Medical doctor, lawyer, war-worker. Name: Letitia FairfieldCategory: AlumniRole: Medical doctor, lawyer, war-worker, and the first ever female Chief Medical Officer for LondonCountry of origin: Melbourne, AustraliaTime active with Edinburgh Medical School: MBChB graduate 1907, MD graduate 1911 Born in 1885 in Melbourne, Letitia had an accomplished career in public health, notably becoming the first female chief medical officer for London. She studied at the Edinburgh Medical College for Women. A suffragette and member of the Fabian Society, Letitia was committed to social justice throughout her life. In her work at the London County Council, she pushed for the improvement of maternity and obstetric care in London’s Poor Law Board hospitals. At the onset of World War I, she applied to work for the War Office but was rejected because of her gender. She was instead appointed medical officer of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. In this role, she oversaw the medical care of around 30,000 women, both military and at home. In 1940, the War Office, having once rejected her, contacted Letitia to fill the role of senior woman medical officer of the Armed Forces. This article was published on 2026-03-11
