Real-life ‘Doc Martin’ village in Cornwall finally hires a GP - after locals made pop video to attract one
Villagers made a song to the tune of Nina Simone’s iconic hit Ain’t Got No, I Got Life to try and woo a doctor.
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Your support makes all the difference.A real-life Doc Martin village in Cornwall has hired a new GP - after desperate locals created a pop video to attract one.
More than 500 residents of Lostwithiel — south of Bodmin — made a song to find a replacement doctor for their retiring medic.
It was set to the tune of Nina Simone’s iconic hit Ain’t Got No, I Got Life.
The video went viral and was viewed more than two million times and now Lostwithiel Medical Practice has hired a GP.
Dr Bethan Woodfield — originally from Lostwithiel — saw the video and applied.
She told the BBC: “It’s a lovely place to work I really enjoy being here.
“The sense of community is amazing, everyone I feel goes above and beyond for patient care.’’
In the video, they sang: “We’ve folks with asthma and young new mothers, we’ve limping fathers and snot-filled others.
“We’ve tonnes of children all so infectious who need a doctor. We’ve got the love if you’ve got the time.”
The song goes on to highlight all that Lostwithiel, which has a population of 5,000, has to offer to their recruited GP.
Lostwithiel is just twenty miles from Port Isaac, where filming takes place for Doc Martin.
The ITV series sees Martin Clunes play a London medic who takes up the role of a GP in a sleepy village.
The Lostwithiel Needs a Doctor crusade was initiated by Dr Justin Hendriksz - the current remaining practice partner at the surgery.
The video includes people from all walks of life in Lostwithiel, from the church to the butchers, all singing and dancing.
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