A DOCTOR who set up Mersea’s GP surgery has died, aged 89.

Alison Bush set up the Mersea Island Medical Practice in the Seventies and worked there until her retirement in 1990.

She was born in Geneva where her parents ran a Quaker International group.

When the Germans invaded France they decided to move back to England, but shortly after moved to America where they stayed for the rest of the war.

In 1947 Alison came back to London to study medicine, and was part of the first female intake at Barts - St Bartholomew's Hospital in London.

During her studies she married fellow student Ian Bush, and the couple went on to have three children Fabian, Philippa and Caroline.

Gazette:

The family moved around, living in Oxford, Birmingham and Reading.

In 1970, Alison moved to Colchester and become a GP.

She went to join the existing practice but the move fell through, so she decided to set up her own in Barfield Road.

After about five years Derek Gay joined as partner, and the practice has grown ever since.

Her son Fabian said: “She always said that coming to Mersea and working was the happiest period of her life.

“She loved the sea and swimming. She became very settled here.

“She was quite strong, very direct and honest.”

Alison, who has eight grandchildren, loved to travel and carried on visiting other countries after her retirement, including Pakistan where she volunteered in a missionary hospital.

Gazette:

She had a keen interest in music, especially the flute and the piano, painting and walking.

She moved to Colchester in 2003 but kept her beach hut on the island.

She died on November 18 from a number of medical conditions.

A memorial meeting will be held at Quaker Meeting House in Church Street, Colchester on December 17 at 2.30pm, and the burial will be the following day at Field View, West Mersea, at 11am. All are welcome.