After being diagnosed with a severe gynaecological condition which meant Emma Bruce could not have children, she needed a shoulder to cry on. With her family 600 miles away, Emma turned to her GP, Dr Ruth Padday. Emma was so touched by her doctor's help, she has nominated her as Top Doc in a national magazine. She talks to EMMA BARNETT

IT was a devastating blow for 30-year-old Emma when she discovered she had endometriosis. The gynaecological condition can be mild, but in Emma's case it was so severe that she was faced with a heartbreaking decision - have an operation which would rid her of the disease but mean she could never have children, or continue to suffer.

"Normally you would turn to your mum," said Emma, from Grange Park in Hedge End, near Southampton.

"But my mum is 600 miles away in Aberdeen. I've got a very supportive fianc, but sometimes it's nice to talk to a woman - and someone with medical knowledge.

"It was a big decision - there's no going back - and it really helped to have a GP on my side. Having Ruth's support really helped me."

Following the operation Emma is now back at work and goes to the gym regularly, but is adamant she would not be where she is today without Ruth.

"She's totally changed my life. She rang me at home and I knew I could have spoken to her out of hours. Whenever I expected her to call she called me. She never let me down."

While she was recovering, Emma read an article in Woman's Own magazine, inviting patients to nominate their Top Doc, and didn't hesitate to put Ruth's name forward.

The 47-year-old GP, also from Hedge End, was selected from thousands of applicants for a special mention in the weekly slot.

She said she was bowled over when she heard the news.

"The magazine contacted the practice manager and she rang me at home, because it was my day off, and said: 'I hope you're sitting down.'

"I actually went cold and shaky, because people are so quick to complain. It's incredibly nice to be recognised and I hope I'm humble enough to accept it. However, I don't think you can do something without a team behind you. What should be recognised is the quality of the staff behind me."

Ruth, who lives with her husband Laurie Green, is already a well-established member of the community as she set up and now runs the Hedge End Teenage Drop-in Centre.

She also looks after her four children - William, 17, Joanna, 13, James, 3, and 16-year-old quadriplegic Natasha, who needs constant care and suffers from epilepsy.

Even in her little spare time, Ruth keeps herself busy.

"I work three very long days, but I usually play tennis on Friday night and I go to the gym if I can.

"But I go to the pottery on Friday and throw clay and make pots and it's fantastic how sane you feel after doing something creative. I also play the cello because we're quite a musical family.

"Being a Top Doc is lovely, but my kids are great. They really recognise that being a GP is not just a job - it's a way of life."