DR JOSEPH MARTIN

When I made my decision during early Summer that I would retire at the end of 2025, I had greatly underestimated my sense of loss from meeting so many of you on a regular basis, as I have known many of you for many years, if not decades. I had first met some of you when I did my GP training year in this practice in 1981, and then when I came back as a partner to Dr’s Vincent Doyle & Liam Byrne in 1984 in the practice then based in Palmerston Road, and also in Bride Street Health Centre D8, (later moving to Cambridge Villas in 1986, and the Old Meath Hospital PCC in 2003).

I always felt it was a great privilege to be chosen by you to to be your GP, as you had entrusted me with looking after your health, in good times & bad and often told me about what had happened, or was happening in your life that you had not shared with anyone else.The practice of medicine has changed a lot over the years with increasing use of computerisation and new investigations & treatments, and we welcomed many new patients into our practice from different countries & cultures, which was a challenge that we relished, as we always were prout of the resilience & ability to change while continuing to maintain the high standard of Irish General Practice.

General Practice is not an exact science, as many early presentations of illness can be subtle, & treatments do no always work, so despite wanting always the best outcome for every patients, I know this is never achieved every single time, and I genuinely want to apologist to anyone that I may have failed in any way over the years.

I always felt that our communication was a two way process, as we would have gotten very used to seeing each other over many visits to the surgery, either for yourselves, or with family members. I have known some families over several generations, & have seen the highs & lows in your lives with the excitement of the safe arrival of a new baby, to the devastating loss of a close family member, & a multitude of other life events.

Saying goodbye to so many of you has been a very emotional time for me & I know many of your were also affected, but I was humbled by all of the messages, cards & gifts that you sent to me. I deeply appreciate the sentiments expressed in your messages.

Knowing that there is a great team in The Cambridge Clinic who will continue to look after you is of great importance to me, as Pauline, James, Mary & Ciara are a great team ably helped by our Nurses Aideen & Laura, and our secretarial team Grace Ann, Renata & Mary. I can only wish you good health & long lives, & I hope you know that being involved in your care has been the pinnacle of my life working as a GP.

COVID BOOSTERS 2024 *****

Please be advised that we can only offer our patients aged 75yrs old and over the Covid Boosters due to significantly high demands on the surgery.  You will receive the winter flu vaccine @ this visit also.  Please contact us by email @cambridgeclinic@gmail.com when boosters become available late September.

Pt's not in this age group (under 75yrs) are asked to book in with your local pharmacies.  Please note participating pharmacies will also be providing covid and flu vaccines this year.

We will also offer the HSE free Flu Vaccine to our patients aged 60yrs or over.  This can also be obtained in  your local pharmacies.