1. Professor Sir Gregor Ian Smith is a Scottish general practitioner and former medical director for primary care in NHS Lanarkshire who has served as the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland since December 2020.
22 Facts About Gregor Smith
1. 2.
Gregor Smith previously served in the position of Deputy Chief Medical Officer and from April 2020, until his appointment, served as Chief Medical Officer on an interim basis.
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Gregor Smith served as the Director for Primary Care at NHS Lanarkshire, before being appointed Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Scotland in 2015.
4.
Gregor Smith was confirmed on a permanent basis on 23 December 2020.
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Gregor Smith was born to a "working class family" and had long pursued a career in medicine and healthcare.
6.
Gregor Smith claimed that he had "always wanted to become a doctor and help people" and stated that he realised his ambition to become a doctor whilst attending primary school in "Primary 5 or Primary 6".
7.
Gregor Smith was inspired to become a GP after he saw his own GP "giving back to the community" and this was something that he "wanted to emulate".
8.
Gregor Smith said that when he was younger he knew he "didn't just want to be a doctor, he wanted to be a GP".
9.
Gregor Smith attended Uddingston Grammar School and studied medicine at University of Glasgow, becoming the first person in his family to attend university, graduating in 1994.
10.
Gregor Smith is a prominent advocate for continuous quality improvement and innovation in healthcare, and has a particular interest in person-centred care, shared decision making and working in teams.
11.
Gregor Smith is an advocate for NHS principles, universal healthcare, and access to careers within medicine and healthcare to those from all backgrounds.
12.
Gregor Smith worked as a general practitioner doctor in Larkhall for fifteen years as well as serving as the Director for Primary Care within NHS Lanarkshire.
13.
Gregor Smith is an Honorary Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Glasgow and Fellow of both the Scottish Patient Safety Programme and Salzburg Global.
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Gregor Smith began working with the Scottish Government in 2012 when he was appointed part of a body to negotiate Scottish GP contracts and went onto lead developments in the creation of a new quality framework for general practice in Scotland.
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Gregor Smith was appointed as Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Scotland in 2015, serving with Catherine Calderwood who was appointed Chief Medical Officer.
16.
Gregor Smith took part in his first Scottish Government press briefing on 6 April 2020 at St Andrew's House in Edinburgh, alongside First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, Jeane Freeman.
17.
Gregor Smith was confirmed as the permanent job holder in December 2020.
18.
Gregor Smith was knighted in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to public health.
19.
Gregor Smith is a Fellow of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme and was formerly Chair of the West of Scotland Faculty of RCGP.
20.
Gregor Smith participates in running during his spare time and is a keen cyclist.
21.
Gregor Smith is an advocate of physical activity and its associated benefits, stating he "believes getting outdoors can help improve people's physical, mental and social health".
22.
Gregor Smith was awarded a knighthood in the Queen's New Year Honours list in 2022 for services to public health and is an Honorary Professor of the University of Glasgow.