Richard Scott (doctor)

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Richard Scott FRCGP (1914 28 November 1983), also

Richard Scott
known as Dick Scott, was a Scottish medical doctor who
was the first professor of general practice. He worked as an Born 1914
academic general practitioner (GP) in Edinburgh. He was Died 28 November 1983 (aged 6869)
involved with setting up the first ever university general
Nationality Scottish
practice in 1948, developed the University of Edinburgh's
general practice teaching unit and in 1963 was appointed to Education University of Edinburgh
the first academic chair in general practice. Years active 19361979
Known for first professor of general practice
Medical career
Contents
Profession doctor
1 Early life Field General Practitioner
2 Academic GP
3 Awards and honours
4 Personal life
5 Memorials
6 References

Early life
Richard Scott was born in 1914. He was educated at Beath High School in Fife.[1] He studied at the University
of Edinburgh and graduated with a MB ChB in 1936. While working in general practice, he completed a
research for a MD degree.[2] He served in the Royal Army Medical Corps 1939 to 1945 during which time he
attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. During this time he was posted to locations in North Africa, Sicily, Italy
and India.[1]

Academic GP
After demobilisation he studied for a Diploma in Public Health and having performed the best was awarded the
gold medal.[2] In 1946 Scott was appointed as a lecturer in the department of public health and social medicine
at the University of Edinburgh. With the introduction of the National Health Service, dispensaries were no
longer needed.[3] In Edinburgh, the premises of Royal Public Dispensary of Edinburgh in West Richmond
Street was converted into the first ever university general practice. On 5 July 1948, Scott's general medical
practice opened to serve the health needs of a local community while also having academic links to the
University of Edinburgh.[4][5]

In 1952, the University received a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.[6] A second practice was acquired by
the university, and Scott was appointed director of the general practice teaching unit.[1] During that decade the
University of Edinburgh's general practice teaching unit was developed.

In 1963, the General Practice Teaching Unit became the Department of General Practice, the world's first
independent department of General Practice.[7] Scott was appointed as the James Mackenzie Professor of
General Practice, the first person to be a professor in that clinical specialty.[1][7]:1011 He gave his inaugural
lecture on 19 February 1964.[8] He gave the eleventh James MacKenzie lecture in the Great Hall of Tavistock
House on 21 November 1964.[9]
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) formed in 1952 and Scott was honorary secretary of the
RCGP's Scottish Council 19531969.[1] He retired from medicine in 1979.[2] He died on 28 November 1983, at
the age of 69, after a long illness.[2]

Awards and honours

In 1979, he received the Baron Dr ver Heyden de Lancey Memorial Award.[10]

Personal life
He married Ella and they had two daughters and three sons.[11]

Memorials
A lecture is held annually by the University of Edinburgh, which is named in his honour.[12] A blue plaque was
unveiled on Mackenzie House in June 2017.[13]

References
1. "Obituary. Richard Scott". The Lancet. 323 (8367): 58. 7 January 1984. doi:10.1016/S0140-
6736(84)90232-0 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2FS0140-6736%2884%2990232-0).
2. "Obituary. R Scott" (http://www.bmj.com/content/287/6408/1890). British Medical Journal (Clinical
Research Edition). 287: 1890. 17 December 1983. doi:10.1136/bmj.287.6408.1890 (https://doi.org/10.11
36%2Fbmj.287.6408.1890).
3. Scott, Richard (September 1956). "Edinburgh University General Practice Teaching Unit." (http://journal
s.lww.com/academicmedicine/Citation/1956/09000/Edinburgh_University_General_Practice_Teaching.5.
aspx). Journal of Medical Education. 31 (9): 621634.
4. Jones, Roger (12 May 2012). "Obituaries. Primary care pioneer and former BMA president. David
Morrell" (http://www.bmj.com/bmj/section-pdf/187529?path=/bmj/344/7856/Obituaries.full.pdf) (PDF).
BMJ. 344: 36.
5. "World's first chair of general practice" (http://www.ournhsscotland.com/worlds-first-chair-general-practi
ce). www.ournhsscotland.com. NHS Scotland. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
6. "25,000 Grant to University. Medical Teaching Unit" (https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lmdAA
AAAIBAJ&sjid=jZQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4336%2C3774376). The Glasgow Herald. 10 October 1952.
p. 3. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
7. Thomson, Donald M. (January 1984). "General practice and the Edinburgh Medical School: 200 years of
teaching, care and research" (http://bjgp.org/content/34/258/9). British Journal of General Practice. 34:
912.
8. "Frustrations Facing the General Practitioner" (https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wYNAAAAAIB
AJ&sjid=r6MMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4185%2C7376190). The Glasgow Herald. 20 February 1964. p. 18.
Retrieved 16 July 2017.
9. Scott, Richard (January 1965). "Lectures and Addresses. Medicine in Society" (http://bjgp.org/content/bj
gp/9/1/2.4.full.pdf) (PDF). Journal of the College of General Practitioners. 9 (1): 416.
10. "Annual General Meeting 1979" (http://bjgp.org/content/bjgp/30/211/119.full.pdf) (PDF). Journal of the
Royal College of General Practitioners: 119. February 1980.
11. "obituary" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1959578/pdf/jroyalcgprac00170-0003.pdf)
(PDF). Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners (4): 110111. February 1984.
12. "Richard Scott lecture 2017" (http://www.ed.ac.uk/usher/news-events/events-2017/richard-scott-lecture-2
017). University of Edinburgh. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
13. "Blue plaque honours GPs legacy" (http://www.ed.ac.uk/medicine-vet-medicine/news-events/latest-new
s/blue-plaque-honours-gp-s-legacy) (Press release). University of Edinburgh. 20 June 2017. Retrieved
16 July 2017.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Scott_(doctor)&oldid=792389530"

Categories: 1914 births 1983 deaths People educated at Beath High School
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Academics of the University of Edinburgh
20th-century Scottish medical doctors Scottish general practitioners
Fellows of the Royal College of General Practitioners

This page was last edited on 26 July 2017, at 06:56.

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