During that time he has been responsible for the delivery of between 10,000 and 15,000 babies.

"Helping women have babies in a healthy way has been something that I have absolutely loved," Dr Tooth said.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Dubbo and have no plans to leave because my wife Jacqui wouldn't live anywhere else."

Dr Tooth grew up in Sydney and completed a bachelor of industrial chemistry before embarking on a medical degree. He graduated from the University of New South Wales in 1974.

He worked at Wollongong Hospital and spent two years in general practice at Kiama before undertaking specialist training in obstetrics and gynaecology at Royal Newcastle Hospital and St Asaph's Hospital in North Wales.

He came to Dubbo in February 1984 at the invitation of doctors Christopher Halloway and Geoff Jackel.

"We had all been registrars at Royal Newcastle Hospital," Dr Tooth said.

"I had always wanted to be a rural doctor and Dubbo presented an opportunity to join two people that I respected and enjoyed working with.

Dr Tooth said while women still had babies "in the same way", significant advances had occurred over the decades.

"The treatment of infertility has changed a great deal," he said.

"There are much better treatments for premature labour and the ability to save premature babies has improved remarkably.

"There have been significant changes at Dubbo Hospital over the years. The most recent step forward includes six digital theatres, a new maternity wing and a central sterilising department.

"The community can look forward to an additional $150 million that has been promised by the government to build further improvements at Dubbo Hospital.

"That is due to happen within about three years."

Dr Tooth said 30 years ago some general practitioners were still delivering babies, giving anaesthetics and doing minor operations.

"That started to fade out in the 1980s," he said.

"The last self-contained practice was in Coonabarabran 22 years ago.

"Women from around the western region now come to Dubbo. Having a baby is still a natural thing but it is not always easy. Things can go wrong and go wrong very quickly."

Dr Tooth said Dubbo went through a phase when it was very hard to attract doctors.

Now it was more "well considered as a place to come and work".

"Because of the medical school the hospital is teaching doctors and there are an increasing number of registrars on various training programs," he said.

"We need to keep that momentum going."

While shredding documents in his home office, Dr Tooth has reflected on times of considerable turmoil at Dubbo Hospital.

He said doctors always wanted to provide care for people but administration was often limited by money.

"Money and care doesn't always gel together," Dr Tooth said.

"There are often disagreements about what should happen when doctors see the difficulties patients are going through and administrators see the difficulties with the budget.

"I have to say that Dubbo Hospital has been good to me over the years and there haven't been any severe personal fallouts."

Dr Tooth spent several years on the Dubbo Hospital medical staff council and served on various health organisations, including the local health board.

He was the inaugural chairman of the Buninyong Public School P and C when his younger children, Jacob and Jeremy, were primary students.

"Jacqui and I were also very involved with the boys' sport in Dubbo," Dr Tooth said.

In retirement Dr Tooth plans to travel, see his children and grandchildren more frequently and work at reducing his golf handicap.