Alexander_MacAra

Alexander MacAra

Alexander MacAra

Scottish public health physician (1932–2012)

Alexander Wiseman MacAra FRCP FRCGP[1] (4 May 1932 – 21 June 2012), also known as Sandy MacAra, was a Scottish professor of epidemiology at Bristol University and chairman of British Medical Association (BMA) from 1993 to 1998.[2][3]

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Early life

Alexander Wiseman MacAra was born on 4 May 1932 in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland.[4] Both his father and grandfather were Church of Scotland Ministers. [5] Marion, his mother, was a civil servant. When he was six years old, MacAra was treated for paratyphoid fever, acute appendicitis and whooping cough.

MacAra was educated at Irvine Royal Academy.[5] He studied at the Glasgow Medical School, Glasgow University, graduating with a medical degree in 1958.[6] He went on to gain a DPH from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in 1960.[6]

Early career

  • 1963 – 1997 Lecturer in Public Health, and later Consultant Senior Lecturer in Public Health, Bristol University[4]
  • 1960s Founding member and subsequently Head of Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine, Bristol University[4]

Career

From 1993 to 1998 MacAra was the chair of the ruling council of British Medical Association (BMA). He was consultant to the World Health Organisation (for over 20 years ), and he was president of the National Heart Forum.[4] He was a member of the Council of the General Medical Council (GMC)

Campaigning

MacAra played a key role in smoking ban in public places which was introduced in 2007. In 2009 he called for the MMR vaccine to be made compulsory following an unfounded health scare which resulted in a fall in the take up rate of the vaccine within the UK.[4]

Honours

MacAra was a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP).[4] In 1992 he received an honorary degree- Honorary Doctor of Public Health, Athens. [6] He was created a Knight Bachelor in the 1998 Birthday Honours for services to the medical profession.[7]

Personal life

MacAra was married to Sylvia and they had two children, a daughter, Alexandra, and a son, James.[8] He died on 21 June 2012.[8]

Obituaries

References

  1. [1]
    "Sir Alexander Wiseman Macara". RCPLondon. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  2. [2]
    Davies, Peter (9 July 2012). "Obituary – Alexander MacAra". British Medical Journal. 345: e4644. doi:10.1136/bmj.e4644. S2CID 220100193.
  3. [3]
    O'Sullivan, Jack (10 July 1994). "Profile: Scalpel to blunt an axe: Dr Sandy MacAra: He is leading the BMA out of the sickroom. But where to?". The Independent. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  4. [4]
    Obituary (28 June 2012). "Sir Sandy MacAra". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  5. [5]
    "Sir Sandy Macara obituary". The Guardian. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  6. [6]
    "Obituaries – Sir Sandy (Alexander Wiseman) Macara, FRCP Edin". Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE). Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  7. [7]
    "Queen's Birthday honours 1998". The Independent. 13 June 1998. Archived from the original on 27 June 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  8. [8]
    "Former BMA chairman Sir Sandy Macara dies". BBC News (Bristol). 25 June 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
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