Dr Robert McKenzie retires from Tamworth Hospital after 32 years
27 December 2007
The year 2008 will be a different one for Consultant Surgeon Dr Robert McKenzie, as he will kick start the year by clearing a large part of his diary.
After 32 years of performing surgery at Tamworth Hospital Dr McKenzie will cease his commitment to Hunter New England Health on New Year’s Eve and will retire completely.
Dr McKenzie admitted his decision to stop his services to Tamworth Hospital will be a hard one to accept, saying regrets are almost inevitable.
“You can not expect to do something you love for 32 years and stop without any regrets,” said Dr McKenzie.
“There will definitely be regrets about leaving the people I have worked with for years, some of them decades, as is the case for some of the patients I have served over a long period.
“But I am at an age now where I need to think about retirement and how I want to spend that time. But I won’t be leaving Tamworth, it’s a great place for me and my family.”
Tamworth/Armidale Hospital General Manager Fergus Fitzsimons said the health service owes great thanks to people who commit themselves to delivering specialist services for this amount of time, and an even greater value is placed on those skills in rural and semi-rural areas.
“I would like to thank Dr McKenzie for over three decades of surgery at Tamworth Hospital and the community it serves,” Mr Fitzsimons said.
“I can’t overstate the value of his experience in this health service, having an experienced VMO surgeon like him to support Hunter New England Health in Tamworth has been vital.
“It’s a shame for us to lose Dr McKenzie but there will now be a chance to bring a replacement surgeon into the Tamworth and surrounding areas.”
Mr Fitzsimons also reminded the community that services would not be downgraded as a result of Dr McKenzie’s departure.
“The surgical capacity of Tamworth Hospital will not be affected by Dr McKenzie’s retirement as Hunter New England Health is in the process of arranging a replacement. In the interim, existing and locum surgeons will maintain services,” he said.
Contact: Emma Gibbs
Phone: (02)6767 7137