And then there was one

Retirement is a question that dangles lower in the mind. The closer it gets, the more not grasping it requires reasons to continue. Sadly, COVID-19 finally caused enough difficulty for my partner that those reasons proved insufficient. After years of partnered bliss, I found myself facing becoming single-handed as the second lockdown loomed.

What followed could hardly be described as supportive. A practice rated as good by CQC in March, with a 100% positive rating from patients in the government’s own survey published in July, had approval withheld for the change of contract. The CCG committee involved does not publish minutes, but I am led to understand there was a risk concern based purely on the reduction to a headcount of one principal. When challenged, the purported risk assessment …