Dr Bawden became a GP after studying medicine at Guy's Hospital Medical School. In 1979 he became a GP  partner in Botesdale, a practice in rural north Suffolk. He has always been a keen supporter of a multi-disciplinary approach to patient management and has developed his practice accordingly. He has retired from General Practice but has returned to work to help with the Covid 19 vaccination programme.
 
His day-to-day observation of the morbidity, distress and social isolation resulting from chronic leg ulceration  led to his enthusiastic support for Ellie Lindsay's research into an alternative approach to the management of this debilitating condition. This enthusiasm has continued as he has seen the results of this research produce remarkable results both in clinical healing and social reintegration in his local Leg Club and many others throughout the country and worldwide.

Dr Bawden has undertaken his own research as part of an MSc in Health Sciences at the University of East Anglia and subsequently with SAND a GP-based research group. His research has been based on the benefits of patient-centred treatments in asthma which is in tune with the ethos of the Leg Club concept.