MacTutor
Nora Isabel Wattie
Nora Isabel Wattie was one of the four daughters of James MacPherson Wattie and his wife Katherine Carney Diack. We give two descriptions of her remarkable contributions.
1. Obituary from Europe PMC
http://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC2541792&blobtype=pdf
On first acquaintance Nora Wattie, who had a national reputation in child welfare, was somewhat intimidating, but one soon realised what a kindly interest she took in her staff. Far seeing, she foresaw change coming and made sure that her staff were equipped to take advantage of it by sending them on appropriate courses. In addition she modernised the health visiting training course. She loved to entertain her staff either in the Kelvin Club or in her home, where her housekeeper provided splendid Scottish food.
In 1939 she established a network of diphtheria immunisation clinics in Glasgow, setting up a programme that led to the elimination of the disease locally. She established the Glenfarg Street Pilot Assessment Centre and later was associated with the Balvicar Centre, which was the first of the multi-disciplinary centres for assessing disabled people. She set up a home help department, which was intended to help mothers returning home from their confinements. At about the same time she established short stay homes for children whose mothers needed attention in hospital and for children in need of convalescence.
Dr Wattie was dedicated to her work and motivated by high humanitarian ideals; she wanted to improve the lot of the poorest in the community by improving their health. Her last public duty was to open a public health exhibition in Glasgow in 1990. It gave her great pleasure to be photographed giving a spoonful of cod liver oil to Sir Thomas Thomson, chairman of Greater Glasgow Health Board.
Nora Isabel Wattie, who was principal medical officer (maternity and child welfare) in Glasgow1934-64, died 14 July 1994. Born 30 May 1899; studied medicine at Aberdeen University (MB, ChB 1921). Was a venereal disease officer in Glasgow before being appointed principal medical officer. Served as president of Society of Medical Officers of Health and on many national committees.
In 1939 she established a network of diphtheria immunisation clinics in Glasgow, setting up a programme that led to the elimination of the disease locally. She established the Glenfarg Street Pilot Assessment Centre and later was associated with the Balvicar Centre, which was the first of the multi-disciplinary centres for assessing disabled people. She set up a home help department, which was intended to help mothers returning home from their confinements. At about the same time she established short stay homes for children whose mothers needed attention in hospital and for children in need of convalescence.
Dr Wattie was dedicated to her work and motivated by high humanitarian ideals; she wanted to improve the lot of the poorest in the community by improving their health. Her last public duty was to open a public health exhibition in Glasgow in 1990. It gave her great pleasure to be photographed giving a spoonful of cod liver oil to Sir Thomas Thomson, chairman of Greater Glasgow Health Board.
Nora Isabel Wattie, who was principal medical officer (maternity and child welfare) in Glasgow1934-64, died 14 July 1994. Born 30 May 1899; studied medicine at Aberdeen University (MB, ChB 1921). Was a venereal disease officer in Glasgow before being appointed principal medical officer. Served as president of Society of Medical Officers of Health and on many national committees.
The following article by Ann Fotheringham appeared in the Glasgow Evening Times (27 July 2020).
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18603519.health-pioneer-nora-wattie-helped-wipe-deadly-infection-glasgow/
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18603519.health-pioneer-nora-wattie-helped-wipe-deadly-infection-glasgow/
2. Health pioneer Nora Wattie helped wipe out deadly infection in Glasgow
- Nora Wattie wanted to improve the lot of Glasgow's poorest people – and she knew that to do it, she needed to improve their health. This pioneer of social medicine was, for 31 years, principal officer of health for maternity and child welfare in the city. The service she set up and ran, with its antenatal care and health visitor system, gained national and international recognition.
- In 1939, Nora - who was crowned Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year in 1964 - set up a series of diphtheria immunisation clinics in Glasgow, a programme that led to the elimination of the disease locally.
- Nora established the Glenfarg Centre, one of the first multidisciplinary units for assessing people with disabilities. She was also in charge of the city's home help and home nursing services - she set up a home help department to help mothers returning home after childbirth and established short stay homes for children in need of convalescence, or whose mothers needed attention in hospital. She was a member of a string of associations, including the General Midwives Board.
- Her obituary in the British Medical Journal, included a note on her kind approach to staff. "On first acquaintance Nora Wattie, who had a national reputation in child welfare, was somewhat intimidating, but one soon realised what a kindly interest she took in her staff. She foresaw change coming and made sure her staff were equipped to take advantage of it by sending them on appropriate courses. She loved to entertain her staff either in the Kelvin Club or in her home, where her housekeeper provided splendid Scottish food.
- Nora's last public duty was to open a health exhibition in Glasgow in 1990 where she was pictured giving a spoonful of cod liver oil to Sir Thomas Thomson, chairman of Greater Glasgow Health Board.
Last Updated March 2021