ANZCA Bulletin - June 2009 - Australian and New Zealand College ...

ObituaryDr Sydney Dennis GiddyOAM 2008, FANZCA 1992, FFARACS 19681930 – 2009Dr Sydney Dennis Giddy had a majorrole in the development of anaesthesiain Ballarat and served the communityfor many years as president of SunwaysRetirement Home and as an active memberof the Rotary Club of Wendouree.Dr Giddy was born in Ilford, Essex in1930. He undertook his medical trainingin the UK, graduating from Birminghamin 1954. After completing his internshipand HMO year at Stoke-on-Trent and Bath,he spent two years with the Royal ArmyMedical Corp, and then returned to do hisobstetric training at Swindon. He obtainedhis D.Obst.RCOG in 1958 and workedin general practice in Wiltshire beforebecoming an anaesthetic registrar at theRoyal Victorian hospital at Swindon in 1960.Dr Giddy migrated to Australia in 1961coming to a general practice in Ballarat withan interest in anaesthesia and obstetricsand gynaecology. He was appointed assessional anaesthetist at Ballarat HealthServices and as an honorary anaesthetist atthe Royal Melbourne Hospital from 1966-68.With Dr Bill Dick, Dr Heather Lopert andDr Peter Theobald, formed the AnaestheticGroup, Ballarat. He continued his studyof anaesthesia while working full-timeat Ballarat Health Services and becameBallarat’s first formally trained specialistanaesthetist when he was awarded theFellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists,Royal Australasian College of Surgeonsin 1968.He established the Department ofAnaesthesia and set up the Intensive CareUnit. He was appointed as the first Directorof Anaesthesia at Ballarat Health Servicesin 1968. Syd was especially proud of thedevelopment of the ICU, as this was onlythe second intensive care unit to be setup in Victoria, a remarkable achievementdemonstrating enormous foresight.He set up a training program, withanaesthetic registrars from the RoyalMelbourne Hospital. Over the years hetrained many specialist anaesthetists,many who are now training younganaesthetists themselves. At least twelveof these trainees have returned to Ballaratto work as specialist anaesthetic VMO’sfor Ballarat Health Services.When he retired from the position ofdirector of the Department of Anaesthesiaand Intensive Care, he became a sessionalanaesthetist. Dr Giddy continued inprivate practice until he retired in 2004.He had established the department on avery sound footing, with registrars andhospital medical officers in training, alevel 2-3 intensive care unit supported by 12specialist anaesthetists/intensivists. It wasideally positioned for further development,a remarkable achievement for a smallregional hospital.Dr Giddy also worked tirelessly for thehospital medical officers as a whole. He waschairman of the Professional Staff Groupfrom 1974-1976, a very volatile time when wesaw the replacement of the honorary systemwith paid medical officers. He found timeto work on the medical advisory, medicalstandard and review, theatre and the librarycommittees within the hospital.He was a very active member of theAustralian Society of Anaesthetists, servingon the state committee from 1983-1995. Hewas Victorian chairman from 1989-90, andalso served on the federal committee.Dr Giddy was the senior local convenor ofthe 1988 Australian Society of Anaesthetists’National Scientific Conference in Ballarat.He was awarded the Gilbert Troupe Prize bythe society that year.In later years he undertook training ofanaesthetists in South East Asia as wellas in Victoria, single-handedly running acourse for second-part fellowship trainingin 1993.Dr Giddy held several otherappointments within the healthindustry. He was appointed to the HealthCommissionCommittee on AnaestheticMorbidity & Mortality in 1991 and servedas the ASA representative on the Councilof Hospital Standards.He was also on the Medical AdvisoryCommittee for the State AmbulanceService (1971).He helped set up a study to assessthe ability to theatre-train ambulancepersonnel for resuscitation at the roadside.It led to a continuing association withBallarat Ambulance Services in trainingambulance personnel in resuscitation,insertion of IV cannulas for fluid therapyand intubation. This study precededMICA training in Melbourne, anotherdemonstration of his foresight.Dr Giddy was involved with other sundrycommunity projects as well. He was anactive member of Rotary International(the Rotary Club of Wendouree, D9780) formany years, serving on many committees,and as the president.He had been on the council of SunwaysRetirement Home in Ballarat from 1979 untilthey were absorbed into the Uniting Churchprogram in 2007. He was the chairmanfrom 1979.Dr Giddy loved being fit, and continuedskiing at Falls Creek until last year.He was awarded the Medal of the Orderof Australia in 2008 for his services toanaesthesia and to the community. He wasvery pleased to provide a copy of the medalto the Anaesthetic Group, Ballarat for theirrole in his recognition. The anaestheticcommunity of Ballarat was very proud toreceive it.Dr Giddy was awarded EmeritusConsultant status by Ballarat HealthServices in 2005, and received a citationfrom the Post Graduate Foundation ofSt John of God Hospital in 2008, for hisdevelopment of anaesthesia in the BallaratHealth system.Dr Sydney Dennis Giddy was a sourceof inspiration to his trainees, to the peoplehe worked with and to the patients hehelped. He was devastated by the deathof his younger daughter Joy in 2006. Heis survived and sadly missed by his wifeof 55 years, Sybil, by his three survivingchildren, Martin, Pam and Peter, by his 10grandchildren and his many, many friends.Dr John OswaldDeputy Director of theDepartment of AnaesthesiaBallarat Health Services94The ANZCA Bulletin June 2009