John Stoke (doctor)

John Charles Jamieson Stoke FFOM, FAFOM, FAFPHM, MCCM MBBS, DIH (1928–2000) was a pioneer in Occupational Medicine in New Zealand, with influence in the Asia/Pacific region.^[1] He was Director of Public Health in New Zealand from 1986 to 1987. Some of the details in this article are drawn from notes that he had made in preparation for an autobiography.

Early life and education

John was born on 14 August 1928, in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, on the north side of the Thames Estuary. John's father was the son of Polish immigrants who came to England under a church sponsorship scheme in the 1880s. His mother was the daughter of a Scots marine engineer, whose clan (the Jamiesons) came from the area south of Glasgow. His parents met (in London) through church activities and married in 1918. His parents settled in Leigh-on-Sea, close to the mouth of the Thames Estuary.
His upbringing was heavily influenced by three main factors. These were a very strong Presbyterian set of values, his father's work ethic, and the great depression. He remembered going to church and Sunday school and being forced to read books when he wanted to go out and to play. He also clearly remembered the day his father came home from work and told the family that his salary had been cut by 20% as a result of the depression.
When WW2 broke out, the family had to move from Essex for safety reasons, and went to live in Surrey. John had gained a scholarship and went to school at the King Edward 6th Grammar School in Guildford. In 1943, the family returned to Leigh-on-Sea, and John attended the local grammar school – Westcliff.
He sat his matriculation exam in 1944 and repeatedly the exams were interrupted by air raid warnings and trips to the air raid shelters at the school. He passed with distinction in history, Latin, and maths.
In 1946, John was accepted for medical training at St Bartholomew's Hospital in the heart of London. He travelled each day by train from the family home – and recalls walking from the London station to the College past heaps of rubble as high as four-storey buildings, and big holes where bombs and land mines had fallen.

The Zimbabwe years

After graduating John did "house appointments" in hospitals (1952–53), and then became a Surgeon Lieutenant in the Royal Navy (1953–57). During this time John met Bernice and they were married in 1954.
In 1958, they moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). John initially worked as a general practitioner in rural areas. During this time that he became involved in leprosy work. He trained locals in leprosy treatment, with the result that the leper colonies became unnecessary.
After a period as a GP in Salisbury (Harare), John became Senior Medical Officer in the Royal Rhodesian Air Force, and the family moved to Gwelo (Gweru). It was during this time that he developed his interest in Occupational and Preventive Medicine.
In 1969 the family returned to Salisbury, and John became a lecturer in Preventive Medicine at the University of Rhodesia, where he worked until 1976. In 1975 he returned to England on sabbatical, and did post-graduate work in Occupational Medicine.
During this time the political situation in Rhodesia was deteriorating. Faced with the prospect that his elder sons would soon be drafted into the army, he decided to migrate. After applying for several positions around the world, he was offered a position in New Zealand.

The New Zealand years

In 1976, the family migrated to New Zealand, leaving behind the two eldest boys to complete their university studies – Mike in Cape Town and Alan in Salisbury. They settled in Paraparaumu. John initially was Senior Medical Officer with the Ministry of Transport, and then joined the Ministry of Health, with responsibility for Occupational Health.
In 1981 he undertook a World Health Organisation (WHO) fellowship, studying the effect of political and socioeconomic systems on occupational health. The four-month fellowship included visits to Canada, USA, Eire, United Kingdom, USSR and Sweden.
In 1986 he was appointed Director of Public Health in New Zealand. During this time he also did some lecturing in community health at the Wellington branch of Otago Medical School, and was active in the Asia/Pacific branch of the WHO.
In 1987, complications from cataract surgery resulted in his retirement from the Ministry of Health. After some months of convalescence, his vision improved sufficiently for him to work again, and he was appointed co-ordinator of the Occupational Health Task Force of the National Health Institute. He retired again in 1989.
John's work with the World Health Organisation continued after his retirement. He undertook assignments in Western Pacific, China, Vietnam and Papua New Guinea.
He died unexpectedly on 27 July 2000, in Auckland.

In 2001 ANZSOM (NZ) - The Australia & New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine - inaugurated The John Stoke Medal in his honour, as a way of recognising special contributions to occupational medicine by one of its members.

Tertiary education

Positions held

Appointments

Societies

Publications, awards and citations

During his lifetime, Stoke published many papers and articles in a wide variety of journals, and gained a number of awards. Among these is one called the Purkinje Medal from the Czechoslovakian Medical Academy; the citation on the certificate accompanying this is in Latin so the circumstances under which he was awarded this are not known.

He is commemorated by an eponymous medal that is presented annually by the New Zealand branch of ANZSOM to a physician who has displayed leadership in Occupational Medicine.

Publications in refereed journals

Publications in other journals

Co-author or citation

The public health implications of growth promoters in food (co-author with John Reeve)
Cited as a member of the Asbestos Advisory Committee (Convenor, Management and Disposal of Asbestos Working Party) in Report of the Asbestos Advisory Committee to the Minister of Labour, April 1991, and in Asbestos exposure and disease – notes for medical practitioners, July 1995
Acknowledged in Occupational Overuse Syndrome, Treatment and Rehabilitation – A Practitioner's Guide He also contributed to many pamphlets issued by the New Zealand Department of Health, relating to occupational health matters.

Family

Wife: Bernice Josephine Stoke, 1928–2007. Children (with years of birth): Mike Stoke (1955), Alan Stoke (1957-2014), Stephen Stoke (1961), John Stoke (1962), Mark Stoke (1967)

References