Farewell Speech

I am overwhelmed to see so many friends here tonight. In another time and place some of you may have been patients, parents or colleagues. Tonight I am so proud to see you here as my friends.

Thank you all very much for coming.

When I look around me a flood of memories come to me – some sad most happy the way life tends to be. It has been a privilege to be a Children’s Physician here for the last 34yrs and to have had the opportunity of knowing you all.

I have a very long list of “thank you’s” I need to address. Even so I am bound to leave somebody out, please accept my apologies in advance.

I have listened with increasing embarrassment as what good points I may have been amplified and my deficiencies forgotten even by my family. I have been pinching myself now and again to make sure this is my farewell and not my wake. Thank you all for remembering the good and forgetting the bad.

Some specific thanks are due. For organising this special occasion I want to especially thank Ngaire Bone, Philip Moore and Jenny Corban. I was recently awarded the QSO a tremendous honour and a great thrill. These things do not occur in a vacuum and I suspect the tremendous trio just mentioned had something to do with it . Other suspects are Innes Asher , Kate Bibby, Waa Harris and ARFNZ. You will understand that only the Queen knows the true facts.

Reply to Specific Speakers
Phil

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I started here in January 1972. Tony Reeve had done an amazing job keeping the Paediatric service going for several years prior to this and stayed on giving sterling support for years afterward . Our most important job was to improve the newborn services and thus assist the Obstetricians in improving the appalling perinatal death rate we had in Hawke’s Bay at that time. It was an exciting and challenging time. Ted Ward played a major role in setting up the newborn ventilation service and initiated the excellent relationship we continue to enjoy with the ICU team

David Easton arrived from the UK 3 to 4yrs later and gaye five years of excellent service here before returning to the UK to work in Basildon . We missed his wit and vitality.

Oliver Smales and Libby arrived from Nottingham about a year before David Easton left. Most of you will have known Oliver and will recall his quiet charm intellectual honesty, Gentlemanly manner and mischievious wit. We have not yet recovered from losing him.

Robert Evans came to us from the Valleys and for five years improved the standard of Hospital cricket tremendously as well as doing excellent Paediatric work He went back to Merthyr Twydvill! !

And so to the youngsters: Moira Campbell, Jenny Corban, Philip Moore, Russell Wills and Kai Steinmann the talent just gets better and better.

A few words about organisational structures
HBHb   I00yrs
HB Area HB
Health Care HB
HBDHB

My experience is that improvements in Health care in Paediatrics has been due to the implementation of new knowledge by well trained clinicians. As long as management supports clinicians, structures and processes are not that relevant . The idea that clever management can reduce health costs is true but the savings are never going to be great. Complex health problems are very costly always have been and always will be. I have been very grateful for the support I have had from Hospital management in the various guises I have mentioned over the last 34 yrs. My experiences with some National Health Organisations have not been so congenial.

Paediatric practice has changed markedly over the last 34 yrs. Earlier the accent had to be on the Newborn and acute serious illness followed by Children with long term illnesses like diabetes, CP and CF. More recently the divisions between Child Healthdowner, Social Welfare and Education have become less distinct as all groups try to help children with psychological disorders, behaviour disorders, slow development .

There has been a big change in the way we work. We work as teams now and it is wonderful to have formal input from our Nursing Colleagues in the management of our patients. So much for work

I have had a charmed life. People have always helped me at critical times.

After I graduated I did not have a job. Ted Ward found me one in Napier.

When I was thinking about returning to NZ from London Colin Watson arranged it all.

When I needed to get a ventilation service going for the Newborn Ted Ward turned Trumps again.

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When my Kidneys packed up Joyce gave me one of hers and she has not asked for it back yet!

You will understand that on this wonderful occasion which I am enjoying I do feel a bit of a hypocrite.

I want to say something about our children Emma Tim and Sarah more often called Chook. We are so proud of them. They did well at school were successful at University got good jobs and paid off their own student Loans . The best thing about them is they are such pleasant people and such fun to be with. The bad news for them is that Joyce and I will now have time to stay with them for extended periods of time.

Thank you for this wonderful celebration I will never forget it