

"No, not so far anyhow, because as I'm sure you are aware, Oncology is a pretty demanding field. Quite frankly after everything that has happened recently, all I want is to find a compromise where I can practice as a doctor but still spend time with my family, they are what is most important to me. Frankly I'm just so relieved to have got this position, it should suit my circumstances perfectly," he quietly stated, as he looked down at the floor.

"Yes, sorry about….you know. Parsons filled me in. So, how will you manage, with your children?" I felt able to ask these more personal questions now that we would be sorting out all the finer details.

"Susan, that's my mother in law, lives very close by us in Truro, so she's always on hand to stay over with the children when I'm working. Obviously it was hard on her too when Ella, my wife, was killed in the car accident, so she's thrown herself into looking after the kids as her way of coping - she's a widow, so doesn't have any other ties. It's taken a bit of adjusting, but luckily we all get on pretty well, and I don't know how I would have managed otherwise, with the kids being so young - Megan is nearly six and Charlotte has just turned four," he explained.

"I see. So do you plan to stay over on the days you're working in Portwenn? The accommodation above the surgery will be vacant by then," I filled him in, knowing that Ruth would be leaving shortly to return to London, having recently stayed at my place while the building work was being done at Havenhurst.

"Well, I am tempted to move the whole family over as I hear Portwenn Primary is a very good school, I gather it has a pretty impressive reputation. But on balance I think it's probably best to keep the girls where they are in Truro for now, disrupt them as little as possible," he said.

"Hmm, I suppose it's not too bad a school here," I muttered, remembering rather uncomfortably my words to Louisa about the lack of discipline at her school, and how she had accused me of belittling her job.

"Of course I haven't sorted out the finer details yet, I didn't like to make too many plans, not until I knew if I'd got the position or not. But rather than commuting back and forth from Truro every day, I probably will prefer to stay over for a couple of nights, use the evenings to do all the paperwork and catch up on my research and reading, that kind of thing. The girls have got their granny on hand, and they would be in bed by the time I got back most of the time anyway. Once I am back home then I become their full time dad again, so I don't think they will miss out too much."

"Well sounds as if you've got everything pretty much covered," I stated with some satisfaction, pleased overall with what I had learnt.

xXx

Of course Louisa wanted to know all about the new doctor as soon as I got back later that evening. She'd been pretty miffed not to have been one of the lay members of the interview board, but I hadn't felt it appropriate. The last thing I wanted to be accused of was any kind of collusion or conspiracy, as everyone in the village knew that we lived together now. However, I had really appreciated being able to talk through the candidates with her beforehand off the record.

"So? Who got it?" she impatiently demanded to know.

"Phillips. Best candidate by far."

"Oh right. So was it unanimous?"

"No, two votes each, it was down to my casting vote in the end. Apart from Chris, all the other selection panel members seemed interested in was how 'nice' the candidates were. It really is no wonder that incompetent Doctor Dibbs got selected last time."

"So, when will he start?"

"To be confirmed, but I gather he's fairly keen to start, so hopefully quite soon."

"What's he like? I hope that he is still 'nice' as well as competent Martin," Louisa probed.

"Hmm? Depends what you mean by nice I suppose. He's quite quiet, didn't talk much about himself to the panel, which didn't go down too well, but then he's had a pretty rough time of things lately with his wife being killed, so he probably didn't want to blab about all that, which I think is perfectly understandable, and I rather respect him I must say. Seems a pretty decent bloke actually."

"Good. Sounds as if you liked him anyway," Louisa smiled at me.

"Don't know about 'liked' but I believe we will be able to work together satisfactorily. He has suitable child care in place, so that shouldn't be an issue. Thinks he will probably stay over when he's working here, so that's good, means that there is someone around in an emergency."

"How old are his children?"

"Umm.. six and four I think he said, two girls. Their grandmother lives nearby and looks after them for him."

"That's good then. But it is still so sad to think of those two little girls growing up without their mummy."

"Yes, but at least it seems he must have had suitable life cover insurance in place to enable him to be able to afford to reduce his working hours now," I pondered, thinking that I really must review our insurance cover.

"Martin, how can you coldly think about something like insurance cover? No amount of money can replace the mother of those little girls," Louisa stated rather heatedly, for some reason upset by my practical view of the matter.

"Anyway, he said he's heard good things about your school, I thought you'd be pleased to know," I hastily changed the subject, not wanting to risk another row. "Although he's decided not to change his daughters' schools, thinks the children would benefit from continuity at the moment."

"Yes, I think he's probably wise, especially if they are happy and settled where they are. Nice to know he's heard good things about my school though, wonder where from," Louisa said with a smile. I heaved a sigh of relief at having diverted her ire.

Having successfully sorted out my new partner to my satisfaction, I could now get on with arranging my surgical refresher course, and start date for my new surgical role. I would leave Chris to let me know when he had sorted out all the finer details such as contract and starting dates with John, but I realised that the last major piece of the puzzle had now fallen into place to enable Louisa, James and I to get on with our new lives. It wouldn't be long now before we would be married, living at Havenhurst, and I would a surgeon once more.