GB 0120 GC/157 - Nelson, Alastair Morrison (1924-1993)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0120 GC/157

Title

Nelson, Alastair Morrison (1924-1993)

Date(s)

  • 1944-1993 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

2 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Alastair Nelson qualified MB, ChB from Edinburgh Medical School in 1947, and took the Diploma in Public Health in 1951, studying under FAE Crew, a luminary of the postwar movement in social medicine. He became Medical Officer of Health, Stourbridge, then Deputy MOH, Brighton, and Deputy Chief MOH for Middlesex, which was then the third largest health authority in the UK. Reorganisations of local government and of the Health Service made him successively MOH, Richmond, and Area Medical Officer, Richmond Health Authority, and he finally served as Director of Public Health at Kingston and Esher Health Authority before retiring in 1989.

As Chairman and later President of the Society of Medical Officers of Health, he steered through structural changes to preapre the Society for the 1974 Health Service reorganisation and the foundation of the Faculty of Community Medicine. He was active in the Faculty and in the South West Thames Committee for Community Medicine, edited the 'Handbook of Community Medicine, and represented the public health interest on nursing bodies.

Other interests included firat aid and accident prevention, and medical ethics: from 1982 he convened informal meetings to discuss the latter, from which grew the 'Human Values in Health Care' discussions.

Archival history

GB 0120 GC/157 1944-1993 Collection (fonds) 2 boxes Nelson , Alastair Morrison , 1924-1993 , Director of Public Health

Alastair Nelson qualified MB, ChB from Edinburgh Medical School in 1947, and took the Diploma in Public Health in 1951, studying under FAE Crew, a luminary of the postwar movement in social medicine. He became Medical Officer of Health, Stourbridge, then Deputy MOH, Brighton, and Deputy Chief MOH for Middlesex, which was then the third largest health authority in the UK. Reorganisations of local government and of the Health Service made him successively MOH, Richmond, and Area Medical Officer, Richmond Health Authority, and he finally served as Director of Public Health at Kingston and Esher Health Authority before retiring in 1989.

As Chairman and later President of the Society of Medical Officers of Health, he steered through structural changes to preapre the Society for the 1974 Health Service reorganisation and the foundation of the Faculty of Community Medicine. He was active in the Faculty and in the South West Thames Committee for Community Medicine, edited the 'Handbook of Community Medicine, and represented the public health interest on nursing bodies.

Other interests included firat aid and accident prevention, and medical ethics: from 1982 he convened informal meetings to discuss the latter, from which grew the 'Human Values in Health Care' discussions.

Given to the Contemporary Medical Archives Centre by Nelson's widow, Mrs Barbara Nelson, via Dr Huw Francis, October 1993.

Papers of Alastair Morrison Nelson including student notebooks, Edinburgh Medical School, 1944-1947; Notes for Diploma in Public Health, 1950-1951; correspondence and writings, [c.1976-1990]; minutes of the Human Values in Healthcare Group, 1990-1993.

Copy minutes and other material about the Child Accident Prevention Trust transferred to SA/CAP; reprints given to the Modern Medicine Collection; ephemeral correspondence weeded.

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

English

SA/CAP

Copied from the Wellcome Library catalogue by Sarah Drewery.

General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.

Mar 2009. Ethics Students Medical students Health Health policy Higher science education Medical education Nelson , Alastair Morrison , 1924-1993 , Director of Public Health

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Given to the Contemporary Medical Archives Centre by Nelson's widow, Mrs Barbara Nelson, via Dr Huw Francis, October 1993.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Alastair Morrison Nelson including student notebooks, Edinburgh Medical School, 1944-1947; Notes for Diploma in Public Health, 1950-1951; correspondence and writings, [c.1976-1990]; minutes of the Human Values in Healthcare Group, 1990-1993.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Copy minutes and other material about the Child Accident Prevention Trust transferred to SA/CAP; reprints given to the Modern Medicine Collection; ephemeral correspondence weeded.

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Conditions governing reproduction

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

SA/CAP

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Wellcome Library

Rules and/or conventions used

General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area