AFTER 30 years working from the same office in Dickson, bulk-billing practitioner, Dr Craig Smee has hung up his white coat and stethoscope.

Over his time at Dickson Health Centre, Dr Smee says he has provided consultations to more than 50,000 people. 

When Dr Smee first started practicing out of Canberra, he says he was one of the few doctors in the region who would bulk bill everybody.

“Bulk billing was my way of contributing to society,” he says. 

“For that reason, when I first came here, I wasn’t very popular with my colleagues.” 

Starting out with a typewriter and white lab coat, Dr Smee used the typewriter and wore the white coat up until his last days in December but says he did have to get a second chair at one stage!

He never transferred over to a computer because he was worried about having technology issues and being without a computer for days. 

Now, in retirement, he’s just worried about where his patients will go. 

“There are GPs in this town where you have to wait two weeks to get an appointment and this is primary care,” he says.  

“I always prided myself on seeing anyone who wanted to see me on the day they wanted to.

“Finding a new bulk billing doctor is one of the worries for a lot of my patients now.”