BMJ CONFIDENTIAL
Maureen Baker
The invisible woman?
PETER LOCKE
MAUREEN BAKER wants to see more
NHS resources directed towards
primary care. Anybody unaware of
this must have been asleep because,
as chairwoman of the Royal College
of General Practitioners since
November 2013, she has used all
means of communication to get this
point across, forcefully at times. A
Scot who practises in Lincolnshire, Baker
is in awe of nobody and knows the ropes,
having served the college for a decade as
honorary secretary. She thinks that general
practice is undervalued and over-policed,
saying she would have made far better use of
the £500m recently given to hospital emergency
departments. Baker is 55.
What was the
worst mistake
in your career?
“I gave intravenous
penicillin to a patient
with a similar name to
the patient for whom
it was intended.
Fortunately, the
patient was not
allergic to penicillin
and wasn’t harmed,
but I was horrified at
the error I had made.
I think that was why I
became so interested
in the patient safety
movement”
6
What was your earliest ambition?
I wanted to be a nun. I was greatly influenced by watching
The Sound of Music as a young girl and rather fancied
running through alpine meadows, singing as I went.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
I regard my mother and my grandmother as my greatest
inspirations—they were both women who had to
struggle and work incredibly hard for their families. My
grandmother was widowed with four daughters and
no money, yet she managed to see them all become
schoolteachers—a major achievement in those days. She
was probably the smartest, feistiest woman I’ve ever met,
with a wonderful way with words—I’m constantly quoting
her. Mum managed to work as a teacher while bringing
up six children (I’m the eldest); I have no idea how she
managed it.
What was the worst mistake in your career?
I remember as a house officer having been on call overnight
and getting up at 6 am, after an hour’s sleep, to do the
intravenous drugs. I gave intravenous penicillin to a patient
with a similar name to the patient for whom it was intended.
Fortunately, the patient was not allergic to penicillin and
wasn’t harmed, but I was horrified at the error I had made
and the possible consequences. I think that was why I
became so interested in the patient safety movement.
If you were given £1m what would you spend it on?
It’s probably down to my working class roots, but I would
love to be in a position to help my daughters with some
financial security, probably in the form of housing. If
my husband had any say in the allocation of the dosh,
I’m sure he would spend some on his beloved, but
struggling, Lincoln City FC.
What was your best career move?
Becoming involved with the Royal College of General
Practitioners at an early stage in my career. I have found
working in the college inspiring and fun over many years.
Bevan or Lansley? Who’s been the best and the worst
health secretary in your lifetime?
I admired Stephen Dorrell and Alan Johnson for different
reasons. I thought Stephen Dorrell understood the role—
and what he could do within it—very well. Alan Johnson
was, for me, the best communicator of any of the health
secretaries I have seen, and I was sorry he didn’t remain
in the post for longer. Unfortunately, I think Mr Lansley
caused huge damage with his reform agenda, and even
though some benefits may yet be achieved, I do not think
they will have been worth the huge cost and disruption at
a time of great stress for the NHS.
Who is the person you would most like to thank and why?
My husband, Peter, and my daughters, Carolyn and
Elena, who have put up with my work and policy focus
throughout our family life.
To whom would you most like to apologise?
My husband and daughters.
Where are or were you happiest?
As a young mother in Lincoln.
What single unheralded change has made the most
difference in your field in your lifetime?
The information revolution.
Do you believe in doctor assisted suicide?
No; my personal view.
What book should every doctor read?
I don’t have a specific recommendation, but I believe that
every doctor should read fiction, to look at life from the
perspectives of other people.
What poem, song, or passage of prose would you like
mourners at your funeral to hear?
I’d like The Mavericks’ Dance the Night Away (“with
senoritas who can sway”), as it would cheer them up, and
they might even dance a step or two.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
I really enjoy talent shows like The X Factor. I also enjoy
theme parks and roller coasters, but I don’t feel guilty
about that.
If you could be invisible for a day what would you do?
I’m a middle aged woman: I AM invisible!
Clarkson or Clark? Would you rather watch Top Gear or
Civilisation? What TV programmes do you enjoy?
Definitely not Top Gear. I enjoy television, and like to
watch drama and comedy.
What is your most treasured possession?
My iPad Mini.
Summarise your personality in three words
Intuitive, caring, enthusiastic.
Where does alcohol fit into your life?
I’m very partial to a glass of something cold and fizzy.
What is your pet hate?
Pomposity.
What would be on the menu for your last supper?
My husband’s roast dinner.
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;349:g4548
19 July 2014 | the bmj