Just a GP

Sir Denis Pereira Gray worked as a general practitioner for 38 years in the St Leonard’s Medical Practice Exeter, following his father and grandfather. He was President of the Cambridge University Chess Club and has been awarded the gold medal of the Hunterian Society, London, the gold medal of the Royal Institute of Public Health, and honorary doctorates by three British universities. He established the first postgraduate university department of general practice in Europe at the University of Exeter and was later appointed Professor and Director of the Exeter University Postgraduate Medical School, serving for ten years. He was twice elected by the registered medical practitioners in England to the General Medical Council. He has written/edited nine books and has had over 200 articles published in scientific medical journals. Sir Denis has been a member of several Government Committees including the Review of the Abortion Act. He was elected Chairman of Council and later President of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Chairman of the JCPTGP, a medical regulatory body, and was Chairman of the Trustees of the Nuffield Trust, a national health policy charity. He was knighted for services to quality assurance in general practice. Sir Denis was Vice-Chairman and then Chairman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges of Britain and Ireland, the first GP ever elected. He is one of 35 British doctors who have been elected to the , of the National Academy of Medicine, Washington, USA. He is currently doing research at the St Leonard’s Research Practice, Exeter, is an Assessor for the Queen’s Award for Higher and Further Education and Patron of the National Association for Patient Participation.

• Section 1 1. Early years2. Chess3. Medical Student4. Junior doctorSection 2 5. Practice 1962 -19756. Learning the craft7. South West England Faculty8. BMA/LMCSection 39. Journal10. Exeter RCGP Publishing11. College cabinet12. Lane CommitteeSection 413. Department/Institute of General Practice14. Regional Adviser15. South West General Practice TrustSection 516. Practice 1976-198617. The Medical Annual18. Publications Committee19. Communications Division20. Experiences in the Executive21. Consultant Adviser22. Downs and Ups of Institutional Life Section 623. Chairman of Council24. Fellowship by Assessment25. Conference of Academic Organizations26. Prison Medicine27. Postgraduate Medical SchoolSection 728. Research Division29. JCPTGP30. Dentistry31. GMC and GDC32. Fetzer Institute33. Non-executor directorships34. Practice 1987-2000Section 835. PRCGP36. Vice-Chairman Academy37. Three national meetings38. Chairman Academy39. Distinction awardsSection 940. Patient Participation41. PIAG/EEC42. Heritage Committee43. What About the Children?44. Nuffield Trust45. DH and BMASection 1046. Unfinished campaign47. Last Hurrah48. The Practice as a Learning Environment49. St Leonard’s Research Practice50. ReflectionsAppendices 1. Awards received2. Eponymous or equivalent lectures3. Publications by DPG’s personal trainees4. Medical Annuals5. RCGP Exeter publications6. Books/booklets written in the Exeter Department/Institute of General Practice7. Awards to staff in the St Leonard’s Practice8. Syllabus for General Practice9. Chairmanships in RCGP10. Visitors to the Practice11. People met12. GlossaryReferencesIndex

'The autobiography covers [Sir Denis Pereira Gray's] professional career with copious references to the evidence that has driven his clinical practice. There is not much that he has not done ... His exceptional memory, written records, and press cuttings provide rich details, making the book an engaging rather than a difficult read ... Anyone currently working in general practice who is, or aspires to be, an effective influencer should read this to learn what it takes to make the changes to improve health care. It also explains what has often been lost from the institutional memory of organisations – learning from past experience.' - Terry Kemple, retired GP, for BJGP Life'... covers the huge body of achievements, including many successes and some failures, of a remarkable life in the very frontline of the medical world in this country over many decades ... This book makes abundantly clear just how great a debt we, the public, and indeed the whole medical profession owe to this 'fortunate man'. - St Leonard's News