Born 21 May 1934; died 20 October 2019
Dr John Raiman died unexpectedly on 20 October 2019. He is survived by his wife Jennifer, six children — Nicola, Alistair, Lucinda, Caroline, Joanne, and Julian, 15 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
John was native to North East London. Born in Ilford to Arthur and Gwendolyn, he was evacuated as a young child. He may have gained his business acumen from his Uncle Bill, a fishmonger in Goodmayes. John gained a place at Ilford County High School, where he excelled — gaining a scholarship to the London Hospital Medical School.
At the London he won the Bass Charrington prize for dissection. He was secretary of the London Hospital Football Club as later were his son Alistair and grandson Lewis.
He met Jennifer, then a final-year nurse, in 1957. They married in 1958 in Jennifer’s hometown of Eastbourne where John did his house jobs. They migrated back north of the river for A&E and O&G placements at St Margaret’s, Epping, where their two first children were born, and John gained the DRCOG. Here, John first struck up his lifelong friendship with Dr Geoff Norris.
John’s GP career commenced as trainee to Dr Grogono in Woodford Green, conducting visits by bicycle. In 1960, he was taken on by Dr Ted Marion in Highams Park, taking over the practice when Ted suddenly passed away shortly after.
Ever attuned to the primary care zeitgeist, supported by Geoff Norris who joined him as partner in 1963, John campaigned tirelessly for the creation of a new health centre in Handsworth Avenue, in North East London. This endeavour came to fruition and they moved into one of the first purpose-built health centres in 1968.
Drs Winch and Brace later moved in, thus laying the foundations for the partnership that evolved into the training practice that is now the Handsworth Medical Practice.
John worked as a clinical assistant in neurology and published a paper on the management of migraine in general practice. A charismatic, popular, influential GP in the BMA and RCGP, he was well networked with consultant colleagues and established one of the first UK GP vocational training schemes at Whipps Cross Hospital in the 1970s.
John and Geoff, career-long advocates of cradle-to-grave quality and continuity of care, were founder members of the North East London Faculty of the RCGP.
John took a sabbatical in 1994, travelling to New Zealand to work in the same practice with his son Alistair. He retired from his partnership in 1995, continuing as a senior lecturer in the Department of General Practice at St Bartholomew’s and director of the LIZEI scheme; he also worked part-time and as an appraiser. He and Jennifer, who retired from her role as head of medical services at Macmillan Cancer Support in 1997, travelled frequently between their homes in Highams Park and Cornwall, and around the world to visit family; a notable highlight was the fabulous Wanaka wedding of grandson Cameron and bride Olivia in March of this year.
John is remembered as the spark that lit the flame of an enduring partnership; the epitome of ‘caritas’. His many trainees, the North East London Faculty of the RCGP, and the wider educational community remember him as an inspiring colleague and teacher. Patients, partners, and staff recall his catchphrases that characterised his endearing enthusiasm: ‘ever onward’, ‘carpe diem’, and, when it comes to life’s decisions, ‘let your guiding principle be love’; perhaps his favourite saying as the archetypal family practitioner and family man was: ‘family first’.
A light may have dimmed but the flame burns on.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2020