Dr Stephen Clayton 2012-05-20 Person 5 5 0

Dr Clayton has played an incredibly important and vital part in my life and the lives of my family members in his role as `my' local GP. His care and compassion towards my husband's terminal illness (nine years ago), his absolute reliability and approachabilty, willingness to reassure both my late husband and myself and constantly inform and advise each progression, made the ending the best it could have been. For the record, without his support and my faith in his judgement I would not have nursed my husband at home, so that he never spent a single night in hospital and died in his bed with his family present. At the same time as my husband's terminal illness was diagnosed, my mother suffered a major stroke (in another county) and because I was able to consult with Dr Clayton on the best course of action, I was able to follow his advice and put in place all the necessary procedures for ensuring that her (diminished) life over the next four years was as comfortable and cared for as possible. Lay people often need advice dealing with health professionals and the GP (hopefully) should be the `go-to' for the next step. Not always so, but certainly in Dr Clayton's case. I suffered a major heart attack exactly a year ago (in Brighton!). After the fantastic treatment I received there (on the NHS), the long haul back to my life was exactly mirrored in the care and advice and reassurance that I had from Dr Clayton. He has been an exemplary model of the intelligence and diagnostic ability that may be hard to find in a country surgery, and has earned my trust and respect and gratitude repeatedly over the years.