The unexpected loss of well-known Canberra-based College Fellow Dr Peter Scott last week has seen a wave of sadness across the country and internationally.

Peter had been in practice in Canberra for more than two decades and began his career as a General Practitioner. He held a number of roles over his long career, most recently as ITP co-ordinator for the ACT. Peter was a valued member of the academic staff of the ANU Medical School and inspired medical students. He also worked as a teacher on the ALSO course, using his experience and enthusiasm for keeping women and their babies safe to upskill doctors and midwives from around Australia and beyond.

Peter was a gentle and deeply caring person and was well-known for his calm demeanour even during the most stressful clinical situations. He was a mentor to a generation of College trainees, and valued colleague to his specialist colleagues in Canberra and the surrounding region. He took a keen interest in the wellbeing of those with whom he worked.

Peter and his wife Ann Maree Parker spent a great deal of time undertaking volunteer work in the Indonesian province of Flores: they ran train-the-trainer teaching sessions to help maintain and improve the skills of local maternity care workers in very limited resource settings. Just as he did with his trainees in Australia, Peter mentored and taught a generation of maternity carers in Indonesia.

The impact of Peter’s loss, both to the profession and the broader community, will be immense.