Obituary: Dr Joan McAlpine

Dr Joan McAlpine died in December 2021, just before her 95th birthday. After graduating in medicine with commendation from Glasgow University in 1949 (where she was one of only 42 women in her year of 200 students) Joan did her early general medical training in Glasgow, where she was usually the only female junior doctor. Returning to work after having her 3 children, she was appointed Medical Assistant in geriatric medicine in Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Infirmary (RAI) – now the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

 

Shortly after she took up post, Dr Jack Kelly, the single-handed geriatric medicine consultant, went to India to do missionary work and Joan was left in charge. She relished the challenge and, when he resigned shortly after his return, Joan was appointed as the consultant in geriatric medicine.

 

She steadily built up the department, increasing the number of consultants and trainees and developing the services offered to patients. Joan transformed the department from a largely long stay unit into an active forward-thinking service providing assessment and rehabilitation. She was an early pioneer of moving patients with hip fracture to geriatric medicine wards almost immediately post operatively. She established a link with Edinburgh University and medical students came to spend part of their training in geriatric medicine in the RAI, with very positive student feedback.

 

She served as President of BGS Scotland and commissioned the President’s chain now worn at BGS Scotland meetings by the Chair. She enjoyed the interaction with the national BGS team and colleagues across the UK – at this time geriatric medicine was a relatively new and evolving speciality. She was a Fellow of both London and Glasgow Colleges of Physicians.

 

She retired in 1989 with reluctance as she felt there was much she wanted to do. She channelled that energy into key roles at Erskine Hospital where she was an honorary consultant and chair of its Care and Clinical Governance committee guiding the transformation of the nature of the services it provided. She served as a Board member in the Glasgow’s Primary Care Trust during a period when major positive changes for community services were driven forwards. She chaired the Ure Elder Trust and researched the life and work of Isabella Ure Elder, a major philanthropist in Glasgow especially in the field of education for women: Joan felt strongly that Mrs Elder’s work was under-recognised. She published a book about Mrs Elder in 1997 (The Lady of Claremont House) and gave many talks about her.

 

Joan led an energetic and productive working life and enjoyed it to the full. She also had a fulfilling and happy retirement. She was stylish, charismatic, enjoyed her Jaguar cars, and had a lively sense of humour. She played golf, bridge, enjoyed travel, and family life. She had a long and happy retirement.