John Stoke (physician)

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. 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.

Tertiary education

Year	School	Qualification
1946-1952	St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London	M.B.B.S (medicine and surgery)
1975	University of London	O.I.H. (occupational health)
1980	Royal College of Physicians, London	M.F.O.M. (occupational health)
1980	M.C.C.M. (NZ)	Community medicine
1982	Australian College of Occupational Medicine	F.A.C.OM. (occupational health)
1983	Royal College of Physicians, London	F.F.O.M. (occupational health)

Positions held

Years	Position	Location
1952-1953	House appointments	UK
1953-1957	Surgeon Lieutenant Royal Navy (mainly General Medicine - hospital appointments in R.N.H. Hospitals Plymouth and Portland and Occupational Medicine-Medical Officer 42 Commando)	UK (Service in Middle East)
1958-1965	General Medicine with some Occupational Medicine	Zimbabwe
1965-1968	Senior Medical Officer and Specialist in Aviation Medicine Royal Rhodesian Air Force	Zimbabwe
1969-1976	Senior Lecturer, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine University of Zimbabwe. (The Medical School was initially part of the University of Birmingham U.K. to which appointments were also made)	Zimbabwe
1976-1977	Senior Medical Officer, Ministry of Transport	New Zealand.
1977-1979	Principal Medical Officer (Occupational Health) - one year, Assistant Director (Occupational Health) - one year, Division of Public Health, Department of Health	New Zealand.
1980-1985	Deputy Director (Occupational Health), Division of Public Health, Department of Health	New Zealand.
1985-1987	Director, Division of Public Health, Department of Health	New Zealand.
1987-1989	Co-ordinator, Occupational Health Task Force, National Health Institute, Kenepuru	New Zealand.
1988-1991	Private consultancy	New Zealand
1990-1995	Director Training Programme, New Zealand College of Community Medicine

Appointments

Years	Position
1969-1976	Honorary Secretary, Rhodesian Society of Occupational Health
1970-1975	Member Rhodesian Occupational Safety Council
1971-1972	Chairman, Rhodesian Occupational Safety Council
1977-1984	Honorary Lecturer Department of Community Health, Wellington School of Medicine, University of Otago
1980	Temporary Adviser to World Health Organisation (Western Pacific Region) on Leptospirosis
1981	World Health Organisation Fellowship
1981-1985	Member of Board of Censors, New Zealand College of Community Medicine
1982-1985	Member of Council, New Zealand College of Community Medicine
1982-1984	Member, World Health Organisation Panel of Experts on Public Health, Biomedical Services, and Education
1984-1991	Chairman Aviation Medical Appeal Board
1984-1998	Member, World Health Organisation Panel of Experts on Occupational Health
1985-1988	Member Health Services Committee, Medical Research Council
1985	Chairman, World Health Organisation Review Committee on "Occupational Health-Problems in Agriculture"
1986	Chairman, World Health Organisation (Western Pacific Region) Review Committee on "Occupational Health Services to Small Industries"
1989	World Health Organisation (Western Pacific Region) Consultant in Occupational Health to The Peoples Republic of China
1990-1992	World Health Organisation (Western Pacific Region) Consultant in Occupational Health to the Government of Papua New Guinea
1991	Rapporteur, World Health Organisation (Western Pacific Region) Regional Working Group on Occupational Health
1991	Convenor, Working Party, Medical and Industrial Issues for Ministerial Committee on Asbestos
1991-1992	Member Medical Council
1991-1992	Chairman Physiotherapy Board
1991-1992	Chairman Occupational Therapy Board
1994	World Health Organisation (Western Pacific Region) Consultant to the Government of Vietnam

Societies

Society	Role
International Commission on Occupational Health	Member
International Association of Agricultural Medicine and Rural Health	Vice President (from 1984)
Asian Association of Occupational Health	Vice President (1982-1985)
Australian and New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine	President (1981-1983)
Society of Occupational Medicine	Member
British Occupational Hygiene Society	Member

Publications, Awards and Citations

During his lifetime, John 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.

Year	Award
1976	Fellow Rhodesian Society of Occupational Health.
1976	Harry Allen Award by Royal Aeronautical Society, Salisbury Branch.
1984	Purkinje Medal - Czechoslovakian Medical Academy.

John 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

Title	Publication	Issue	Date
A case of Glandular Fever with Pulmonary Complications	Journal of Royal Naval Medical Service	43 : 3 : 164-165	1957
Commentary on a Conference on Student Health	South African Medical Journal	46 : 1840-1841	1972
The Student's Dilemma : Black Magic or White Medicine	Proceedings of British Student Health Association	1973 : 68-77	1974
The Prevention of Malnutrition	Proceedings of British Student Health Association	1975 : 53-61	1976
Captafol Dermatitis in the Timber Industry	Contact Dermatitis	5 : 284-292	1979
Epidemiology of Leptospirosis in Dairy Farm Workers in the Manawatu	New Zealand Veterinary Journal	28 245-250	1980
Agricultural Chemicals - How Their Potential Hazards are Controlled	Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine	11 3 338	1981
Agricultural Chemicals : How Their Potential Hazards are Controlled in New Zealand	Agricultural Medicine and Rural Health	9 1: 12-16	1984
Health For All by the Year 2000 - Achieving the Goal	New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy	12: 2 : 30(c)32	1984
Repetitive Strain Injury	New Zealand Medical Journal	98 : 783 : 601(c)602	1985 (with Bury H.C.)
Occupational Health (c) Why, Wherefore and Whither	New Zealand Health Review	6 : 2-:3	1986
Accidents (c) A Major Public Health Problem	Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health	1 : 3 : 79(c)85	1987
Occupational Health ; Important or Irrelevant?	New Zealand Hospital	48 : 7 : 2-5	1988
The Provision of Occupational Health Services in Agriculture	Agricultural Medicine and Rural Health	14 : 1 : 9-11	1990
Problems in Agricultural Health	Agricultural Medicine and Rural Health	14 : 1 : 12-16	1990
Ergonomics and Psychosocial Problems	Agricultural Medicine and Rural Health	15 : 1 : 16-23	1991
Health for All by the Year 2000 in Rural Areas - A Challenge	Agricultural Medicine and Rural Health	19 : 1:11-18	1995

Publications in Other Journals

Title	Publication	Issue	Date
Blood Groups in Rhodesia	The Central African Journal of Medicine	Vol 12 no 4	April 1966
The Cervical Headache	Central African Journal of Medicine	Vol 13 no 11	November 1967
The Student Health Service: University of Rhodesia	The Central African Journal of Medicine	Vol 16 no 11	November 1970
Swimmer’s Nose	The Central African Journal of Medicine	Vol 17 no 11	November 1971
Danger: food handlers at work	Occupational Health, the journal of the Rhodesian Society of Occupational Health	Vol 1 no 2	April 1974
The age of noise	Occupational Health, the journal of the Rhodesian Society of Occupational Health	Vol 1 no 3	July 1974
The Contribution of Medicine to Aviation	Speech to RSOM		February 1975
Plumbism in Rhodesia	The Central African Journal of Medicine	Vol 21 no 6	Jun 1975
Circadian Rhythm	Occupational Health, the journal of the Rhodesian Society of Occupational Health	Vol 2 no 4	October 1975
The fight for quiet	The Rhodesia Science News	Vol 9 no 11	November 1975
Occupational health hazards in dentistry	The Rhodesian Journal of Dentistry	No 2	January 1975
The contribution of medicine to aviation	Occupational Health, the journal of the Rhodesian Society of Occupational Health	Vol 3 no 1	January 1976
The East of Scotland Occupational Health Service	Occupational Health, the journal of the Rhodesian Society of Occupational Health	Vol 3 no 2	April 1976
Monitoring in Occupational Health	Occupational Health, the journal of the Rhodesian Society of Occupational Health	Vol 3 no 3	July 1976
The role of the Occupational Health Nurse	Occupational Health, the journal of the Rhodesian Society of Occupational Health	Vol 3 no 3	July 1976
Booze - a word in your ear	The Pilots View	Vol 15 no 3	December 1976
Prevention of malnutrition	Proceedings of British Student Health Association	Nottingham	July 1976
Metal Fume Fever in Ferro-Chrome Workers	The Central African Journal of Medicine	Vol 23 no 2	February 1977
Industrial Hygiene Legislation	Occupational Health, the journal of the Rhodesian Society of Occupational Health	Vol 4 no 1	January 1977
What is your job?	Rhodesia Physiotherapy Association	No 3	January 1977
Drugs youth and society	The New Zealand nursing journal		July 1977
Uses and hazards of asbestos	Occupational Health, the journal of the Rhodesian Society of Occupational Health	Vol 4 no 4	January 1978
Captafol dermatitis in the timber industry	Contact Dermatitis	No 5	1979
Undergraduate occupational health education at the University of Rhodesia	Occupational Health Australia & New Zealand	Vol 2 no 1	February 1980
Leptospirosis - a preventable occupational disease	Journal of the General Practitioner Society	No 49	May 1982
Occupational stress	NZ Occupational health nurse		Summer 1982
The future of occupational health in NZ	NZ Occupational health nurse		1983
Health for all by the year 2000 – achieving the goal	NZ Journal of Physiotherapy	Vol 12 no 2	Aug 1984
Accidents: the modern plague	Labour and Employment Gazette	Vol 36 no 3	September 1986
Occupational health services in New Zealand: an overview	WHO report from the Regional seminar on Occupational Health Services in Small-Scale industries	Singapore	August 1986
Occupational Health as related to Printing	The official journal of the New Zealand occupational health nurses association	No 16	Winter 1986
Occupational Health – Why, Wherefore and Whither	New Zealand Health Review	Vol 6 nos 2 & 3	1986
The prevention of occupational lung disease in New Zealand	NZ Occupational health nurse	Vol 15	Summer 1986
Occupational health for all by the year 2000 - achieving the goal by the guidelines	The official journal of the New Zealand occupational health nurses association	Vol 5 no 17	Summer 1987
Occupational health in New Zealand: a review of the current situation	WHO report from the Regional Working Group on Occupational Health	Manila	March 1991
Health for all by the year 2000 in rural areas - a challenge	Annals of Agricultural and Environmental medicine	Vol 1 no 2	1994

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:
Mike Stoke, 1955-
Alan Stoke, 1957-
Stephen Stoke, 1961-
John Stoke, 1962-
Mark Stoke, 1967-