RCSEd is excited to announce the new MacLeod McLaren Medal in Patient Safety. This prestigious new medal strives to celebrate the efforts of multidisciplinary teams who focus on improving patient safety in either clinical settings or through research.
This medal has been made possible by Professor Stephen MacLeod (FRCSEd) who hopes that this medal will celebrate the contributions of the larger surgical workforce in improvements of patient safety, and personally will also commemorate those who inspired him, including his Aunts, after whom this medal is named.
For full eligibility details and to apply, click here.
Applications close on Saturday 1 February 2025.
The first MacLeod McLaren Medal in Patient Safety will be presented by Professor Rowan Parks, President, at the Triennial Conference between the 4th - 6th June 2025 in Edinburgh.
MacLeod McLaren Medal in Patient Safety
The deadline for applications is Saturday 1 February 2025. Click the link below to apply.
Apply HereThe Story Behind the MacLeod McLaren Medal
Through the generosity of Professor MacLeod, the MacLeod McLaren Medal in Patient Safety is now open for applications. This new medal aims to recognise multidisciplinary teams who have contributed to the improvement of patient safety, either through clinical work or research. Professor MacLeod rightfully named the medal after his two aunts; Muriel MacLeod and Elizabeth McLaren, both of whom saw the introduction of systems which improved patient safety and inspire Professor MacLeod in his choosing his career through the stories they told of their experiences in the wards and theatres of the young NHS, two of which he has shared below:
“My Aunt Muriel worked alongside Sir John Bruce, an esteemed past president of our College at the Western General in Edinburgh. At that time, it was not common practice to have counts and retained swabs were more common than they are now. Sir John made a practice of having new scrub nurses do counts and of them being wrong every time. When it came her turn to … count [it] was, of course, wrong. That was until, with great solemnity, she reached into the space between Sir John’s ample belly and the operating table with a long forceps and retrieved the swab. Counts became common practice [soon after]. It was an early example of the value of checklists and team drills.
My aunt McLaren was the orthopedic sister at the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow. The theaters in the “Vic” could get quite hot in the summer and the surgeons would find themselves tired and parched. My aunt worked with the nursing staff and porters to construct a pully from the orthopedic ward down to the theaters below and use it to deliver ice cream .... It cooled the surgical staff down … and as a result the orthopedic department completed more cases than other services in the summer months. It was an early example of the value of addressing staff wellness and the effect attention to wellness could have on productivity.”
Muriel MacLeod and Elizabeth McLaren
During their presentation to the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, former patron of RCSEd, at St James’ Palace.
Legacy Impact
Professor MacLeod has pledged a gift in his Will to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to establish a new prestigious medal. Read below why he chose to leave a gift to the College.
Professor Stephen MacLeod
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
Professor Stephen MacLeod is an Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon based at Loyola University, who was elected as an RCSEd Fellow by examination in 1999.
