John Francis Lipscomb was born in Sydney on 18 July 1908, the son of Thomas W Lipscomb, a surgeon and chairman of the postgraduate committee of New South Wales, and his wife, Beatrix, née Norris. He was educated at the preparatory school of St Aloysius, Sydney, and later at St Ignatius College before entering the University of Sydney for medical studies. He qualified with honours in 1933 and after completing house appointments in Sydney came to England for postgraduate study and worked in the ENT department of Guy's Hospital under Mr W M Mollison for 3 1/2 years. He passed the FRCS in 1939 and at the outbreak of war joined the Australian Army Medical Corps, serving for six years, attaining the rank of Major and being mentioned in despatches in 1943. After demobilisation he returned to England and was initially appointed ENT surgeon to Kent County Council for whom he did a survey of the blind and deaf. At the beginning of the National Health Service he was appointed consultant to the ear, nose and throat departments at Farnborough Hospital, Kent, Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and the Dartford Group of Hospitals. After retiring from the hospital service he continued to pursue his hobbies of golf and squash. He married Dorothy Waterhouse in 1937 and they had two sons, both of whom have qualified as doctors. He died in 1986 aged 78.