Medic Sir David Haslam CBE returns to Hallfield

Since leaving Hallfield in the 1960s, David has spent 35 years as a GP, written thousands of articles and books, and held some of the highest-profile roles in medicine and healthcare policy.

In a talk that blended the personal with the professional, David reflected on the role of the generalist in a society where most often specialism rules. Over the course of his distinguished career, even whilst in very senior roles, he has consistently been asked: “So are you a specialist or just a GP?”. David said:

David spoke fondly of his Hallfield years, citing how early experiences of learning English at Hallfield set the tone for his entire career: “Mr Amphlett was one of those people who had a profound impact on my life – not that I would have released it at the time. He taught me to love the English language – he encouraged me to buy a thesaurus – to search for the right word. To take pride in my writing. To explore the potential of our great language to its maximum potential.”