Born: 
10/02/1950
Died: 
21/02/2011
Specialty: 
Paediatrics/Community Child Health
Designatory Letters: 
BSc Edin 1971, MB Edin 1974, MPH Leeds 1990, MBA Leeds 1994, FRCP Edin 1996, FRCPCH 1996

[Contributed by Michael Sills, FRCP FRCPCH]

Iain was born and brought up near Wakefield , He attended Hipperholme Grammar School and went on to study Medicine at Edinburgh where he was a bright and gifted student . He qualified in 1974 and quickly showed an aptitude and passion for Teaching and Research and a desire to follow a career in Paediatrics . His first published paper on Asthma came out the year he graduated .

After formative years in Edinburgh working much with Dr Keay and Dr Syme he moved to Leeds in 1980 to take up the post of Tutor and Hon. Senior Registrar with Prof RW Smithells and his team , where he found like minded colleagues . His Research and Teaching activities blossomed , but he was also a very attentive , understanding and special doctor for many Yorkshire children . He was one of the earliest advocates of a child friendly approach - refusing to wear a jacket - earning first the irritation and then the respect of his senior colleagues . During this time in Leeds he produced (and starred in) a teaching video entitled " How not to do a developmental assessment " and perhaps the energy, passion and puckish sense of humour he put into this helped ensure that this teaching aid is still very much in circulation.

Perhaps to broaden his horizons Iain then decided to work in the USA for a while , However after a year or so's very productive work in Louisiana the first signs of his long term illness - Multiple Sclerosis - began to appear . He decided to return to Leeds and on a change in career into Public Health so as to help promote important research and take a more managerial role in the expanding NHS . After further training and development he took up the post of Senior Lecturer in Health Services Research and Medicine at the Nuffield Institute for Health in Leeds and in this post he became involved in a wide variety of projects and innovations . He pioneered work looking at respite care provision for people with Multiple Sclerosis; he worked with the GMC on the situations of sick doctors; he developed new Community Child Health ideas including the introduction of the " Health Care Cube " and increasingly was drawn to problems of Medical Ethics . He helped introduce Ethical Commissioning for IVF . He also played a major role in looking at the causes of infant deaths nationally - becoming heavily involved in both the " Confidential enquiry into Stillbirths and Deaths in Infancy " ( CESDI ) and Research into " Sudden and Unexpected Death in Infancy " ( SUDI ) between 1994 and 2000 working with many others and gaining great respect and friendship from the " Foundation for the study of infant deaths , amongst many others .

He was also instrumental in developing ideas both Regionally and Nationally around the reorganisation and reconfiguration of Children's Medical Services . He promoted many projects working with the Yorkshire Multi District Audit Committee and continued his teaching and developing of Medical Ethics . Continuing ill health lead him to retire early but he continued to work whenever he could - he continued his medical ethics work and for two years was an energetic and well respected Trustee of the National Children's Centre .

Unfortunately his health continued to decline but he bore his illness with great courage and fortitude and not a little dry humour . Cared for increasingly by his devoted wife Anne he was determined to remain at home and slipped away peacefully with his family around in the small hours . He was a gifted warm and insightful colleague an independent thinker and great teacher with a special sense of humour - a great human being . He is survived by Anne and children Euan and Sophie whom he loved very much.