Doctor left great health and family legacies
By Anne Cahill Lambert
DR JOHN SAMUEL YEATMAN November 25, 1928-May 11, 2024
John Yeatman MB BS, FRACP, FRACMA was the third of four children who raced into the world 10 years after World War I. His grandfather, Samuel Mauger, was Australia’s seventh postmaster-general, a position he took up after serving in the Victorian Legislative Assembly (1901) and Australia’s House of Representatives (1901-1910) as the member for Melbourne Ports and then Maribyrnong.
His parents – Leslie and Florence – were hard-working. Florence organised the family while Leslie was a Victorian public servant, rising to the rank of secretary and permanent head of the Victorian Health Department in 1955 as well as a magistrate. Florence was also an accomplished pianist and apparently played piano for Dame Nellie Melba when she practised.
As with many children who were schooled during World War II, John moved between schools and campuses to make room for American soldiers. He finished school at Melbourne High in 1945, commencing medicine at Melbourne University in 1946.
He graduated in 1954 and continued his career in medicine for 55 years. He completed his physician training (FRACP) and then embarked upon a career in medical administration. He was one of the “grandfathers” of the fledgling Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators (FRACMA) and served on the Board of Censors for 10 years and the council and executive for eight years.
Some of his positions included medical superintendent at Preston and Northcote Community Hospital (known affectionately as PANCH), medical superintendent at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and chief executive officer of the Royal Women’s Hospital.
John Yeatman: followed in his father’s footsteps, venturing into the Health Commission of Victoria.
In each of these roles, he applied courtesy and compassion to all he met, whether they be patients, visitors, staff or bosses. He knew the names of most of the domestic and catering staff, the wards’ people and the switchboard operators. He would also know whether they were happy in the service, whether their families were healthy and if anything were amiss. To follow him around a hospital was a terrific way to find out how it ticked and importantly, who made it tick.
John was at the forefront of what has now become essential jargon in the health sector “best practice”. His objective was always to do the very best for patients and their families. Whether it was by ensuring the best clinician was caring for the patient, or the clinician was up-to-date with the latest developments in medicine, or whether it was benchmarking – John used all the tools at his disposal. Indeed, he was still reading medical journals well into his 90s. He led by example.
The commonwealth government became concerned about the burgeoning cost of the health system and in 1979 established the equivalent of a royal commission. John was seconded as a commissioner to the commission of inquiry into the efficiency and administration of hospitals. He was the only commissioner with an inkling of how hospitals worked, which was challenging on its own. John led the charge in attempting to ensure the health outcomes of patients were at the forefront.
Interestingly, the commonwealth’s concerns were at a time when health expenditure as a proportion of GDP was about 7.5 per cent, whereas now it is about 10 per cent.
During the 1980s, John was asked to undertake a range of tasks in addition to his full-time job. For example, it was evident the Victorian health system could not maintain five public metropolitan teaching hospitals within a 10-kilometre radius (The Alfred, Royal Melbourne, St Vincent’s, Prince Henry’s and Queen Victoria). This was in addition to the specialist public hospitals within the same radius (Royal Women’s, Mercy Maternity, Royal Children’s, Eye and Ear, Peter MacCallum and Dental hospitals). John undertook a project at Prince Henry’s Hospital, which eventually merged with Queen Victoria – the latter having already been relocated to Monash Medical Centre, Clayton.
After what seemed a lifetime of working in hospitals, John followed in his father’s footsteps, venturing into the Health Commission of Victoria when the state’s health system was regionalised. He was a regional director, a position he served with distinction. In his later years, he worked in palliative care at Bethlehem Hospital. He also established the Australian Association of Paediatric Teaching Centres, which is now Children’s Hospitals Australasia.
Work obviously took up a lot of time, but John had three great loves. The first was Margaret Elliot, who he met at a church dance when he was 20. Margaret was a triple-certificate nurse, so there was an abundance of care and love in a home that nurtured six children and many foster children. They were married for almost 60 years. Margaret died in 2014.
When the children were little, John took on extra work to pay the bills, including working at the blood bank and being the doctor at the trots – the latter he enjoyed as he liked to have an occasional punt.
Music was also a love and John was a dab hand at the trumpet – an instrument he picked up when he was five-years-old, together with the piano and violin. He played in a jazz ensemble that was formed when he had a bit more time in the 1980s.
Another love was any sport with a ball; predominantly following the St Kilda footy club through a mostly bleak history (he was invariably last in the hospital footy tipping competitions). He was a member of the MCC and ensured his daughters were signed up when women were allowed to join.
John’s legacy is six fabulous children and two long-time foster children (Paul, Rick, James, Nicola, Josie, Genie, Justin and Ria), five marvellous sons and daughters-in-law, 21 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
This tribute was prepared by Anne Cahill Lambert AM, based on a school assignment by one of John’s grandsons, Dr Eddie Proper.