Public health attracted me as a career out of sheer frustration as to what was happening in the NHS, and particularly general practice in 1965. I had a marvellous mentor John Revans who sponsored me for a year at the School of Public Health at Chapel Hill NC. I always believed when Regional Director for Public Health for the South East Region (1978-1992) that I had the best job in the NHS. The 3000 consultant medical staff employed included many Guys graduates and, of course, I became closely associated with Kings, St Thomas’ and Guys’ medical schools, their hospitals and their subsequent development. Health, competence and conduct issues of medical staff became a major part of my workload. Nothing gave me greater satisfaction than seeing a colleague deemed, by local staff, as unsuitable to continue in medicine return to work. I moved to a chair at the University of Kent with two days a week at Kings. I researched health and stress issues in the medical profession. Finally after retirement in 2001 I enjoyed chairing a Primary Care Group/Trust in Kent which was where I landed my first Medical Officer of Health post in 1974.
John Butterfield helped me publicly in several tricky situations and it gave me great joy as a Governor when John, as Chairman of the Governors, officiated in the ceremony in Southwark Cathedral when my youngest daughter graduated.
Trish my second wife for 27years has been tremendous support and the photo taken last month is of her sitting between two statues in Bond St and whispering something to herself like “ If only”.
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