Paediatric Consultant Retires from West Suffolk Hospital After 26 Years

Photo opportunity

Date:        Tuesday, April 5, 2005
Time:        6pm
Venue:    Children's Outpatient Department, West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds

Paediatrician Hilary Scott retires today (April 1 2005) after 35 years of service to the NHS, 26 years at West Suffolk Hospital.

Staff at the children¹s ward and children¹s outpatient department are throwing a party for Dr Scott on Tuesday (April 5)

Dr Scott started her training as a medical student at Guys Hospital in London in 1962, qualifying as a doctor in 1967.  She worked as a junior doctor in Guys Hospital, Winchester Hospital in Hampshire, Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge, Hammersmith Hospital and Great Ormond Street. In 1970 Dr Scott spent time helping children in Nigeria at the end of the Biafra war as part of a Save The Children relief team.

She then left England in 1974 for Canada where she worked at the Toronto Sick Children¹s Hospital for two and a half years. She then returned to Britain and was appointed Senior Registrar in Paediatrics at Addenbrooke¹s Hospital in Cambridge.

She joined West Suffolk Hospital three years later as one of two Paediatric Consultants.

Dr Scott said: "Medicine is really a vocation. I went into the profession to help people and I was really guided into it by my school.

"I have always loved working with children and I had made my mind up from quite early on in medical school that I wanted to go into paediatrics.

Dr Scott has seen great changes at West Suffolk Hospital in her 26 years. She was the Lead Consultant for Paediatrics at the time of the hospital¹s Rainbow Appeal. The appeal raised £1million to provide a new children¹s ward (Rainbow Ward) complete with a larger playroom and schoolroom and a specialist children¹s outpatient department.

Dr Scott was on the committee that brought about the changes to the children¹s department and was involved in the fundraising.

"I love Suffolk and I'm a country person at heart. I have also loved working at WSH which is a friendly hospital, not too big, not too small. I always enjoyed great support from my colleagues, past and present, and from the nursing staff and so many people in different departments of the hospital and those working with children in the community. I shall miss my patients and their families and all my colleagues and friends at the West Suffolk Hospital."

Dr Scott plans for her retirement include continuing with her horse riding, gardening, travelling and visiting friends. She also plans to continue her love of singing as a member of Bury St Edmunds' Bach Choir.

Colleague and fellow Consultant Sue Thompson, has worked alongside Dr Scott at the hospital for the past 26 years. She said: "We will all miss her tremendously. Most of all we will miss her energy.

"I suppose you could say that Hilary is from the old school in that she is a doctor who does not squeeze her working day into eight hours. If a patient needs to be seen she will see them no matter how long it takes. She is hugely dedicated to her job and to the children in her care, in particular to her work with babies in our special care baby unit.

"I started working with Hilary when I was a clinical assistant in the department and she has given me tremendous encouragement."

1 April 2005