William Halliday Burnett

Former general practitioner Edinburgh (b 9 November 1917; q Edinburgh 1942), d 19 July 2003.

William Burnett, Bill to all his friends and colleagues, was born and went to school in Inverness. He graduated from Edinburgh University Medical School in 1942 and served in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the second world war in Belgium and Germany. In fact his unit was the first to enter Hamburg in 1945.

Bill’s initial postwar interest was in obstetrics and gynaecology, but following the birth of the twins in 1947 he decided that a change of direction from hospital registrar was needed in order to allow him to spend more time at home, and he became the first GP trainee in Edinburgh with Dr Alexander’s practice in Corstorphine Road and Leith. In 1950 he joined Drs Allan and Margaret McDiarmid as partner and in 1953 the practice was one of the first inhabitants of Sighthill Health Centre, a purpose built community multidisciplinary centre, the first of its kind in Scotland.

Over the years his interests in midwifery continued and he was always first on call for the practice deliveries either at home or at the Queen Mary Nursing Home in Chalmers Street, next door to the Simpson Maternity Memorial Pavilion. Prior to his retirement in 1977 the infant mortality in the Sighthill area had been reduced to an all time low due in no small part to the antenatal expertise of the local doctors and midwives.

Bill was a dedicated, genuine, honest, and caring practitioner of the traditional type, well liked and respected by his patients, and he maintained his broad knowledge base throughout his career. His work in an area of multiple deprivation exactly suited his temperament as he was a man of the people and their advocate.

His retirement plan at the age of 60 to live in Nethybridge near his roots was thwarted after a few years by his wife, Topsy’s, vascular dementing illness, so that following his return to Edinburgh he was required to become a full time carer, a task he completed with love and dedication without any complaint until she died in 1996.

Bill leaves a caring family of four children, only one of whom followed his medical career example, eight grandchildren, and now a great grandchild. Until his death in July he remained alert to all their individual needs and interests, despite his deteriorating health from cardiovascular and respiratory causes, always being ready to provide words of wisdom and support when necessary. [John Crispin]