Donald Acheson
Encyclopedia
Sir Donald Acheson KBE
(17 September 1926 – 10 January 2010) was a British physician and epidemiologist who served as Chief Medical Officer of the United Kingdom
from 1983–91. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Malcolm King Acheson, MC
, MD
was a doctor who specialised in public health, and his mother Dorothy Josephine née Rennoldson was the daughter of a Tyneside ship builder. He was educated at Merchiston Castle School
, Brasenose College, Oxford
(MA
, DM
, Fellow 1968, Honorary Fellow 1991). His elder brother, Roy Acheson, (also Merchiston
and Brasenose
alumnus) is Emeritus Professor of Community Medicine in the University of Cambridge
and Fellow of Churchill College
.
and then entered the Royal Air Force Medical Branch, achieving the rank of Acting Squadron Leader
(1953–55).
In 1955, in an article in the Lancet, Acheson coined the term Benign Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) to describe a number of outbreaks of an infectious disease.
From 1957 until 1968 he worked at the University of Oxford
, as Fellow of University College
(1957–59), medical tutor in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at Radcliffe Infirmary
(1960), Director of the Oxford Record Linkage Study and Unit of Clinical Epidemeology (1962–68), and May Reader in Medicine
(1965).
His association with the University of Southampton
began in 1963 when he was appointed Professor of Clinical Epidemiology in the university
and Honorary Consultant Physician
at Royal South Hampshire Hospital
. He held both positions until 1983. In 1968 he became the first Dean of the new Medical School at the University of Southampton
, serving in that capacity until 1978. In 1977 he was Visiting Professor at McMaster University
.
From 1979 until 1983 he was Director of the Medical Research Council
Unit in Environmental Epidemiology. He then became Chief Medical Officer (1983–1991), serving the British government in the Department of Health
, Department of Social Security
, Department of Education and Science, and Home Office
.
After leaving office as Chief Medical Officer he held positions at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and University College London
.
In 1997 he was commissioned by the new Blair
government to chair the Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health, which led to the publication of the eponymous Acheson Report
. In 1998 he delivered the Harveian Oration
to the Royal College of Physicians
.
Acheson was President of the Association of Physicians of Great Britain and Ireland (1979) and the British Medical Association
(1996–97). He was a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
(FRCP), Royal College of Surgeons of England
(FRCS), Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
(FRCOG), Faculty of Public Health Medicine
(FFPHM), and Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FFOM). In 1986 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
. He held honorary doctorates from the University of Southampton
(DM
1984), University of Newcastle (DSc
1984), Queen's University of Belfast
(MD
1987), University of Aberdeen
(LLD 1988), University of Nottingham
(MD
1989), University of Birmingham
(MD
1991), University of Salford
(DSc
1991), and University of Ulster
(DSc
1994).
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(17 September 1926 – 10 January 2010) was a British physician and epidemiologist who served as Chief Medical Officer of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from 1983–91. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Early life
His father CaptainCaptain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
Malcolm King Acheson, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
was a doctor who specialised in public health, and his mother Dorothy Josephine née Rennoldson was the daughter of a Tyneside ship builder. He was educated at Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school for boys in the village of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has about 480 pupils and is open to boys between the ages of 8 and 18 as either boarders or day pupils; day pupils make up 35% of the school....
, Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
(MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
, DM
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, Fellow 1968, Honorary Fellow 1991). His elder brother, Roy Acheson, (also Merchiston
Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school for boys in the village of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has about 480 pupils and is open to boys between the ages of 8 and 18 as either boarders or day pupils; day pupils make up 35% of the school....
and Brasenose
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
alumnus) is Emeritus Professor of Community Medicine in the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and Fellow of Churchill College
Churchill College, Cambridge
Churchill College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.In 1958, a Trust was established with Sir Winston Churchill as its Chairman of Trustees, to build and endow a college for 60 fellows and 540 Students as a national and Commonwealth memorial to Winston Churchill; its...
.
Career
Having qualified in 1951, Acheson practised at Middlesex HospitalUniversity College Hospital
University College Hospital is a teaching hospital located in London, United Kingdom. It is part of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is closely associated with University College London ....
and then entered the Royal Air Force Medical Branch, achieving the rank of Acting Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
(1953–55).
In 1955, in an article in the Lancet, Acheson coined the term Benign Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) to describe a number of outbreaks of an infectious disease.
From 1957 until 1968 he worked at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, as Fellow of University College
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
(1957–59), medical tutor in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at Radcliffe Infirmary
Radcliffe Infirmary
The Radcliffe Infirmary was a hospital in central Oxford, England, located at the southern end of Woodstock Road on the western side, backing onto Walton Street. The Radcliffe Infirmary, named after physician John Radcliffe, opened in 1770 and was Oxford's first hospital...
(1960), Director of the Oxford Record Linkage Study and Unit of Clinical Epidemeology (1962–68), and May Reader in Medicine
Reader (academic rank)
The title of Reader in the United Kingdom and some universities in the Commonwealth nations like Australia and New Zealand denotes an appointment for a senior academic with a distinguished international reputation in research or scholarship...
(1965).
His association with the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
began in 1963 when he was appointed Professor of Clinical Epidemiology in the university
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
and Honorary Consultant Physician
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
at Royal South Hampshire Hospital
Royal South Hampshire Hospital
The Royal South Hants Hospital, known locally as "The RSH", is an acute hospital in Southampton. It has been managed by Southampton City Primary Care Trust since 31 March 2007 with some additional services being provided by the Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust...
. He held both positions until 1983. In 1968 he became the first Dean of the new Medical School at the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
, serving in that capacity until 1978. In 1977 he was Visiting Professor at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
.
From 1979 until 1983 he was Director of the Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council (UK)
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
Unit in Environmental Epidemiology. He then became Chief Medical Officer (1983–1991), serving the British government in the Department of Health
Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
, Department of Social Security
Department of Social Security
The Department of Social Security is the name of a defunct governmental agency in the United Kingdom.The DSS replaced the older Department of Health and Social Security, from 1988 until 2001, when it was itself largely replaced as a department of the Government of the United Kingdom by the...
, Department of Education and Science, and Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
.
After leaving office as Chief Medical Officer he held positions at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
In 1997 he was commissioned by the new Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
government to chair the Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health, which led to the publication of the eponymous Acheson Report
Acheson Report
The Acheson Report, fully titled the Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health Report, was a report published in 1998 by a United Kingdom inquiry headed by Donald Acheson....
. In 1998 he delivered the Harveian Oration
Harveian Oration
The Harveian Oration is a yearly lecture held at the Royal College of Physicians of London. It was instituted in 1656 by William Harvey, discoverer of the systemic circulation. Harvey made financial provision for the college to hold an annual feast on St...
to the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
.
Acheson was President of the Association of Physicians of Great Britain and Ireland (1979) and the British Medical Association
British Medical Association
The British Medical Association is the professional association and registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association’s headquarters are located in BMA House,...
(1996–97). He was a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
(FRCP), Royal College of Surgeons of England
Royal College of Surgeons of England
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body and registered charity committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients, regulating surgery, including dentistry, in England and Wales...
(FRCS), Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is a professional association based in the UK. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is, pregnancy, childbirth, and female sexual and reproductive health...
(FRCOG), Faculty of Public Health Medicine
Faculty of Public Health
The Faculty of Public Health is the standard setting body for specialists in public health in the United Kingdom.The Faculty of Public Health was formed in 1972 by the three Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom .The Faculty seeks to promote public...
(FFPHM), and Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FFOM). In 1986 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. He held honorary doctorates from the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
(DM
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
1984), University of Newcastle (DSc
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
1984), Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...
(MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
1987), University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
(LLD 1988), University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
(MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
1989), University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
(MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
1991), University of Salford
University of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
(DSc
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
1991), and University of Ulster
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
(DSc
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
1994).
Autobiography
- One Doctor's Odyssey – the Social Lesion (2007). ISBN 978-1-84549-276-2. (Abramis Academic Press).
External links
- Sir Donald Acheson – Daily Telegraph obituary