The funeral of a Stevenage FC team doctor who was instrumental in centralising A&E services at Lister Hospital will be held tomorrow.

Dr Tony Kostick has died aged 55, having worked as a GP at Bedwell Medical Centre throughout his medical career and also serving Stevenage FC as team doctor for many year.

Dr Kostick – a former chairman of the East and North Herts Clinical Commissioning Group, the organisation which plans and pays for our NHS services – had to give up work after suffering a stroke two years ago, and died on November 30 after being seriously ill.

Hitchin GP Jeremy Cox was a close friend, having met Dr Kostick at medical school 36 years ago at London’s Royal Free Hospital.

He said: “Tony started his GP training at Lister in 1985 and then went straight into practice in Bedwell. He was there as a GP for the rest of his career.

“As the years went by, he became chairman of the professional executive committee for the Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust and was also chairman of the clinical commissioning group. It was during that time that he helped to push through the changes at the QEII and Lister – centralising A&E at Lister and creating a new hospital on the QEII site. He was instrumental in that, both in keeping the GPs on board and also liaising with people at the hospital trust and MPs.

“He wanted to make things happen and make things better, which is what he did with the health service.”

Jeremy said his friend was ‘fun-loving’ and ‘very good at making people do the right thing’.

Dr Kostick, who lived in Weston, was born in Manchester and was a United supporter until his loyalties switched to Stevenage FC.

Stevenage FC chairman Phil Wallace said, “Tony Kostick was our club doctor here for approaching 20 years, during which time he was always of great assistance to players and management as well as being a dedicated supporter of the club. He was very approachable, friendly and supportive and he will be sadly missed by all at Stevenage FC.”

He leaves behind wife Judy and three children – Ellie, Mikey and David – and his funeral will be held at Harwood Park Crematorium in Stevenage from 12.30pm tomorrow.