GP Pulse March 2013 Issue 21 - The Royal New Zealand College of ...

Features College NewsISSUE 17 : October 2012 : P14Following the success of a trial of thisForever technology over the last two months, youngAuckland Breast Centre is fully adoptingObituary the technology across of its Julian clinics. James-Ashburner, by Dr Buzz BurrellJulian Paul James-Ashburner was bornin Knowledge March 1963 in and England. The sonof communication a vet, he was breathing support medically earlyinfused and accurate air from his detection infancy.I met Julian on our first day at StGeorge’s Primary care Hospital continues Medical to play School, a pivotalLondon role in breast in 1981. cancer He was management. leaning out ofhis In the halls unique of residence’s position window of seeing greetingeverybody patients first with and a more youthful frequently smile and afresh than specialists, cup of tea, GPs’ having awareness, arrived thereearly understanding fully moved and communication in before the is restof critical us mortals for patient had worked care and out wellbeing. whereto go. With a broad Lancashire accent Ireturned Dr Mike Baker, the greeting, Clinical impressed Managing withhis Director organisational of The Radiology skills and Group timeliness, andto radiologist which he at replied Auckland with Breast a cultured Centre,public strongly school supports accent the that need he for had GPs not andunderstood their patients anything to be aware I’d said. of advances Overthe in technology following five so they years can he make workedoninformedmy elocution,decisionsandbasedby graduationon the mostmostup-to-datepeopleinformation.could followThemytopicspeech.ofIn return, I failed in my ability tobreast density diagnosis and associatedreciprocate with his hand-writing.screening issues, though not new,Indeed, even last Christmas we receivedmeans ongoing industry awarenessthe organised, early advent card, andand communication of enhancedsadly could not decipher one word ofclinical outcomes through technologythe hieroglyphs inside.remains a critical factor in the processWith of continuum a perpetually of care. slim physique, hePrimary care continuesto play a pivotal rolein breast cancermanagement. In thesurprised everyone when he stoodalongside the buff muscle-men vyingunique position offor the Mr University title in 1984,playing seeing the character patients ‘Smike’ first fromDickens’ Nicholas Nickleby. He stole theshow, and won more the title, frequentlyand I suspect salesof anabolic steroids radically droppedinthansouth-westspecialists,London for a few years.GPs’ awareness,A prize-winner in academia, he wastippedunderstandingto have illustriousandcareer as asurgeon in London. Instead he invokedhis communication capacity to surprise, this is time thesurgical training schemes competingwith critical each other for for patient his patronage, carechose a general practice trainingand wellbeing.scheme in Northern England. I hadfailed in making his writing legible, butperhaps Baker says, I’d ‘The succeeded radiologists in de-mystifying atthe Auckland quirky Breast dialects Centre spoken and by TRG thenativesare verynorthawareofofthetheWatfordimportancegap.ofAfterbreastadensityvisit toinNewbreastZealandcancer.inBreast1992, density he is emigrated the third highest to join me risk in factorReefton for breast in cancer 1994, where after age his and patients geneticrapidly predisposition. learned to appreciate hisorganisational skills and promptness.At ‘We least were one looking us needed for a scientific these basisattributes, for measuring and breast he had density more than to assistenough us with advising for the two women of us. who neededHe never forgot being Mr University,and his performances on stage werealways legendary, ranging from acountry bumpkin, Charlie Chaplin,Jesus Christ Superstar, to a loinclothedpunkawallah. He enjoyedtrying to make people feel good,either from the stage, the pulpit orthe consulting room. One can onlyassume that he saw his capacityto continue to do this was underthreat when he took his own life onWaitangi Day this year.He additional seemed imaging, to have drunk such as from breast thefountain ultrasound of examination, eternal youth, and annoyingly converselylooking who did nowhere not need near it. The the Volpara 50 yearsof product age his FDA next approved birthday would and provides havebeen. us with In an our accurate, memories reproducible he always andwill rapid be measurement the loyal, reliable of breast friend density.’ andyouthful entertainer.He had the talent to surprise, wasFor more informationalways organised and early foreverything. about this None article of us predicted go to: hewould be all three for his departurefrom www.theradiologygroup.co.nzus too.Rest www.aucklandbreastcentre.co.nzIn Peace Julian. You will behugely missed by so many.The Royal New ZealandCollege of General PractitionersReceive the latest updates, information, and College news—join us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedInYou’ll find the links at the bottom of the College website and in ePulse.P12 : ISSUE 21 : March 2013