A beloved GP couple fear small community practices being phased out by 'super-practices' could be bad for patients.

Dr John and Sue Cormack announced their retirement after 40 years in charge of the Greenwood Surgery in Tylers Ride, South Woodham Ferrers.

The couple, who have been central to the community in South Woodham Ferrers celebrated with around 300 of their patients, from children to grandparents at the South Woodham Village Hall on April 28.

Dr Cormack is now 72 and feels he has forged a special relationship with his patients, which could not be matched by 'better off' practitioners.

He said: "There was a great turnout for the retirement 'do' for patients.

"We reckoned there were well over 300 patients there on Sunday ... though fortunately not all at the same time as the hall only held 250. One of the patients there said she queued for over half an hour to get in.

"We think this is a vote for old fashioned 'friendly' practices where everyone is on first name terms, which are being phased out and replaced by mega-practices, rather than just a vote for me and my wife Sue, our longest standing practice nurse.

"I have managed to keep going for as long as I have because my practice was so underfunded, and I was so underpaid that the taxation or pension Catch 22 that well paid GPs encounter didn't exist for me for well over a decade - so I wasn't told by any financial advisers that I had to quit."

Dr Cormack has campaigned for more support for the NHS throughout his career, creating controversies with a worthy message throughout that time.

His antics have gone to great lengths also, with him even changing his name by deed poll to 'John Cormack-the-Family-Doctor-who-works-for-the-NHS-for-free'.

His wife, Sister Cormack has also been a widely celebrated member of the surgery's team.

She managed to juggle the stresses of running the surgery with bring up three children, even seeing one of them go into medicine, now a consultant.

A spokesman said: "Mrs Cormack's unflappability and good humour has earned her the love and respect of her children, her grandchildren and the patients and staff at the practice as witnessed by the sack-fulls of cards and presents she received when she announced her retirement.

"As a mark of respect to her, when the surgery building was completed, a stone was engraved and set into the brickwork in the reception area.

"Mrs and Dr Cormack think that small, friendly, practices where patients get continuity of care and are made to feel part of the family are much undervalued in an era where they are being phased out and replaced by huge 'super-practices'."

Dr Cormack aired his concerns that small surgeries such as his will continue to fall at the way side while larger, less personal surgeries may grow.

He hopes that the surgery he and his wife built over the course of four decades will serve as a reminder that a GP Surgery is more than just a place for treatment.

He said: "The bottom line is that patients love small practices as they feel they are treated like human beings rather than just numbers.

"The evidence shows that patients do better and live longer where there is empathy and continuity of care - so it's a great shame that so many small practices are going to the wall."