The Health Centre was established to allow the demolition of the old house and Surgery and to make way for a dual carriageway on Wood Green and Walsall Street. The years have seen us move from patients queuing in the street outside the old Surgery to progressively more pleasant accommodation.

Our oldest patients can recall the days between the wars, when Dr Arthur Frost joined with his uncle, Dr Crew, in the original surgery buildings. They tell us that originally there was a single consulting room, an examination room, a waiting room and a dispensary. 

After the Second World War, the practice grew in partner numbers and Drs Duesbury and Huey senior joined the team, which later included Dr Blackwell who had previously worked at King’s Hill.

By the early years of the NHS the “old firm” of Drs Frost, Duesbury, Huey (Senior) and Blackwell was established. This flourished and an extension was built to house three surgeries, a waiting room and two more examination rooms. They also had branch surgeries in Park Lane and Friar Park. The “old firm” remained together until Dr Duesbury retired in the late 1950’s and was replaced by our first female partner, Dr Jean White.

The first of the new team, Dr John Glennie, joined as a junior partner in 1964 and the present team evolved with Dr Malcolm Taylor in  1971, Dr David Huey in 1972, Dr Christopher Morris in 1975 and Dr Avtar Saini in June 1995. On the way we had lost the services of Dr White who returned to Scotland, Dr R E Robertson who emigrated to Australia and Dr R Gordon who also felt the pull of his native roots in Scotland before returning to Wednesfield. In the meantime, Dr Frost died in 1968, Dr Huey (Senior) retired in 1971 and Dr Blackwell suffered the first episode of the illness, which was to bring about his early retirement and early death on the very day we were moving into the new Health Centre in April 1973.

Dr Blackwell’s daughter, Dr Jennifer Ward, was our second female partner. She later left us to work with the Department of Health and is now a Senior Medical Officer with the new Benefits Agency based in Bristol for the South West.

Dr Glennie retired on the 31^st March 2001 after 36 years of service as a GP at Oakeswell Health Centre. In September 2001 he was replaced Dr Charanpal Sikka In April 2004 Dr Huey retired. June 2004 Dr Saini left to take over a practice in Bilston. Dr Obaid Farooqui joined us in June 2004 and then Dr Morris retired in August 2004. In April 2005 our team was complete again when Dr Palwinder Klair joined Oakeswell Health Centre.

In April 2006 Dr Taylor retired and our Registrar Dr Amit Mehta decided to join our practice & become a partner. In July 2010 Dr Mehta left the practice and emigrated to America. Dr Sandeep Jawanda joined us in January 2011. Dr Sikka left the practice in March 2022 and Dr Mandeep Singh Bedi became a partner in July 2022.

The Partners bought the original Health Centre in 1992 added a second floor for office accommodation,  improved the waiting room, a children’s corner, improved and extended the consulting rooms, improved the treatment room and provided an extra treatment room. The old inefficient boiler room was converted into a spare consulting room, all finished to the highest standards.

We have an environment where we can aspire to give our patients an ever-improving standard and range of care. In improving standards we are well supported by loyal, committed staff who has all been trained in their duties and who continues to expand their capabilities. After a long battle we were given permission to open a Pharmacy on-site and during February 2001 Boots, The Chemist opened its doors to the public, and now provides a much needed service to our patients and the residents of Wednesbury.  

Oakeswell Health Centre will endeavour to develop with the ever-changing National Health Services.

In 2004 Oakeswell Health Centre achieved training status and as such Registrar’s will be allocated to Oakeswell on a 6 – 12 month basis.