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| Alison Bigrigg obituary | |
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| Alison Bigrigg, who has died of leukaemia aged 54, played a significant role in modernising sexual and reproductive health services in the UK. As a young hospital registrar, she saw the lack of support for women experiencing bleeding in early pregnancy and, with her mentor, Mike Read, designed a patient-centred system. This ensured prompt scanning and reassurance, reducing the average waiting times for hospital admission. Such units are now standard all over Britain. | Alison Bigrigg, who has died of leukaemia aged 54, played a significant role in modernising sexual and reproductive health services in the UK. As a young hospital registrar, she saw the lack of support for women experiencing bleeding in early pregnancy and, with her mentor, Mike Read, designed a patient-centred system. This ensured prompt scanning and reassurance, reducing the average waiting times for hospital admission. Such units are now standard all over Britain. |
| Through her interest in the early 1990s in expanding the role of the hospital obstetrician and gynaecologist into the area of sexual health, Alison helped develop, with other colleagues in the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (RCOG), a new training structure for community gynaecology to support the treatment of women's sexual and reproductive health needs in hospitals and local clinics. This recognised the rise in sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancies, and identified an urgent need for consultants to offer multidisciplinary services that integrated sexual and reproductive health. | Through her interest in the early 1990s in expanding the role of the hospital obstetrician and gynaecologist into the area of sexual health, Alison helped develop, with other colleagues in the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (RCOG), a new training structure for community gynaecology to support the treatment of women's sexual and reproductive health needs in hospitals and local clinics. This recognised the rise in sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancies, and identified an urgent need for consultants to offer multidisciplinary services that integrated sexual and reproductive health. |
| Alison went on to become elected president of the faculty of sexual and reproductive healthcare of the RCOG from 2001 to 2005. In her role as the founding director of Sandyford sexual health services in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, from 2001 until 2010, she merged previously separate genitourinary medicine and reproductive health services with counselling support and an inhouse public library, to provide care across 20 sites for a population of one million. As one of her senior management team, I witnessed Alison create a service that reduced the number of patient visits and transformed what had previously been Cinderella services. | Alison went on to become elected president of the faculty of sexual and reproductive healthcare of the RCOG from 2001 to 2005. In her role as the founding director of Sandyford sexual health services in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, from 2001 until 2010, she merged previously separate genitourinary medicine and reproductive health services with counselling support and an inhouse public library, to provide care across 20 sites for a population of one million. As one of her senior management team, I witnessed Alison create a service that reduced the number of patient visits and transformed what had previously been Cinderella services. |
| She was born in Whitehaven, Cumbria, the only child of Jack, a nuclear industry engineer, and Doreen, who became an optician's practice manager. Alison grew up in Hampshire and attended Kendrick school in Reading. A quiet student, she had an aptitude for hockey and golf, which led to a lifelong interest in sport. She later became a qualified rugby coach. At Southampton University she achieved her bachelor of medicine in 1982 and a doctorate in medicine by research in 1987. That year, Alison married James Browning, a fellow doctor, and they had two children, Charlotte and Tom. | She was born in Whitehaven, Cumbria, the only child of Jack, a nuclear industry engineer, and Doreen, who became an optician's practice manager. Alison grew up in Hampshire and attended Kendrick school in Reading. A quiet student, she had an aptitude for hockey and golf, which led to a lifelong interest in sport. She later became a qualified rugby coach. At Southampton University she achieved her bachelor of medicine in 1982 and a doctorate in medicine by research in 1987. That year, Alison married James Browning, a fellow doctor, and they had two children, Charlotte and Tom. |
| In 1994, two years after becoming a consultant, Alison was appointed clinical director for reproductive health in Glasgow. Making the correct assumption that knowing about budgets was as important as excellent clinical skills, she studied in the evenings for an MBA at Stirling University (which she gained in 1999). Moving to Glasgow was a turning point. Alison reshaped reproductive health services and built partnerships in the NHS and local authorities – the latter, she felt, had a huge part to play in helping young people. | In 1994, two years after becoming a consultant, Alison was appointed clinical director for reproductive health in Glasgow. Making the correct assumption that knowing about budgets was as important as excellent clinical skills, she studied in the evenings for an MBA at Stirling University (which she gained in 1999). Moving to Glasgow was a turning point. Alison reshaped reproductive health services and built partnerships in the NHS and local authorities – the latter, she felt, had a huge part to play in helping young people. |
| From 2002 until 2008, Alison held a number of roles in groups that developed Respect and Responsibility, the first national sexual health strategy in Scotland (2005). It was Alison who proposed the need for a Scotland-wide reference group on clinical policy in sexual health, the Lead Clinicians for Sexual Health, which she chaired from 2005 until 2008. | From 2002 until 2008, Alison held a number of roles in groups that developed Respect and Responsibility, the first national sexual health strategy in Scotland (2005). It was Alison who proposed the need for a Scotland-wide reference group on clinical policy in sexual health, the Lead Clinicians for Sexual Health, which she chaired from 2005 until 2008. |
| Scotland, unique in the UK, has a web-based patient information system for sexual health that was developed to support the sexual health strategy. Patients can attend services from Orkney to Ayr without needing to repeat their clinical and social history. Alison felt this was essential for a modern, destigmatising service, and also saw that the rich source of data would be invaluable for monitoring population health and for medical research. | Scotland, unique in the UK, has a web-based patient information system for sexual health that was developed to support the sexual health strategy. Patients can attend services from Orkney to Ayr without needing to repeat their clinical and social history. Alison felt this was essential for a modern, destigmatising service, and also saw that the rich source of data would be invaluable for monitoring population health and for medical research. |
| She chaired the national sexual health IT programme board from 2005 to 2010, ensuring that there was enough funding to secure the patient information system's future. In 2010, I edited a book with Alison that reflects on many of these successes, Transforming Sexual Health in Scotland: Cultural, Organisational and Partnership Approaches. | She chaired the national sexual health IT programme board from 2005 to 2010, ensuring that there was enough funding to secure the patient information system's future. In 2010, I edited a book with Alison that reflects on many of these successes, Transforming Sexual Health in Scotland: Cultural, Organisational and Partnership Approaches. |
| At a local level, Alison was the lead clinician for sexual health in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde from 2005 and lead clinician for the West of Scotland sexual health managed clinical network from 2009. She was also a member of the BBC Trust audience council for Scotland. | At a local level, Alison was the lead clinician for sexual health in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde from 2005 and lead clinician for the West of Scotland sexual health managed clinical network from 2009. She was also a member of the BBC Trust audience council for Scotland. |
| Alison is survived by James, Charlotte and Tom, and her mother, Doreen. | Alison is survived by James, Charlotte and Tom, and her mother, Doreen. |
| • Margaret Alison Bigrigg, consultant gynaecologist and clinical manager, born 26 September 1958; died 10 April 2013 | • Margaret Alison Bigrigg, consultant gynaecologist and clinical manager, born 26 September 1958; died 10 April 2013 |