Dr Kundan Lidhar and his wife Dr Jaswant Lidhar are leaving Batley Health Centre in Upper Commercial Street next Thursday after 25 years.

The couple came to Batley when they first arrived in England from the Indian side of Punjab in 1968 and they have never lived anywhere else since then.

Kundan said: "We had just been married one month when we came here. We started our surgery in Talbot Street and then we moved to the old health centre building. Then they demolished that and we moved into this new building three years ago."

His wife Jaswant joined the practice 29 years ago, having worked at Staincliffe General Hospital and also as a schools medical officer.

Until 10 years ago Dr Kundan Lidhar was also working part-time as an associate at the ophthalmic department of Dewsbury and District Hospital.

He was based at the department for 30 years. It used be the ENT department of the former Batley General Hospital.

He is a member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

Kundan said: "We have enjoyed it here and we have made a lot of friends. Some of my patients were quite upset when I told them I was retiring. Some of them have been my patients since I started 40 years ago.

"We have lovely staff here. Most of them have been here more than 10 or 20 years. We will miss them very much – they are like family. It will be an emotional last day.

"The introduction of modern technology is the main change we have seen. Now it's computers instead of just a pen and paper and stethoscope. It's better like this."

The couple have two sons and two grandchildren, aged eight and five.

They plan to visit their son in America and also take a long holiday in India, as well as spend more time with family.

Dr Syed Naveed Hassan and his wife Dr Yasmin Zia are taking over for the Lidhars and are keen to reassure patients it will be 'business as usual'.

Both have worked for the NHS for the last 15 years and have already been based at the surgery.