Albertine Winner

Albertine Louise Winner, DBE, MD, FRCP (4 March 1907 – 13 May 1988) was a British physician and administrator.[1] After graduating from University College Hospital Medical School, Winner practiced at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital, and the Mothers' Hospital in Clapton. During World War II, she enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps. After the war, Winner served in the Department of Health as the first female deputy chief medical officer. In later life, she worked with Cicely Saunders in forming the first modern hospice at St Christopher's Hospice in Sydenham, London.

Early life

Albertine Winner was born in London on 4 March 1907 to Isidore Winner and Annie Stonex. Her early education was at the Francis Holland School, an independent girls' school at Clarence Gate in London. During her time there she was elected as head girl.[1] Winner gained a Bachelor of Science Hons. degree in Physiology from University College London. She then studied medicine at the University College Hospital Medical School. She graduated with the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree as well as the University of London Gold Medal in 1933. Winner followed this with an MD in 1934.[1]

Medical career

After qualifying, Winner worked at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital, and the Mothers' Hospital in Clapton. In 1940, during World War II, she joined the Royal Army Medical Corps where she was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.[1] Winner also served as the consultant to the Women's Services.[2] After the end of the war and on the eve of the emergence of the National Health Service, Winner joined the Department of Health in 1947 as its first female deputy chief medical officer, a position she would serve in for the next twenty years.[3] In 1967, Winner was appointed as Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE).[4] She was also appointed as the Linacre Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, a position she held from 1967–78. While serving in the position, played a key role in developing postgraduate medical training posts for the Joint Committee for Higher Medical Training.[1][5]

Retirement and the hospice movement

After retiring from the medical profession in 1967, Cicely Saunders asked for her financial assistance in establishing the first modern hospice. Winner was initially apprehensive but soon saw its importance and helped establish St Christopher's Hospice in Sydenham, London.[2] She supervised its construction and served as its deputy medical director when it opened in 1967. Winner later became its chairman in 1973 and president in 1985.[1][2]

She died on 13 May 1988 in London.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Albertine Louise (Dame) Winner". Royal College of Physicians. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 H., B. J. (4 June 1988). "Albertine Winner". The Lancet (Elsevier) 331 (8597): 1292.
  3. ↑ Ogilvie, Marilyn; Harvey, Joy (16 December 2003). The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science: Pioneering Lives From Ancient Times to the Mid-20th Century. Routledge. p. 687. ISBN 978-1-135-96343-9.
  4. 1 2 H., J. (28 May 1988). "Dame Albertine Winner". The BMJ (BMJ) 296: 1545.
  5. ↑ Davenport, Geoffrey; McDonald, Ian; Moss-Gibbons, Caroline (2001). The Royal College of Physicians and Its Collections: An Illustrated History. Royal College of Physicians. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-907383-83-3.
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