| Dr John Barker
Dr John Barker, formerly consultant in neuroanaesthesia at the Institute of Neurological Sciences, Glasgow, died on 4th February, 2011.He was 86 yr.Throughout his career, Dr Barker was a staunch supporter of the Neuroanaesthetists'Travelling Club, and was its Secretary for a period in the seventies.Among the earliest of the full-time practitionersin anaesthesia he was ardent in the promotion of, and development of, the value of specialist care in the management of the neurosurgical patient.
John Barker graduated M.B.,Ch.B. in 1950 having interrupted his medicalstudies to join the Royal Navy during the latter part of the World War II.Following resident appointments, and two spells in general practice, he decided on a career in anaesthesia. Having completed his training (at Glasgow Royal Infirmary), and obtained his FFARCS, he was appointed as Consultant Anaesthetist in Paisley.However, attracted by the emerging sub-specialty ofneuroanaesthesia he moved to Killearn Hospital and became the first full-time consultant neuroanaesthetist inthe West of Scotland - and one of the earliest in the UK.In 1969/1970 he moved with his colleagues to the newly-built Institute of NeurologicalSciences in Glasgow, where he would remain until retirement in 1989.
Dr Barker made many significant contributions to his chosen sub-specialty.Clinically, he was 'in at the beginning' of much of what we take todayas normal and necessary: thedevelopment of monitoring techniques and their subsequentroutine use; the introduction of critical care - particularly as applied to patients with head injury and those requiring intensive postoperative management; and the application, and assessment, of the technique of total intravenous anaesthesia in the neurosurgical environment. Academically, he was influential in promoting the status of neuroanaesthesia through his research (in collaboration with Professors Jennett, McDowall and Fitch) into the effects of anaesthesia and anaesthetic agents on cerebral blood flow, and intracranial pressure.He travelled widely in a professional capacity, and spent a year as Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Following his retiral from the Institute, Dr Barker spent 15 months as Consultant Anaesthetist at the Ibn al Bihar Hospital in Baghdad - somewhat longer than planned as he was 'detained' in Iraq following the Iraq invasion of Kuwait.Fortunately, he was released just prior to the onset of the first Gulf War.
He is survived by his wife, their four children and six grandchildren.
William Fitch |