Donald William Gau
BMJ 2003; 326 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.326.7400.1217-a (Published 29 May 2003) Cite this as: BMJ 2003;326:1217Data supplement
- Donald William Gau
Former general practitioner Beaconsfield (b 22 September 1936; q Cambridge/St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, 1961; MRCP 1968, MRCGP 1973, FRCGP 1979), died on 2 December 2002 following a fall.Dr Donald Gau was formerly a partner in the GP practice based at the Penn Surgery and the Simpson Centre in Beaconsfield, Bucks. He was a significant figure in community life there for many years. Many people from all walks of life attended his funeral service, where he was remembered with great affection.
Born in London and brought up mainly in Johannesburg, Donald was educated at Haileybury. He went up to Cambridge University with the firm intention of following his passion to become a test pilot. Fortunately his tutor, Robert Runcie, guided him towards medicine, for which he proved to have an outstanding gift. While completing his studies at Bart’s Hospital he met his wife, Gillie, a fellow medical student. Sadly he also developed the first of a string of problems that dogged his own health. After a period working in the pharmaceutical industry he moved to general practice in Beaconsfield in 1969, where he became a pioneer of the major changes that took place in British general practice during the next 30 years.
Donald was a very influential local GP, though it was with some hesitation that he accepted the award of fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners in 1979. He trained a remarkable number of the current GPs in South Bucks. He was, however, a stranger to order and routine. He usually won over or overwhelmed those who were suspicious of his multiple, bubbling new ideas with his boyish charm, innate integrity, intelligence, compulsive curiosity, and fascination with human nature. It would, however, be left to the rest of us to pick up and run with his latest exciting new scheme when he moved on to the next one! Those around him were often left in laughing despair at the chaos he left in his wake—illegible scribbled messages on scraps of crumpled paper, bits of broken equipment, missed meetings, mislaid notes, and jumbled books, not to mention his unique ability to "borrow" and then lose all the pens within reach within five minutes of first arriving anywhere! He was so much fun, that he was always forgiven!
Donald survived numerous serious (often unusual and catastrophic) health problems with remarkable aplomb through the years. This contributed to his unique ability to empathise with many of his patients. He always relished the challenge of trying to piece together the stories told him by his patients to unravel their diagnoses in full—in physical, emotional, and social terms. He was dedicated to the struggle of making early and effective diagnoses. He was committed to helping the less privileged and was a doughty fighter for justice and equality, espousing a "left wing" point of view, though never interested in party politics. He hated the tobacco industry with a passion, because of its cynical disregard for health. Woe betide anyone (including patients!) who confessed to working for it in any shape or form.
His health problems forced him into an early retirement, which was anticipated to be short, but he delighted everyone by seeing it extend past the millennium. He used those years to the full to enjoy sailing his new boat, to visit France, to develop his colloquial French, to enjoy his house and garden, to explore his uniquely international family tree (which he was able to trace back to 15th century Germany), and to become a master of the computer that was presented to him by his patients and the practice on his retirement. Everyone around him had begun to assume that he was truly indestructible, but his "nine lives" finally ran out, in a characteristically dramatic fashion, leaving us disbelieving and our lives that much the poorer. He will be very much missed.
Donald was always very proud and supportive of the work of his wife, who returned to medicine as their two sons grew up. She became a paediatric pathologist. One of his sons works in the catering and hospitality industry, while the other became a barrister. His only grandchild, Charlie, was the delight of Donald’s last years. Donald’s legacy in the community includes the thriving local Good Neighbour Scheme, the patient participation group, and the home cancer care service. His GP partnership hopes that his spirit of inquiry, his commitment, and his dedication to the delivery of high standards of care live on in the practice he helped to found. He would be mischievously delighted to realise that his influence also extends to the other local practice, as he trained two of their three current partners! [Hilary McDermott]
See more
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- Mr. Warburton's Bill for the Regulation of the Medical ProfessionProv Med Surg J October 03, 1840, s1-1 (1) 13-15; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s1-1.1.13
- An Atlas of Plates, illustrative of the Principles and Practice of Obstetric Medicine and Surgery, with descriptive LetterpressProv Med Surg J October 03, 1840, s1-1 (1) 4; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s1-1.1.4
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