A LONG-serving surgeon who has seen massive changes in operating theatre practice over the years has retired.

Consultant general surgeon at East Lancashire Hospitals Trust Rob Watson operated for the last time last week after 41 years in the NHS.

After training in Newcastle, his first job was as a house surgeon at Newcastle General Hospital in 1977, before he taught anatomy at the University of Manchester in 1978.

From 1979, he spent 14 years working in hospitals across the North West before becoming a consultant surgeon at Blackburn Royal Infirmary on February 1, 1993.

His surgical team left Blackburn Royal Infirmary in 2006, moving to the new Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Mr Watson, 64, who also performed operations at Burnley General Hospital, said he had seen a lot of changes, especially technological advances.

He said: “There have been massive developments in technology which have changed the NHS for the better in terms of treatment.

“But there has also been a massive explosion in bureaucracy and a rise in A&E attendances, with more older people attending A&E.

“It was great fun working in the NHS in the 1980s, as we had a team of doctors who worked really hard with fewer resources.”

He said changes such as keyhole surgery, which ended the need for surgeons having to make large incisions, was a huge leap forward.

Mr Watson, who has been a clinical director at the trust since 2010, also cited the introduction of robotic surgery, with the trust becoming the first in the region to use a surgical robot to carry out colorectal surgery.

He said CT scans were now used to diagnose patients with cancer and other conditions, whereas previously there would have been more reliance on clinical examinations.

He said he was looking forward to his retirement.

Mr Watson said: “It’s something I need to do and it was the right time to go.

“I have three grandchildren who I’d like to see more of and a wife who I’d like to go travelling with.

“But it’s sad to go as I’ve really enjoyed my work and felt that we had a really good clinical and management team.

“I will miss the staff and patients.”