My grandfather lived at home until the age of 99. And for the last 25 years of his life, he was visited weekly by his GP, a wonderfully kind Chinese man with a penchant for a cup of tea and a biscuit. 

My grandfather was a grumpy working class Scottish immigrant — an emotionally battered survivor of World War II and not known for any kind of tolerance for anything much.

But Dr Li became an agent for gentle change for my grandparents. With his soft weekly chat and excellent care, they became a better, more inclusive version of themselves as the years passed. 

He was a household name among our extended family, the community of neighbours all knew him and the ripples of his years of service were very wide.