Dr Desmond Smith

Dr Desmond Smith

Dr Desmond Smith, Consultant Radiologist to the Salisbury Hospitals from 1964 to 1986, died on October 15th after a long and disabling illness.

20 December 1921 to 15 October 2002

Born and brought up in the County of Roscommon in Ireland he was the son of a Vet. There were many medical people in his family and he followed some of them to Edinburgh Medical School. After qualifying in 1947, he set out on a career to become a Physician specialising in chest medicine. He obtained his membership of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 1955 after a number of Registrar posts in London.

Then in the later 1950s he decided to become a Radiologist, and was trained at St Thomas' Hospital, London. He passed his DMRD in 1961 and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists in 1964, the year that he moved to Salisbury as a Consultant.

Desmond was a superb Radiologist. He had had exceptional clinical experience which made him the more valuable as a colleague. He ran the most efficient and effective Radiology Department: having been a clinician he was fully aware of the importance of x-rays being at the bedside.Desmond had a great fund of knowledge about many things. He was a great gardener and had a most beautiful garden at his home in Nether Wallop, which was open annually to the public. He was also a first class tennis and squash player and went on playing vigorously into old age. He took great care and trouble in all that he did.

Desmond was a very clear thinking man and was unwilling to put up with any form of folly. He expressed himself clearly and succinctly and this sometimes lead people to believe he didn't suffer fools gladly. However, he was always very kind, supportive and gentle towards people trying to lead them from their follies. After retirement from the Salisbury Hospitals, Desmond continued to do sessional work in various Hospitals about the Region for a further five years and he had a very happy and active retirement after that. He married in 1977 and is survived by his wife and two stepdaughters.