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Surgeon steps back to concentrate on job as MP

Neve Gordon-Farleigh
BBC News, Suffolk
Contributed Peter Prinsley MP is standing in a hospital waiting room with a blue wall, a reception area and rows of blue chairs. He is smiling at the camera with his arms crossed and is wearing blue hospital scrubs, a blue scrub cap and a blue NHS lanyard. Contributed
Dr Peter Prinsley performed his last surgery at the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston

A surgeon has stepped back from his job of more than four decades to focus on his duties as an MP.

Dr Peter Prinsley, who has been an ear, nose and throat surgeon, had been working at the James Paget University Hospital, Gorleston, and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, both in Norfolk, before he was elected.

However, the Labour MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket in Suffolk said continuing in his NHS role "wasn't really practical".

He said: "Instead of a surgeon, I have become a political surgeon as well... I'm going to be more use doing that."

Prinsley, elected in 2024, announced the news on X, saying: "It was with a heavy heart that I completed my last operating list after more than 40 years as a surgeon in the NHS.

"However, representing the people of Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket is the privilege of my life and one that deserves my undivided attention."

Prinsley was a last-minute selection who had not been expected to win the new seat at the start of the campaign.

Since winning the seat, he has been running occasional clinics and surgeries at the James Paget.

He said: "If I hadn't been elected I would have continued doing surgery but I couldn't have done that for ever. There comes a time when you have to move on."

UK Parliament Peter Prinsley, a man who is looking at the camera and smiling. He has grey hair and is wearing a pair of clear glasses. He is wearing a navy suit jacket, light blue shirt and a red tie. UK Parliament
Prinsley says alongside all the work of being an MP, remaining a surgeon "wasn't really practical"

He said being a MP, spending three days a week in Parliament and the rest of the week in his constituency, was a "full-time job".

"One of the problems is in order to keep your accreditation is you have to really demonstrate you are doing a minimum amount of surgical activity… it's very, very difficult while trying to be a full-time MP as well," he said.

"It's very difficult to operate on somebody on a Monday morning then come to London on Monday afternoon for the votes… you hope all will be well with your patients… if there was a issue where I needed to go back to the patient, it would be awkward as I'm not at the hospital."

In recent weeks he announced he would be stepping down from his position on Norwich City Council.

Previously representing the Bowthorpe ward, he was elected to the authority in 2023.

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