Sir Ernest Donald Acheson (17 September 1926 – 10 January 2010) was a British physician and epidemiologist who served as Chief Medical Officer of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

from 1983 to 1991. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.Donald Acheson's obituary, ''The Times''
/ref>

Early life

Ernest Donald Acheson was born in Belfast on 17 September 1926. His father, Captain 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 Merchiston Castle School is an independent boarding school for boys in the suburb of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has around 470 pupils and is open to boys between the ages of 7 and 18 as either boarding or day pupils; it was modelled ...

, Brasenose College, Oxford ( MA, DM,

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

1968,

Honorary Fellow Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in m ...

1991). His elder brother, Roy Acheson (also

Merchiston Merchiston ( ) is a residential area around Merchiston Avenue in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. Location Merchiston Avenue is 1.3 miles Southwest of the West End of Edinburgh's principal street, Princes Street. Other areas near Merchi ...

and Brasenose alumnus), is Emeritus Professor of Community Medicine in the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...

and Fellow of

Churchill College Churchill College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It has a primary focus on science, engineering and technology, but still retains a strong interest in the arts and humanities. In 1958, a trust was establish ...

Career

Acheson studied medicine at the

Middlesex Hospital Middlesex Hospital was a teaching hospital located in the Fitzrovia area of London, England. First opened as the Middlesex Infirmary in 1745 on Windmill Street, it was moved in 1757 to Mortimer Street where it remained until it was finally clos ...

, where he was a Broderip scholar. Having qualified in 1951, he practised at

and then entered the Royal Air Force Medical Branch, achieving the rank of Acting Squadron Leader (1953–55). From 1957 until 1968 he worked at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, as

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

(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 Epidemiology (1962–68), and May Reader in Medicine (1965). His association with the

University of Southampton , mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour , type = Public research university , established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...

began in 1963 when he was appointed Professor of Clinical Epidemiology in the

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

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

, serving in that capacity until 1978. In 1977 he was Visiting Professor at

McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...

. From 1979 until 1983 he was Director of the Medical Research Council Unit in Environmental Epidemiology. He then became Chief Medical Officer (1983–1991),BBC News (11 October 2000)
/ref> serving the British government in the

Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their ow ...

Department of Social Security The Department of Social Security (DSS) was a governmental agency in the United Kingdom from 1988 to 2001. The old abbreviation is still often used informally. Advertisements for rented accommodation used to describe prospective tenants who wou ...

Department of Education and Science An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

, and Home Office. During his time as Chief Medical Officer, he smuggled copies of '' The Advocate'' and ''

New York Native The ''New York Native'' was a biweekly gay newspaper published by Charles Ortleb in New York City from December 1980 until January 13, 1997. It was the only gay paper in New York City during the early part of the AIDS epidemic, and pioneered repor ...

'' into Britain in diplomatic bags to avoid them being seized by customs so that he could keep abreast of developments relating to

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

. After leaving office as Chief Medical Officer he held positions at the

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a public research university in Bloomsbury, central London, and a member institution of the University of London that specialises in public health and tropical medicine. The inst ...

and

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

. 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 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 feas ...

to the

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...

. 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

(FRCP),

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. T ...

(FRCS),

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that ...

(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 The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

. He held honorary doctorates from the

( DM 1984), University of Newcastle (

DSc DSC may refer to: Academia * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dalton State Col ...

1984), Queen's University of Belfast ( MD 1987),

University of Aberdeen , mottoeng = The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom , established = , type = Public research universityAncient university , endowment = £58.4 million (2021) , budget ...

( LLD 1988),

University of Nottingham , mottoeng = A city is built on wisdom , established = 1798 – teacher training college1881 – University College Nottingham1948 – university status , type = Public , chancellor ...

( MD 1989),

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...

( MD 1991),

University of Salford , caption = Coat of ArmsUniversity of Salford , mottoeng = "Let us seek higher things" , established = 1850 - Pendleton Mechanics Institute 1896 – Royal Technical Institute, Salford 1967 – gained ...

(

1991), and

University of Ulster sco, Ulstèr Universitie , image = Ulster University coat of arms.png , caption = , motto_lang = , mottoeng = , latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae , established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...

(

1994).

Autobiography

*''One Doctor's Odyssey – the Social Lesion'' (2007). . ( Abramis Academic Press).

References

External links

Sir Donald Acheson
– Daily Telegraph obituary * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Acheson, Donald 1926 births 2010 deaths People educated at Merchiston Castle School Academics of the University of Southampton Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford Academics of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Academics of University College London McMaster University faculty Royal Air Force squadron leaders Fellows of University College, Oxford Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Chief Medical Officers for England Royal Air Force Medical Service officers Léon Bernard Foundation Prize laureates

Early life

Career

Autobiography

References

Further reading

External links