Dr Angus McIntosh (January 29, 1935 - February 8, 2024)
Dr Angus McIntosh was a pioneer of the Canberra community with almost seven decades of distinguished service as a specialist paediatric physician and volunteer contributor.
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Born and raised in Sydney's North Shore, he studied and practised medicine in Sydney before travelling to London for specialist training in child health. On his return in 1965, he moved his young and growing family to Canberra. He joined Dr David Henchman in an established practice in Eyre Street, Kingston. Later he was a visiting medical officer at Canberra Hospital where he and three other VMOs covered the newborn and children's wards on a 24-hour, 365 days per year roster.
His contribution to the community and improved medical services was underscored by his 1970s appointments as president of the ACT Medical Society and the ACT branch of the AMA. His colleague, Dr Tony Crawford, recalled: "This pattern of leadership continued until his retirement and beyond. He was a negotiator, arbitrator and visionary with a wide range of contacts. He arranged for paediatric registrars in training at Sydney's Prince of Wales Children's Hospital to be seconded to Canberra on a three-month rotation, thus improving the quality of inpatient care as well as updating our own skills. He also initiated an outreach program of subspecialists, saving Canberra families, including many of Angus's childhood cancer patients, costly and disruptive trips to Sydney."
By the 1980s Dr McIntosh had started teaching medical students on rotation from the University of Queensland, and his leadership took Canberra's paediatric services from the 20th century into the 21st. He held positions, including paediatric clinical director, at Royal Canberra Hospital, Woden Valley Hospital, Queen Elizabeth II Mothercraft Home and John James Hospital. He helped set up the Australian Paediatric Review Training Program in Canberra where GPs and resident medical officers could develop their skills in paediatrics. He retired from medical practice in 1999 and took up a position as senior medical adviser with the Health Insurance Commission and retired from medicine in 2000.
He was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 1999 for his contribution to paediatrics and the ACT Medical Board.
While medicine was his professional passion, his true love was for his wife of almost 64 years, Alison, and their four daughters Louise, Fiona, Jennifer and Sally.
They recalled: "Dad was always reluctant to be our doctor. When we were sick, it was either the 'collywobbles' if it was internal; or 'scrofula' if it was external. There was no specific treatment prescribed for either ailment and neither would require a day off from school."
He loved his golf, playing at Royal Canberra Golf Club where he served on the board, and became president of the Senior Golfers (ACT), taking part in golfing tournaments nationally and internationally. He was also an original member of the Canberra Food & Wine Society.
He combined his love of cricket with a desire to continue to support disadvantaged families and children, with the ACT Lord's Taverners charity, of which he was the president.
During his long illness in the last stage of his life the family unit continued to be the most important thing. He was a kind and optimistic man. He was the first to acknowledge he had had the great fortune to have lived a good and happy life, to have loved and been loved in turn.
In his final months, he appreciated the assistance of the medical team, Jill Dexter and staff at Carey Gardens for their tender and respectful care. Many had him in the past as either a patient or a colleague, and said it was now their turn to care for him.
The cycle of care had come full circle.
He will be greatly missed.
