Peter Tizard

Sir John Peter Mills Tizard (1 April 1916, London – 27 October 1993, Hillingdon) was a British paediatrician and professor at the University of Oxford. Tizard was principally notable for important research into neonatology and paediatric neurology and being a founder member of the Neonatal Society in 1959. Tizard was considered the most distinguished academic children's physician of his generation.

Career During and after World War II, in the years 1942–1946, Tizard served in the Royal Army Medical Corps undertaking general duties in North Africa and Sicily. Tizard later worked as medical specialist in France, Holland and Germany.

Neonatal unit At Hammersmith Hospital, Tizard worked to build up an academic neonatal unit that was a pioneer in the establishment of neonatal care in the UK, and established the scientific basis for the development of such units.

Tizard recruited a number of brilliant, and now well known individuals. Wilfrid Payne was the first, who had retired and then became a skilled adviser to Tizard. Michael Dawkins, a paediatric pathologist was recruited next. Albert Claneaux, who was Dawkings predecessor at the Institute, had collaborated with Tizard, and gave the first definitive account of the epidemiology of Intraventricular haemorrhage in newborn infants. were next. Davies was given the task of following up on surviving infants. In collaboration with Goldie, they described the electroencephalographic characteristics in the immature brain.

Tizard did more than anybody else in the paediatric medical community to put paediatrics on an equal footing with medicine for adults, that was based on knowledge, as opposed to acquired experience, as Tizard's group at Hammersmith Hospital had sufficient intellectual stamina to acquire that knowledge through research. Therefore, it was a disappointment when the British Paediatric Association asserted its independence, by establishing paediatrics as a speciality, and breaking away from the Royal College of Physicians, rather than the hard won position that Tizard's group had won for it, within general medicine.

Character Although unable to suffer fools or the pretentious, Tizard was known to enjoy the position of power and responsibility. On first meeting, Tizard was often considered brutally frank and forthright in conversation, but was generally supportive, and was at this best working with patients, whom he treated with respect and dignity. Like most men who were strong and assertive, Tizard made both friends and enemies, but was able to form life long friends, and was considered brave and persistent, but fair minded. Tizard was considered a good companion, who could tell a good story.

Awards and honours Tizard received many awards and honours throughout this lifetime, but he took particular pleasure in being:

elected to the prestigious German Scientific Society known as the Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. elected Master of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. awarded the James Spence Medal of the British Paediatric Association in 1986.