Long-time Levin doctor retires

Long-time Levin doctor retires

A Levin doctor who helped birth a generation of babies  – and their babies – is hanging up his stethoscope.

Andy van de Vyver delivered more than 3500 babies and helped 16 of those babies when they returned to have children of their own.

“There was only Grant Irving [a former long-serving Levin GP] and myself delivering babies in those days,” he says.

Andy came to Levin from South Africa late in 1986, having previously studied and qualified as a doctor there. He had met his future wife, Niki, and “fell in love” while in Europe in 1983. They married a year later, immigrating to New Zealand with their eldest daughter in tow.

There weren’t many spaces available for doctors at the time – a far cry from the situation today when there is a dearth of GPs in New Zealand. With just two positions advertised, one in Tauranga, he successfully applied for the other available spot going, at Tararua Medical Centre in Levin.

Andy has practised in Levin ever since, moving to Masonic Medical Centre in Queen Street East, which he co-founded in 2007.

He doesn’t deliver many babies these days though. In the early 1990s, New Zealand underwent significant reforms in maternity care, particularly with the Nurses Amendment Act 1990, which allowed midwives to practise autonomously without requiring medical supervision from doctors.

It’s just one of many changes to the health sector he has seen during his career. Without wanting to get political, one constant is that funding never filters down to result in better working conditions for those at the coalface.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with good people. We’ve never had much in the way of staff turnover,” he says.

With the prevalence of locum doctors, his like are now a rarity in having served their communities long-term in one area, which is proven to result in better overall health outcomes for patients. 

“When you see patients consistently you know what happened two, five, 10, years ago, and they don’t have to reiterate that all the time,” he says.

Andy was also the police doctor for many years, assisting with homicides, sudden deaths, and taking blood to test for  alcohol in cases of suspected drink driving.

Today is officially his last day. With his 70th birthday fast approaching he is looking forward to finding more time for bike-riding, skiing and visiting friends, and of course family, children Amanda, Lance and Eloise.

“I’ve had a very understanding family. Sometimes you miss some of those achievements, or sports games,” he says.

He says trust, integrity and patient privacy is essential in general practice and he is proud of having built and maintained that trust.

“It’s never easy to give someone bad news, and unfortunately there was a lot of that over the years, but it is just part and parcel of the job you have to do,” he says.

He’s been humbled by the “very nice” comments from patients, thanking him and wishing him well.

“It’s very hard to leave. It’s certainly not easy. I was going to leave a year or two ago,” he says.

“It’s certainly a very rewarding career. I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

Experienced general practitioner Dr Yuan-Xiang Meng from Georgia, USA, is his replacement at Masonic Health Centre. Nurse practitioner Carol George also joined the team this month.