General Practitioner, Hammond Road Practice, Southall, Middlesex.
(Birth 1947 q. Punjabi University 1972 – Died on 5th January 2018 from metastatic carcinoma of the prostate at the age of 70 years).
After qualifying and working in India Dr Paramjeet Sandhu (known to his friends as “PJ”) moved to the UK to complete his medical training. Following the completion of several postgraduate positions in England and Wales, he joined Dr Gill as a GP partner in the Hammond Road Practice in Southall. He quickly developed a reputation for being a compassionate and caring GP with a dedicated following of devoted patients and staff. After his senior partner retired he took on the mantle of leadership within the practice and the surgery, developing an excellent reputation for clinical prowess which drew on his experience in hospital positions – especially in musculoskeletal disorders, one of his many interests. He was joined at the practice by his GP wife, Amrit and later by his son Sundeep.
He took passionate interest in supporting his Southall GP colleagues and joined Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow LMC in 1987. His reputation for defending the special characteristics of working in such a deprived community with its high-level of clinical need quickly spread and, inevitably, he was re-elected many times to the LMC position over thirty years. He was a prominent member of the Ealing LMC liaison team, who negotiated local GP contractual issues with local NHS management for many years in its various guises from FPC through to the current CCG management. He was an EHH LMC annual conference representative for nearly his whole time whilst serving on the LMC and would speak to conference motions on which he held strong views.
He always defended the traditional holistic role of the general practitioner fervently which was one of the many reasons his patients respected and trusted him.
He was also an enthusiastic undergraduate medical student educator, having joined the Imperial College “Cement” training program at its outset. He also took part in OSCE preparation going on to become an examiner.
He held many clinical assistant posts in hospitals over the years but will be best remembered for his position in the Cardiology department at Ealing Hospital. Along with Professor Jaspal Kooner, he was instrumental in setting up the first GP-run “chest pain” clinic in the country.
Later in his career, he became a GP appraiser and a member of the Ealing GP referral assessment service for several years.
He was a warm, friendly, always good-natured and cheerful. He will be remembered for his dedication to his many patients and his devoted staff.
He leaves his wife Amrit and two children Sundeep and Simran.
He will be greatly missed by all his family, friends and colleagues but never forgotten.
Ealing LMC have set up a donation page which can be accessed here: is https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ealinglmc.
Last updated : 24 Jan 2018