Doctor needs to keep half-cut wife upright (7)

'upright' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'doctor needs to keep half-cut wife' is the wordplay.
'doctor' is an anagram indicator.
'to keep' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'half cut' suggests halving the letters.
'needs' with letters rearranged gives 'endse'.
'wife' cut in half is 'wi'.
'endse' enclosing 'wi' is 'ENDWISE'.