About The Surgery
Our Practice History
Valley Medical Centre began its life at the beginning of the 20th century, in the front room of a victorian terraced house in Fountains Road Kirkdale Liverpool 4 which also served as the doctors home. The first doctor known to us was Dr Graham Smith who conducted his surgery from there, charging his fees by the consultation and very likely providing medicines himself. We do not know very much about Dr Smith and most information about him has been from patients who sadly are no longer with us.
Dr Smith eventually acquired a shop at 139 Westminster Road Liverpool 4, where the surgery remained until 1992. We do not know what happened to Dr Smith, but he was eventually replaced by Dr Bailey, a Canadian who served as a doctor in the Canadian Navy during World War 2. We believe Dr Bailey returned to Canada in 1953.
Two new young doctors, a husband and wife team took over the practice Drs Sam and June Hillman, who came from Glasgow. They carried on conducting their practice from the shop on Westminster Road and eventually purchased a newly built house on the corner of Childwall Valley Road and Bentham Drive, which at the time was in a rural area. They built a small extension on the side of the house and began to build another practice from scratch. This was the beginning of the practice we all know today. Dr Sam and June as they were affectionaly known continued to run both the Kirkdale and Childwall surgeries between them, driving up and down Queens Drive between the two sites. Drs Sam and June Hillman were the doctors to Liverpool Hope University, and the practice continues to provide this service to the present day. Dr Sam Hillman was the occupational health doctor for Jacobs Biscuits and also did weekly sessions at the A&E department at Walton Hospital.
In 1991 a new surgery was built for the Liverpool 4 site, and incidentally was on Fountains Road where the original surgery of Dr Smith began. Dr Sam and June Hillman retired in 1991. Dr Dominic and Rosaleen Buckley and Dr O'Donnell joined the practice in 1991 followed by Dr Noble in 1992. The Childwall surgery moved to a semi detached house in Barnham Drive and then onto a larger semi detached house on Childwall Valley Road. in the year 2000 the building we occupy now was built.
The practice was named Valley Medical Centre as both sites were in valleys, Childwall site was in Childwall Valley and the Kirkdale site was in Everton Valley. The name was nominated by two long serving members of staff. Eventually the Kirkdale surgery changed hands but still operates as a surgery to this day, serving patients in the Kirkdale area.
Valley Medical Centre continues on the site in Hartsbourne Avenue with our current doctors, Dr Wallace, Dr Adebanjo, Dr Roberts, Dr Canning, Dr Wark, Dr Homes, Dr Lim and Dr Kelly . We pride ourselves on our heritage and ability to still provide a service spanning over one hundred years.