Founder of BEEP Doctors retires after 31 years

The founder of a team of dedicated volunteer doctors which carries out life-saving work in Cumbria has retired after 31 years.

Dr Theo Weston MBE has stepped down as a responding doctor and committee member of BEEP Doctors (BASICS Cumbria).

Over the years Dr Weston has carried out thousands of hours of voluntary work for the BEEP Doctors, including attending two to three call-outs each week, plus administration and talks to groups in the county.

“It has been an absolutely amazing journey and a real privilege to be part of it,” said Dr Weston, 67, who lives near Penrith. “I could not have done it without the support of all the volunteers and doctors over all those years.

“I have stepped down mainly because I have arthritis in my knees and, with my age, I think it is time to hang up my stethoscope for the last time.

“It is a moment I have been dreading because it has been very much part of my life but it had to come and I can reflect on all the incredible experiences I have had with pride.

“The most important thing is knowing the BEEP Doctors’ charity is in good hands and will continue to develop and expand and go from strength to strength in the coming years.”

Cumbria’s BEEP Doctors, who are all volunteers, provide enhanced pre-hospital emergency medical care. They work closely with the police and fire services, North West Ambulance Service paramedics, the Great North Air Ambulance Service and North West Air Ambulance.

At incidents BEEP Doctors can carry out some surgical procedures, such as inserting chest drains; some can perform pre-hospital anaesthetics and all are able to administer drugs that most road crew paramedics cannot, such as ketamine/fentanyl to give pain relief and allow fracture manipulation.

Many of the emergencies they attend include road traffic collisions, farm incidents, pushbike and horse accidents and medical emergencies at home and in public places.

The BEEP Fund, as it was then called, was founded by Dr Weston in 1994 and replaced the Penrith and District Accident Scheme, which had been set up by his father Peter – an accident and emergency consultant - and Dr Hugh Barr.

Over the years it has grown from just operating around the Penrith area to covering the whole of Cumbria, with 12 doctors now involved and having four emergency response vehicles. The name was changed to BEEP Doctors (BASICS Cumbria) in 2021.

In November 2024, Dr Weston stepped down as chair of the organisation.

Dr Weston said of his time with BEEP Doctors: “I have done it primarily because of the huge joy and reward to see people arriving at hospital in a better condition than they would otherwise have been in. There have been cases where people might not have made it to hospital if we had not been there, or they would have been in even more of a poorly state which would have affected them for the rest of their lives”

He said there had been numerous memorable incidents over the years. “There was a young lad who was then 14 years old who effectively drowned near Appleby and we managed to resuscitate him. He was under the water for 20 minutes but we did things at the scene to keep his body alive and he was flown to the Royal Victoria infirmary at Newcastle and has made a very good recovery.”

Dr Weston said he would miss working alongside paramedics, fire officers and the police. “I shall also miss the clinical challenge and the reward when you see people make better recoveries after incidents.”

He will continue as a trustee of BEEP Doctors. In his retirement he and his wife Michelle plan camper van trips in the United Kingdom and abroad. “I am trying to train up a young Border Collie pup which takes a lot of time,” he said. “There are also a lot of DIY jobs to do around the house and I shall have more time to go cycling.”

Dr Weston joined the Birbeck Medical Practice at the health centre in Penrith as a full-time partner in 1992, retiring from the practice nine years ago.

Until December 2023 he served for around 20 years in the Great North Air Ambulance as one of its regular Helicopter Emergency Medical Service doctors.

Dr Weston was awarded an MBE in 2015 for services to emergency medical care. In 2023 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by BEEP Doctors’ national representative body, the British Association for Immediate Care.

So far in 2025, BEEP Doctors has attended 146 incidents and carried out a total of 400 volunteer hours.

It costs about £250,000 a year to operate the BEEP Doctors service, which relies solely on public donations and receives no Government or NHS funding. Anyone who would like more information about fund-raising for the charity can email info@beepdoctors.co.uk or telephone 01768 809535.