The Roxburgh Medical Services Trust is highlighting the lifestyle attractions of the Teviot Valley as it starts the search for a GP once again.
The GP at the Roxburgh Medical Centre, Dr Bruce Eyers, was leaving after about two years at the centre, trust chairman Geoff Smith said.
Mr Smith said the community was grateful for the contribution of Dr Eyers, who had previously worked at the Aspiring Centre, in Wanaka, and was ``only ever going to stay a certain amount of time'' in Roxburgh.
Before Dr Eyers, Dr Pondy Lee was the Roxburgh GP for several months, and before that Dr Eric Wegener was the district's GP for 10 years.
Mr Smith said the length of time Dr Wegener had stayed showed what a good district the Teviot Valley was to work in and he hoped another GP would be attracted to the region for its lifestyle and the ``extremely competitive'' salary and package being offered.
The new GP would also do only a small amount of on-call work, as Prime nurses (Primary Response in Medical Emergencies) covered many of the evening and weekend shifts in the Teviot Valley.
The job advertisement for the role offers a salary of between $180,000 and $200,000. Accommodation is also provided.
Mr Smith said it was well known there was a shortage of rural GPs, but the trust had already arranged locum cover until the end of the year.
