Scott was born in 1907 in London, the son of a consultant aurist at St Bartholomew's Hospital, receiving his medical education at Cambridge and St Bartholomew's Hospital. In 1939 he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and went to France, luckily getting home in 1940. He was then posted to India as ear, nose and throat specialist with the rank of major. He had a strong artistic streak, giving delightful illustrations of complex surgery in the hospital notes. He was always keen to adopt new surgical techniques and travelled extensively for this, particularly to France, being fluent in the language. Specialising in oto-laryngology, after posts at St Bartholomew's Hospital and the Middlesex Hospital he became consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. He felt deeply about the worth of his specialty and could be ferocious when the department was threatened. Enjoying cars (he owned a Bristol 403) he was also a food and wine connoisseur and a versatile cook. His lasting memorial may be his paintings, in a variety of media, where he and his wife almost competed. He died on 31 July 1996; his wife Elizabeth survived him by only a month and a day, leaving two daughters.