Cover image for
Resource Name:
Resource Type:
External Resource
Metadata
Asset Name:
E009291 - Dale, Richard Foley (1945 - 2016)
Title:
Dale, Richard Foley (1945 - 2016)
Author:
Oliver Dale
Identifier:
RCS: E009291
Publisher:
London : Royal College of Surgeons of England
Publication Date:
2017-01-25

2017-10-19
Contributor:
Hilary Dale

Christina Dale

Mary Elliot
Description:
Obituary for Dale, Richard Foley (1945 - 2016), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Language:
English
Source:
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Full Name:
Dale, Richard Foley
Date of Birth:
18 March 1945
Place of Birth:
Worcester
Date of Death:
23 November 2016
Titles/Qualifications:
MB BS London 1968

FRCS 1975

FRCS Edin 1995

MS
Details:
Richard Dale was a surgeon in the Royal Navy. He was born in Worcester on 18 March 1945, the son of Reginald William Dale, a county planning officer, and Margaret Dale née Norman. He grew up in Somerset, where he was to return in retirement, along with his wife Hilary. He attended Taunton School and went on to study medicine at Westminster Medical School in London, during which time he joined the Royal Navy. Following his qualification in 1968, Richard secured his first house job at West Middlesex Hospital. Working for Ian Ranger, this job inspired him to choose surgery and was a formative experience, shaping the surgeon he would become. Richard then joined Westminster Hospital's medical and dialysis unit, where he worked for Malcolm Milne. These were the early, heady days of organ transplantation, and for a period his love of cars and surgery briefly combined as he rushed around the country with critical cargo. It was also during this time that Richard impressed his future wife with his dedication and enthusiasm: as a patient on the ward, post appendectomy, in his dressing gown, he jumped in to sort out a dialysis machine for a fellow patient. Perhaps it was this or his clambering up the scaffolding of the nurses' accommodation to ward off a rival, but not long after he and deputy sister Hilary Closs were married. In 1969, Richard went to work at the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar. Soon after, he was called to action in the Cod War, the confrontations with Iceland over the right to fish in the north Atlantic. He later joined the nuclear submarine HMS *Conqueror* in Liverpool, where his main responsibility was to evaluate health hazards on board, including the threat from radiation. He took to this task with vigour and ensured the atmosphere was as lively and spirited as it was healthy. To broaden his surgical experience, Richard completed his junior training in the NHS, where he joined the rotation at Addenbroke's and in Ipswich, working for Roy Calne. In 1977, he became a lecturer for John Kinmonth at St Thomas' Hospital and during this period completed an MS on 'The inheritance of primary lymphoedema'. It was here that his passion for quality would first cause controversy. Always an early adopter and pioneer, Richard was fascinated by the use of computers for the recording of surgical outcomes. This proved too much for some of his seniors, one even branding him 'a dangerous man'. In the early eighties, Richard moved back to Cambridge to work with David Dunn, and then in 1988 returned to the Navy as a surgeon commander and consultant at the Royal Naval Hospital, Stonehouse, Plymouth. Although truly a general surgeon, he started to specialise in colorectal surgery. He would often bring home stories of the latest developments in surgery, including bowel pouch surgery, colonoscopy and laparoscopic surgery. Alongside his interest in technological developments, his interest in quality deepened. During this time, he established a great friendship with Brendan Devlin, working with him in the Royal College of Surgeons' surgical epidemiology and audit unit, where Richard was assistant director from 1995 to 1998. This work was recognised when he was awarded an honorary fellowship of Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1995. Although he was not on active duty during the first Gulf War, this period was deeply informative as he reflected on the medical infrastructure needed to support the front line. In 1990 Richard was made a professor of naval surgery. It was an exciting time within the services as there was a genuine wish for tri-service collaboration. He brought a huge amount of energy and original thinking to his role. Drawing on these experiences, Richard developed the concept of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, along with the idea of embedding Ministry of Defence hospital units within NHS trusts. His occasional tours on HMS *Illustrious* and HMS *Invincible* helped him develop his work on quality and care pathways. It was during one of these tours that the captain of the *Illustrious* commented on the great numbers of his crew who appeared to have had elective surgery, even when crossing the rough seas of the Bay of Biscay. Richard, pleased that his work was being recognised, stated he believed in the importance of the team's ability to function at peace time as well as at war. The best way to keep the team sharp was to keep them active! As assistant medical director of the Defence Secondary Care Agency, he was to have a profound impact on the effectiveness and sustainability of military medicine. His proudest contribution was perhaps the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, which was described as 'his baby' by his commanding officer. Richard left the Navy in 2003 as a surgeon captain and joined Benenden Hospital as a consultant surgeon. Later he became the medical director at Benenden, where he soon took on the responsibility for restructuring and reorganising the care there. This experience led to his becoming the medical director of the commercial directorate at the Department of Health. In this role, Richard was to play a key figure in the Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) programme, whereby private sector-owned treatment centres were contracted within the NHS. Whilst politically controversial, Richard's singular focus on delivering quality elective surgery to many allowed him to keep to the task. Whilst the conflict went on around him, he was not troubled by the rhetoric, preferring the comfort of the reality instead. Apart from some consultancy work, this was his last post before he retired, however this did not mean a quiet life. Shortly before his death, Richard was to start his final career as a politician for the local Conservative Party. In the 2015 election he ran a close second in the county council elections. Recognising his diplomatic skills, he was then elevated to the post of local party chairman. It was with much regret and sadness that he had to give up this role when he became ill as he was a great believer in democracy, political discourse and the Conservative Party, in that order. Never afraid to challenge vested interests, he thought it far more flattering to be admired by his juniors than his seniors. Since his death, many have approached the family with tales of how he supported them. As a family, we recognise that he was a very effective leader. One of his qualities was his ability to inspire those around him to achieve more than they thought they were capable of. It is difficult to unpick how he did this, but he was not particularly afraid of failure and this allowed him to enjoy learning and allow others to enjoy it too. Richard died on 23 November 2016 following 11 months and two days of treatment for oesophageal cancer. He was 71. Shortly after his diagnosis and after much research, he predicted to the day when he would die. He was survived by his wife, Hilary, three children, four grandchildren and a beloved fox terrier.
Rights:
Copyright (c) The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Collection:
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format:
Obituary
Format:
Asset
Asset Path:
Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009200-E009299
Media Type:
Unknown