Grace Maria Linton Summerhayes MacRae (1894–1993) was a British obstetrician and gynaeocologist who worked in Africa.

Biography

Summerhayes had her first experience of medicine as an orderly at the

Scottish Women's Hospital at Royaumont The Scottish Women's Hospital at Royaumont was a medical hospital during World War I active from January 1915 to March 1919 operated by Scottish Women's Hospitals (SWH), under the direction of the French Red Cross and located at Royaumont Abbey. ...

in 1917 during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. This hospital, with entirely female doctors and other staff, worked close to the front line and was at one point overrun by fighting. Summerhayes subsequently trained in medicine, tropical medicine and obstetrics. Summerhayes set up the first colonial run maternity hospital in Ghana, at

Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) is a public teaching hospital located in the Ablekuma South Metropolitan District in Accra, Ghana. It is the only public tertiary hospital in the southern part of the country. It is a teaching hospital affiliate ...

, Accra, in 1928. This was one of the first to provide European midwife and later obstetric training in Africa and was very influential in the development of European style midwife and obstetric services in Ghana and wider West Africa. At Korle-Bu she trained the country's first European trained midwives, who subsequently went on to develop the colonial style of the profession in Ghana with Isabella Eyo, Adelaide Mallet, Comfort Addo, Grace Koi and Sarah Okine, then trained as nurses. She also undertook research into causes of anaemia in pregnancy. Summerhayes subsequently married the lead surgeon in Korle-Bu, Alexander MacRae, and due to the colonial regulations at the time as a married woman had to resign her post. She and MacRae returned to England, and she resumed medical practice. Summerhayes was a public health advocate and active in local politics until her 90s. Her grandson,

Chris Whitty Sir Christopher John MacRae Whitty (born 21 April 1966) is a British epidemiologist serving as Chief Medical Officer for England (CMO) and Chief Medical Adviser to the UK Government since 2019. He has also been Gresham Professor of Physic sinc ...

, became

Chief Medical Officer for England In the United Kingdom, a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is the most senior government advisor on matter relating to health. There are four CMOs in the United Kingdom who are appointed to advise their respective governments: * His Majesty's Governm ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Summerhayes, Grace 1894 births 1993 deaths Women in World War I British obstetricians