Page 1286 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 5 April 2011
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Many patients spoke to me after the funeral. Many talked about how lost they feel without him and how sad they are he has gone. One woman in particular said she did not realise that he was married to Sue, even though Sue and John worked together, but she thought he must have been a very nice boss because he was always talking about taking his receptionist out to lunch. And she spoke about how he always fitted in a new patient at the end of the day. When she got her diagnosis, she went in at 4.30 for her first appointment and she said she did not leave there until seven, until he had answered all of her and her husband’s questions or exhausted all their questions and provided them with all the information they needed. I think that is the story that we will keep hearing from people who knew and loved Dr Buckingham.
It is with great sadness that he died early and I certainly acknowledge the efforts he went to in providing such a wonderful service to the people of Canberra. I know his family will miss him deeply and I have also asked that ACT Health and Calvary, in partnership, come up with a lasting way, in addition to the research prize, to remember Dr Buckingham and the efforts he went to in providing a wonderful service to the people of the ACT.
MR HANSON (Molonglo): First, I commend the Chief Minister for bringing this motion forward and I certainly acknowledge the fine words that have been spoken by the Chief Minister; by the Leader of the Opposition, Zed Seselja; by the Greens convenor, Meredith Hunter; and by Katy Gallagher. And I am particularly pleased to hear that she will be looking, with the department, at recognising a lasting way to recognise the contribution that John Buckingham has made to health in the ACT and to our broader community.
John Buckingham died at the age of 63, which is too young, and it is a terribly sad loss. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Sue, and his four children and his very many friends.
John Buckingham was clearly a very popular man. He was a well-respected surgeon and a very well-respected member of our community. He was well known across Australia for his work in breast cancer surgery and diagnosis. In 1979 he joined Canberra Hospital. He joined as a consultant general surgeon and had remained there ever since.
John Buckingham was named as the ACT local hero in 2008. He was named ACT Senior Australian of the Year in 2010. And that was for his work in recognising lymph node involvement with breast cancer diagnosis. He was one of the first to demonstrate the value of CT scanning in the early diagnosis of appendicitis and was involved in the establishment of BreastScreen ACT.
John Buckingham served as the National President of the Australian and New Zealand Chapter of the American College of Surgeons and was highly respected for his work. He was seen as a compassionate and warm-hearted surgeon and a doctor whose caring nature shone through. And we have heard some great stories today, particularly some of those personal ones from the minister.
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