The History of Ainsdale Medical Centre
Last Updated: Wednesday, 30 July 2025History of Ainsdale Medical centre
• The present surgery No’s 66-68 now styled as Ainsdale Medical centre has
always been associated with residence of medical practitioners particularly
No.66.
• Built in 1894 originally called Norwood lodge the present day No.66 housed a
Dr Hague as its first resident.
• Records indicate that there was a Dr Brooks of the ‘sycamores’ 37 Station
Road ( corner of Halifax Rd) who was a local GP and came to Ainsdale around
1906.
• There are records for Dr Segar and Dr Aspinall of ‘Westcliffe’ 10 Shore road in
1908 and of Dr Spiers and Dr West of 14 and 12 Shore road respectively in
1910.
• The street directory of 1927 show the following doctors resident in Ainsdale:
Dr Brooks ( 37 Station Road), Dr Little a surgeon ( 12 shore road) Dr West (14
Shore road), Dr Spiers (13 Delamere road) and Dr Shortt (4,unit road)
• From the above information I think it is possible that there were surgeries at
No 10 or No12 or even No14 Shore road in the early part of the 20th century.
History of Ainsdale Doctors
• There was Dr Edwards at 6,Halifax road in the 1930’s and 40’s and even early 50’s along
with a Dr Molineux who practiced from 625 Liverpool Rd next door to St Johns church
of the same era.
• Dr Hakeen practiced originally from 75 Leamington road before moving to 11
Chesterfield Rd – with his spell lasting from 1940 until he died in 1963. He was
renowned for lengthy surgeries that lasted well into the evenings and for a practice
boundary that knew no limits!
• In the 1950’s Dr Kitchen a Birkdale GP opened a branch surgery at 48 Station Rd along
with a Dr Alan Roscoe. Also in the 50’s was a practice at 722 Liverpool Rd - Dr Dalliwell
and Altman being the GP’s – they did not practice long from there – no further details
available
• In the 1960’s Dr Judith Cubbon opened a surgery in Pinfold Lane to serve the new estate
– but after a short period moved to Canada.
• On the death of Dr Hakeen in 1964 Dr Naidoo opened a surgery at No 2 Leamington Rd
and took on partners over the coming years: Dr Pati, Rao and Sharma. Dr Paul Smith
took over that practice ( we know this as Ainsdale Village surgery) with a brief
partnership with Dr Bond but on his retirement in 2014 the new GP’s are now Dr
Lindsay Mclelland and Dr Octavia Stevens ( who joined Lindsay in 2015)
Ainsdale Medical Centre
• As first mentioned Ainsdale Medical centre an amalgamation of No 66 and 68 was
built in 1984 and No66 was known as Norwood Lodge. The first resident was Dr
Hague – but we don’t know how long he lived there but in 1933 Dr Foster started a
medical practice from No66 Station Rd and was followed a few years later by Dr
Bertrand Wallace.
• Upon the death of Dr Wallace in 1947 a Dr JJ Dykes Naismith took over the
practice – he was a Scotsman who qualified from Durham. In the late 1950’s Dr
Ross Hair was taken on but subsequently moved on to set up his own practice on
Liverpool Road.
• When Dr Naismith died in 1963 Dr Paddy McCormack took over the practice – he
came from Widnes. Paddy was joined by Dr Angela Taylor ( who had been in
partnership with Dr Roscoe)
• Due to the rapidly expanding population in Ainsdale during the 1960’s the
population of Ainsdale increased from 3000 to 14000 through to 1980’s another
partner was appointed – Dr Brian Garston in 1967.
• Dr Roscoe retired from general practice and moved to Farnborough to take up
aviation medicine for which he was awarded an OBE.
The Ainsdale Medical centre change
• On departure of Dr Roscoe there was a change with Dr Taylor leaving to set up
practice across the road at 19 Station Rd where she was joined by Dr Margaret
Farley and later by Dr Ian Kilshaw and Dr Evans. After a few years this practice
moved en bloc to Birkdale and we know this now as the Grange Surgery.
• In 1969 the practice at No66 expanded further with the appointment of Dr
John Rigg and in 1974 with Dr Stephan Bonnet. In 1981 Dr Robert Russell
joined the ever expanding practice.
• When Dr McCormack retired in 1989 Dr Colette Nugent joined the practice but
with continuing expansion in 1992 Dr Sara Burns was appointed.
• In 1996 Dr Garston retired and was replaced by Dr Foster and in 2001 Dr Rigg
retired and was replaced by Dr Stuart Bennett.
• It was clear we needed more Dr’s and in 2002 Dr Liz Quinlan was appointed
• The adjoining building No 68 (originally named shelbourne) became available
for purchase in 1991
Ainsdale Medical Centre
• The practice continues to enjoys great success and the
expansion continued. In 2008 Dr Wood took over from
Dr Bonnet, but we still felt we needed more Dr’s to
meet the increasing complexity of General Practice and
appointed Dr Sarah Aylward as an additional 8th
Partner in 2013.
• In January 2015 Dr Russell retired and was replaced by
Dr Fred Weindling and in 2016 we took on our first
salaried GP Dr Mel Ozkan.
• 5 of the current GP’s working at Ainsdale have been
past GP trainees at the practice.