IRHC President

Professor JN Norman, MD, PhD, DSc, FRCS (Glasg., Edin), FFOM, Finst Biol

Emeritus Professor of Environmental Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Adjunct Professor of Community Medicine, United Arab University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Professor Norman was a Consultant Surgeon in Aberdeen UK and in support of the exploration of the North Sea for oil and gas he developed a system of medicine suitable for the medical support of the offshore personnel working in very hostile conditions far from the medical facilities they may need for their care or survival. This system worked well and was subsequently introduced to the very different populations of the Middle East and the stations of the British Antarctic Survey with equal success. Training and communications were essential parts of this system and he has been involved in the clinical applications of telemedicine and remote health care for more than thirty years.

Recently it became apparent that the system had advantages for routine community medicine and hospital practice, particularly in emergencies and to promote this internationally he set up an Institute of Remote Health Care in partnership with Mr. Alan Kennedy Bolam. Telemedicine was then introduced to the United Arab Emirates and more recently to Brazil. He has been a visiting Professor of Community Medicine at Memorial University, Newfoundland and a visiting Professor of Surgery at Kinshasa University, Zaire. At present he is an Emeritus Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Aberdeen and an Adjunct Professor of Community Medicine at the UAE University in the United Arab Emirates.

IRHC External Chairman

Sir Graeme Catto, MD, DSc, FRSE

Graeme Catto is Chairman of the Scottish Stem Cell Network and Chairman of the Better Regulation Group, Universities UK. A former President of the General Medical Council, he was, until 2005, Vice-Principal at King’s College London, Dean of the Guy’s, King’s College and St. Thomas’ Hospitals’ Medical & Dental School and Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of London. After graduating in Medicine from the University of Aberdeen, he obtained a Harkness Fellowship from the Commonwealth Fund of New York to study at Harvard University.

He is an honorary physician with an interest in renal medicine and has published widely on different aspects of nephrology and immunology. Formerly Chief Scientist at the Scottish Executive Health Department, Dean and Vice Principal at the University of Aberdeen and Governor of the Science Technology Park in Qatar, he is currently President of the Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Married to a lawyer, Graeme Catto has two children, six grandchildren and two English setters. He enjoys the hills and glens of Scotland.

IRHC Chief Executive Officer

Mr Alan Kennedy-Bolam, FASI, FRSM,

Until recently, a Director of North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, United Kingdom.

Alan has been a career paramedic working in UK EMS since 1967. His formative career included responsibility for developing UK standards for NHS ambulance response performance. Alan was involved in establishing the standards, which are still the bedrock of ambulance deployment in the UK. Alan has held numerous senior management and director positions in the current 11 UK NHS Ambulance Services in the UK. He has been involved in managing several major disasters in the UK including, passenger rail, road and ferry disasters.

In 1989 he received a commendation from the UK Government Minister of Transport for his role in managing a serious road traffic accident involving multiple vehicles including a passenger bus carrying 54 passengers. Alan became one of the 1^st UK EMS incident officers specialising in attending major trauma incidents during the early development of paramedic practitioners in the UK.

In 1998 Alan extended his expertise internationally following extensive experience in EMS, and has been advising governments in the Middle East on developments of public EMS services. Alan continued to expand his role as an EMS strategic adviser to governments in South America, North and West Africa, and has special interest in clinical protocol and system development in EMS telemedicine. He is also involved in promoting and developing medical education in “Out of hospital” remote environments. Alan was appointed IRHC Chief Executive Officer in 2007.

IRHC Membership Committee Chairman

Professor JG Page ChM, FRCS, FCEM, FFOM, MB ChB

Recently retired Consultant Surgeon, Accident and Emergency Department, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, UK.

Professor Graham Page is a consultant surgeon who spent 31 years working in and latterly in charge of the Accident and Emergency Department of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen UK. He has therefore been responsible for emergency services over a wide area of North Scotland, both onshore and offshore. He organized and administered the disaster response plans for the offshore industry in the North Sea and this system worked well during the Piper Alpha disaster.

He has worked closely with Professor Norman in the development of remote medicine practice and clinical telemedicine and for many years provided emergency medicine for the Antarctic by electronic means. He was also heavily involved in the provision of medical advice to oil installations and diving sites throughout the world.

IRHC Treasurer

Mr Ronald Ross, FRCS

Consultant Surgeon, Glasgow and former Medical Director, Health Care International (HCI), Glasgow.

During his post graduate training in the Department of Surgery at Glasgow he researched in Hyperbaric Oxygen and Gastric Acid Studies.He was also a contributor to the three editions of the textbook. Gastro-Enterology – An Integrated course. As Senior Registrar he was seconded to the University of East Africa as Senior Lecturer in Surgery and Honorary Consultant at the Kenyatta Hospital in Nairobi. During his two years in post, three days each month were devoted to the East African Flying Doctor Service providing surgical services to remote locations.

On return to the UK he was appointed Consultant in General Surgery in Paisley. Here he was involved in undergraduate teaching as Hon Senior Lecturer in Clinical Surgery and latterly Hon Clinical Sub Dean to the Glasgow University Faculty of Medicine. He was an examiner in the final MB and FRCS examinations in Glasgow and Abu Dhabi. Involvement with Health Care International at Clydebank , while Chairman of the West of Scotland Surgical Association , led to a staff post and on retiring from clinical practice became Medical Director. He continued in this post yor eighteen months after it was taken over by the NHS to become the Golden Jubilee National Hospital. For a number of years he has also been a Medical Adviser to the MoD.

IRHC Council Members

Dr Malcolm Valentine, MD.

MBChB 1982 (Aberdeen), MRCGP(1986), FRCGP(1996), MD(2001), General Practitioner and Consultant on Continuing Medical Education.

Graduating in Medicine from Aberdeen University in 1982, Dr Valentine completed GP training and was appointed as a GP Principal at Brimmond Medical Group on the North side of Aberdeen in 1986. During vocational training – and for some months afterwards – Dr Valentine was involved with the Robert Gordon Centre for Offshore Health in Aberdeen in a teaching and research capacity, contributing to the very substantial early research on the complexion of medical incidents leading to emergency evacuation from installations in the UK North Sea sector. After becoming a Principal in General Practice, Dr Valentine became a HSE Appointed Radiation Doctor for Schlumberger Wireline and Testing, a position he still holds, providing medical supervision to over 300 radiation workers. For four years he was also an Honorary Clinical Grade at the National Hyperbaric Medicine Centre in Aberdeen providing on call emergency support in the treatment of divers with decompression sickness.

Developing an early interest in Postgraduate Education he became a GP Associate Adviser with responsibility for regional GP CPD in 1990 and then a GP Trainer in 1994. He went on to become Associate Advisor with responsibility for regional GP training in 1997. He was appointed Vice Chair of the National Association of GP Educators, held a Directorship with GP Learning Ltd and also became a member of the executive of the UK Conference of Educational Advisers. In 2001, Dr Valentine gained a MD grounded in CPD of established GPs. In 2001 he also became Assistant Director of Postgraduate GP Education with responsibility for all postgraduate GP training and CPD in Grampian, Orkneys and Shetland. In 2002 he was appointed a Non-Executive Director of NHS Education for Scotland, a position he held until 2008. During these posts he presented at many national and international meetings and published extensively on CPD.

Having achieved significant experience within postgraduate education, in 2008 Dr Valentine decided to demit from many of these extended roles and whilst continuing as a General Practitioner, decided to create time to pursue other interests. Currently engaged in a number of local challenges, he is very much committed now to resuming earlier interests in remote and offshore health care. Dr Valentine is Editor of the Journal of the Institute for Remote Health Care.

Dr Mark Cheesman

MB ChB MFOM

Dr Mark Cheesman first developed an interest in remote medicine in 2001 when he was appointed to the role of field doctor to Shell’s remote Brent Field in the East of Shetland Basin. Having spent the formative years of his childhood in the Shetland Islands he considers it a great privilege as a doctor to have been able to spend more than a year of his life on the remote North Cormorant oil platform halfway between the Shetland Islands and Norway. He is actively involved in research in the fields of occupational and remote medicine, with a particular focus on quality and standards in offshore medical services, and promoting evidence-based practice. He makes no secret of his commitment to create positive change to promote the health and wellbeing of the offshore worker and ensure real value is returned to oil operators.

Mark graduated in medicine from the University of Aberdeen and is a Member of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of London and registered Specialist in Occupational Medicine. He is currently Director of Outlook Medical and Senior Medical Advisor to TAQA Bratani. He is an Honorary Professor within the Institute of Health and Welfare at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. Away from work he enjoys hill-running, gardening and spending time with his young family.

Mr JAR Smith

PhD, FRCSE, FRCS, Immediate Past President, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh..

Following graduation at Edinburgh University, John Smith spent some years in the RAMC before coming to Aberdeen as a Research Fellow at Aberdeen University, where he also continued his surgical training. His research was mainly concerned with the critical care of the seriously ill surgical patient and he also developed a keen interest in medical education at that time. He was part of the founding team of the Institute of Environmental and Offshore Medicine in Aberdeen and was involved in the early clinical and training work. He was also a founder member of the specialist team formed to provide support for the management of a possible offshore disaster.

Mr Smith was next appointed to a senior lectureship in the Department of Surgery at the University of Sheffield where he continued his research on fluid replacement in shock and further developed his interest in medical education. In particular, his interest in education was maintained when he left the University to become an NHS Consultant Surgeon. His interest in education was maintained and extended into the national and international setting through a variety of appointments at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh eventually leading to his appointment as the College President. He held this post for three years and following this he was appointed CBE. He advised a number of associated colleges in the Middle and Far East. In the Middle East his influence was mainly in Kuwait and Oman. Currently, he is deeply involved in the reorganisation of surgical training at a national level.

Professor Valerie Maehle

PhD, Dean, Faculty of Health and Care, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.

Valerie is from Aberdeen and qualified as a Chartered Physiotherapist at Aberdeen Royal Hospitals School of Physiotherapy. She went on to hold several clinical and management posts in Aberdeen and Canada before taking up a teaching post in Grampian School of Physiotherapy where she progressed to become Principal. She transferred to the then Robert Gordon Institute of Technology in 1990 as Director of the Department of Physiotherapy and was promoted to Head of School of Health Sciences in 1992. During this time she completed a PhD at the University of Aberdeen. In February 2004 she was promoted to the post of Dean.

She has served on many national committees related to both her profession and to education including the Council of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, the Scottish Executive Allied Health Professions National Advisory Committee and the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and was recently re-appointed as a member of the Board of NHS Education for Scotland and of Grampian Health Board where she also Chairs the Aberdeenshire Community Health Partnership.

Mr Harry Horsley

MA, BA (Hons), MSC (Aberdeen) MSc (Strathclyde), RN, RSCPH-OH. Occupational Health Advisor / Offshore Medic, A Major Oil Operator Exploration & Production.

After graduating with a degree in modern languages Harry Horsley decided on a change of career and became a nurse, later gaining a further degree in nursing studies. While working in A&E at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary he came into contact with medical officers preparing for a tour of duty at an Antarctic base and was himself recruited, overwintering at Faraday, a British Antarctic Survey base. On return to the UK he worked offshore for a period before joining Professor Norman at the RGIT Survival Centre and helped established the medical unit. He later became coordinator of the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit which delivered medical support and training.

When the Offshore Centre closed he was appointed to a lectureship at the Robert Gordon University involving the leadership and running of the degree course in Occupational Health Nursing by distance learning. He was also very involved in the early epidemiological research on the prevalence of injuries and illnesses in the North Sea offshore industry. He is now an Occupational Health Advisor and Offshore Medic with a major oil operator in the North Sea where he has combined his experience in healthcare with a growing interest in safety management.

His two MSc degrees have been based on research involving offshore medics: “An exploration of the role, practice and educational needs of offshore medics in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf” (Aberdeen University 2005), and “An exploration of the synergy and conflicts involved in combining the roles of offshore medic and health and safety advisor” (Strathclyde University 2009).

Dr Eileen M. Brebner

M.Sc. Ph.D., Expert in Telemedicine.

Dr Eileen M. Brebner M.Sc. Ph.D., is an expert in telemedicine and graduated from Aberdeen University with higher degrees in Telemedicine, Medical Education and Clinical Telemedicine. Dr Brebner has been involved in numerous international research projects acting as project manager for the European Space Agency “ODONTEMSI” project, European Northern Periphery Programme “TELEREMCARE” (Telemedicine in Remote Health Care) Scotland, Sweden, Finland, Iceland.

Dr Brebner has also acted as lead Project Evaluator for Department of Trade and Industry UK Telemedicine and Primary Care. Dr Brebner has also held prestigious posts such as President of Telemedicine and E-Health Section Royal Society of Medicine 2004-2007.

International IRHC Council Members

Dr. Saleh Hussain Al-Mesabi

MB.ChB,MSc,PhD,MFOM(Lond),FFOM (Dublin)

Following graduation from the University of Alexandria and some hospital appointments in Abu Dhabi Dr Saleh was appointed to the combined medical clinic of ADCO and ADMA in Abu Dhabi as a Trainee Occupational Physician. He attended courses at the University of Aberdeen and RGIT.

He continued his studies at the UAE University where he became involved in research and carried out important research on the heat illnesses in the Arabian desert. Dr Saleh was awarded the MSc of Aberdeen University for his work on heat cramps and PhD (Aberdeen) on the epidemiology of illnesses and injuries in the ADCO field areas. Both of these studies were supervised from Aberdeen and the UAE Universities by Telemedicine.

Dr Saleh is now Chief Medical Officer for Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Operations and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Community Medicine at the UAE University. With Professor Norman, he is co-author of the book entitled “First-Aid for Remote and Industrial Communities”.

Dr. Mohammed El-Sadig Haj Ahmed

BSc (Khartoum), PhD (Abertay-Dundee)

Following graduation in economics at Khartoum and several appointments in international commerce he was appointed administrator to the Department of Community Medicine at the UAE University in Al-Ain where he assisted the initial staff in working in an alien academic environment. He also carried out vital liaison work in planning and carrying out field studies for the department and was closely involved in the establishment and management of the tele-medicine initiative with Professor Norman.

He developed an interest in the medical aspects of road traffic accidents firstly as an interpreter during first-aid training sessions for the Abu Dhabi Police Directorate and subsequently as a research assistant. His PhD was on an excellent study of the epidemiology of road traffic accidents in the UAE and their cost to the nation.

He subsequently conducted a large number of major studies on road traffic problems and epidemiology for such institutions as the Universities of Monash and North Carolina and the Abu Dhabi Government. In addition to his appointment at the UAE University he is an adjunct Associate Professor of the University of North Carolina.