First steps

As in other medical schools, general practice emerged in Sheffield as a distinct academic discipline from under the umbrella of community medicine. In the 1950s and 1960s, final-year medical students had a two-day attachment for six weeks in general practice as part of the public health placement, organised by the then department of social medicine.

In 1972, Eric Wilkes was appointed to the new chair of general practice within the department of community medicine headed by John Knowelden. There were several local applicants for the chair, but Eric Wilkes was a well-known local general practitioner in Baslow, who had recently founded St Luke's Hospice, the first of its kind outside London. Three associates in general practice were also appointed on a sessional basis, namely Simon Barley, Helen Joesbury and David Dalrymple-Smith.

Professor Wilkes remained medical director of St Luke's for fifteen years, combining this with his academic post. Initially he continued as a partner in the Baslow practice, but his other responsibilities made this impossible to maintain. He was responsible for questions on general practice in the degree examination for community medicine, and for organising student attachments, including to St Luke's, and to a family with a new baby. This latter was at first voluntary, but later became part of the curriculum as the family attachment scheme. He also started a series of postgraduate lectures for general practitioners.