Sir Donald Irvine, CBE, MD, FRCGP, FRCP, FMedSci

After qualifying from Newcastle Medical School in the UK in 1958, Sir Donald Irvine was in general practice in Northumberland for 35 years. For 20 of those years he was also Regional Adviser for General Practice at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and between 1983 and 1985 he served as chairman of the Council of the Royal College of General Practitioners. In 1995 he was elected president of the General Medical Council, the first general practitioner to hold that office.

Sir Donald has written and lectured extensively on general practice, medical education, patient-centered professionalism and quality themes in health. He has been awarded honorary degrees from six UK universities and honorary fellowships from five medical royal colleges. In 2004 he received the Picker Award for Excellence® in the Advancement of Patient-Centered Care.

Sir Donald is a member of the board of Picker Institute and chairman of the board of Picker Europe.