Coronavirus: GP who led village surgery for 30 years dies

Dr Craig Wakeham died in hospital on Saturday aged 59

Tributes have been paid to a "much-loved" Dorset GP who died in hospital after contracting coronavirus.

Dr Craig Wakeham, who led Cerne Abbas Surgery, died on Saturday aged 59.

The village surgery said Dr Wakeham had been "fighting coronavirus in Dorset County Hospital for many days" after testing positive for Covid-19.

Paying tribute, his colleagues Dr Jeremy Dobbs and Dr Jenny Bubb described him as a "leading light" and "devoted husband and father".

They added: "His legacy lives on in our patients who he cared for diligently, and in the good name he built for our surgery."

Dr Wakeham had led the village practice for 30 years.

"Fantastic GP"

He was also the Chief Clinical Information Officer at NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Dr Forbes Watson, chair of Dorset CCG, said he was a "much-loved GP".

"We are all deeply saddened to have lost a valued and committed colleague and friend," Dr Forbes Watson said.

"Craig was a champion for rural general practice and a pioneer for integrated-nursing teams."

Posting a tribute on social media, the chief executive at Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust, Patricia Miller, said: "Craig was a fantastic GP, always professional, kind and dedicated. Dorset will be poorer without him."

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

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