Douglas Black

Who was Douglas Black?

Sir Douglas Andrew Kilgour Black, was a Scottish physician and medical scientist who played a key role in the development of the National Health Service. He conducted research in the field of public health and was famous as the author of the Black Report.

He was born in Shetland in 1913, educated at Forfar Academy, and studied medicine at the Bute Medical School, University of St Andrews, graduating with MB ChB in 1933.

He conducted research into water loss and dehydration, first at Oxford University, and then at the University of Manchester, where he became professor of medicine in 1959.

In 1974 he became the first chief scientist at the Department of Health and Social Security of the UK government. From 1977–1983 he was president of the Royal College of Physicians. He also served as the president of the British Medical Association and earned himself a lot of respect by taking an uncompromising stand against the apartheid regime in South Africa.

In the 1970s Black was asked by the Labour government of the UK to chair an expert committee to investigate health inequalities. The report produced by this committee, popularly known as "The Black Report" was published in 1980.