Nicol Spence Galbraith

Nicol Spence Galbraith (17 March 1927 – 7 August 2008) was a British physician in public health and founding director of the Central Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC). The results of his efforts were demonstrated in 1978, when he represented the PHLS following the smallpox outbreak in Birmingham. Five years later, he warned the government of possible infected blood products.

In 1958, Galbraith joined the Epidemiological Research Laboratory of the Central PHLS, Colindale, which at the time was part of the Medical Research Council (MRC). After five years of working with vaccine trials, polio vaccine safety, and monitoring of foodborne disease, he was appointed deputy medical officer of health for Newham, East London, and in 1974 became the area medical officer. In 1976, he re-joined the PHLS and as director of the CDSC, set up teaching courses for NHS epidemiologists, and improved surveillance programmes in infectious disease.

In 1991, Galbraith was awarded the Jenner Medal of the Royal Society of Medicine, and in 1994, he delivered the John Snow Society's Pumphandle Lecture.

Early life and education Nicol Spence Galbraith was born in Southborough, Kent, on 17 March 1927, to Samuel Nicol Galbraith, the then medical officer of health for south west Kent. He completed his early education at Tonbridge School, before gaining a place at London University to study medicine, and subsequently qualified in 1950 from Guy's Hospital.

Early career Galbraith completed house officer posts at Lewisham Hospital and Guy's.

In 1958, after four years of house jobs at Brook General Hospital and the Lewisham Hospital, Galbraith joined the Epidemiological Research Laboratory of the Central Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS), Colindale, which at the time was part of the Medical Research Council (MRC). During that time, he continued work on polio and BCG vaccines, and called for a centrally funded co-ordinated national epidemiological service, based on the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He had previously first published on the case in 1968, in an article titled "Epidemiology and the Green Paper – a National Epidemiological Service".

Later career In 1976, Galbraith re-joined the PHLS after being asked to establish a national unit that could report and control communicable disease. That year, he visited Alexander Langmuir at the CDC in Atlanta and subsequently began expanding the CDSC. As director of the CDSC, he set up teaching courses for NHS epidemiologists, and improved surveillance programmes in infectious disease. To assist at a local level, he transferred a few epidemiologists to Birmingham and confirmed that testing would be done at the Colindale laboratory.

I have reviewed the literature and come to the conclusion that all blood products made from blood donated in the USA after 1978 should be withdrawn from use until the risk of AIDS transmission by these products has been clarified.

The paper Galbraith submitted on the matter was considered and rejected at a meeting of the biological sub-committee of the Committee on Safety of Medicines on 13 July 1983. In 1991, he was awarded the RSM's Jenner Medal.

Personal and family Galbraith married Zina-Mary née Cullingworth Flood, in 1952. They had three daughters. At a young age, due to severe rheumatoid arthritis, he had two hip replacements.

Death Galbraith died on 7 August 2008, following a heart attack.

Selected publications Articles

Books