Obituary: Dr Kevin Upton

Dr. Kevin Upton passed away peacefully at Royal Bournemouth Hospital on May 30, 2026, at the age of 63.

Dr. Upton was a senior GP Partner for over 25 years at the Tardis Surgery on Queen Street, Cheadle. According to a Tardis Times newsletter from 2019, he was Cheadle's very own Doctor Who. Much-loved dad to Ellie, son to Marian and the late James, brother to twin sister Karen. He will be greatly missed by all his family and friends.

One resident described him, "He did a lot of good work in Cheadle on mental health and always had time for you." Another told us of a time when a young family member found a worrying lump - "Dr. Upton was compassionate, confidence-building, and fast in getting the results - his actions and personality helped everyone stay calm, and when the results were in, he felt like an expert friend. I'll never forget what he did for my family."

Dr. Upton said of his work, "I enjoy all aspects of my job and I feel privileged to do it. Elderly care, contraception, sexual health, child health, minor surgery, minor injuries, addiction recovery. All of it. Dermoscopy interests me a lot – using a special microscope to diagnose and monitor skin lesions.”

Beyond the Surgery walls, Dr. Upton worked on Cheadle Hospital’s long-term care ward until its closure. He also worked in elderly care at Haywood Hospital and at One Recovery in Stoke, supporting patients recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. All this is in addition to his role as a Senior Partner at The Tardis Surgery.

Living within the community he cared for had its advantages, he said: “It’s useful to know what is going on in the community, you can see how it impacts patients. I love being a family doctor and find it fascinating seeing patients I knew as babies now bringing their own babies to see me. I love seeing patients out and about, although I can’t always remember names!”

Dr. Upton’s active role in the community extended beyond the practice. He was a member of Team Cheadle – “I’m very keen to see the High Street rejuvenated” – and was Branch Secretary of the Staffordshire Moorlands arm of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale). He described himself as “keen on walking” but that doesn’t quite cut it. He walked more than 2,000 miles and walked from Wolverhampton’s Molineux stadium to Stoke City’s Bet 365 ground for the Dougie Mac.

He made it his mission to ensure each of the public footpaths in and around Cheadle are explored at least once a year. He had real affection for the place he called home and the fellow Staffordshire folk he called both patients and friends.

His funeral service will take place at the Chapel at Highfield Cemetery, Lymington, on Friday, 26th June at 11:15 am, followed by a burial. Family flowers only, please. Donations in memory of Kevin will benefit Mind UK.

Obituary: Dr. Kevin Upton - created 19th June 2026