Consultant and honorary senior lecturer in pathology.
Born: 29 June 1950, in Aberdeen. Died: 6 December, 2007, in Dundee, aged 57. ALISTAIR Robertson excelled at Aberdeen Grammar School and proceeded to read medicine at Aberdeen University in 1969. Having secured prizes in anatomy,
he was offered the opportunity of spending an additional year studying for a bachelor's degree in medical biology. He seized this offer, choosing to spend this extra year studying pathology. Joining a department rich in talented pathologists and at a point when pathology was moving from mere descriptive morbid anatomy to a subject that explained the aetiology and development of disease stimulated his lifelong interest in the discipline. A year later he obtained the degree of BMedBiol with honours before returning to the mainstream medical class, collecting the Russell Medal in Pathology and Bacteriology en route to graduating MBChB with commendation in 1975.
After graduating, he completed pre-registration house jobs in medicine and surgery at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary before commencing his formal career in pathology in 1976 under the close guidance of the late Professor John Swanson Beck. This was not only the start of a successful partnership in pathological research and service development but also the beginning of an enduring friendship. Promoted to lecturer in 1978, Alistair gained the professional qualification of membership of the Royal College of Pathologists in 1981, and the following year was appointed as consultant in administrative charge of laboratory services for Perth and Kinross. This was a challenging appointment for a first consultant post, but one which ensured a thorough grounding in the skills of medical management.
After ten years spent upgrading laboratory facilities and developing a flexible, multiskilled workforce in Perth, he returned full-time to the department in Dundee as a consultant and honorary senior lecturer, immediately being appointed clinical director of the NHS pathology service. Although concentrating on management, he maintained strong diagnostic interests in cytopathology, breast and gynaecological pathology. During this period he was a central figure in introducing a successful external quality assurance scheme (designed to monitor the performance of individual pathologists) and helped to develop the national breast screening service.
In 1999, he was appointed clinical group director for clinical support services (encompassing radiology, medical physics, haematology, microbiology and biochemical medicine). He held this extremely challenging role until his death and was latterly engaged in modernisation and development of nuclear medicine facilities in Tayside.
In addition to local management, he chaired a wide range of national committees and his ability to direct projects and deliver results was widely recognised and greatly appreciated at government level. Always fascinated by the potential benefits of new technologies in pathology, he was recently responsible for the successful implementation of a national digital telepathology system and was chairman of cancer health. Colleagues demonstrating anything less than full commitment to a project could generally expect to be appraised of their shortcomings, but he invariably performed this duty with warmth and good humour.
Alistair was involved in the training and examining of several generations of junior pathologists and greatly enjoyed lecturing to undergraduate medical students, always emphasising that a thorough grounding in pathology would be an investment they would never regret.
He continued to engage in research work, successfully attracting grant money and finally publishing in excess of 90 papers. Despite this enormous array of responsibilities, Alistair remained above all a diagnostic histopathologist who continued to derive great enjoyment from participating fully in the clinical service. His enormous energy, drive and sheer enthusiasm for both pathology and management will be missed greatly.
Outside medicine, Alistair pursued a host of interests and shared a love of classical music, the theatre, travelling and wildlife with Frances, his devoted wife of 32 years, who survives him.
The full article contains 625 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
