Fred MacSorley

{{Short description|Medical doctor from Northern Ireland}}

{{for|his grandfather the politician|Frederick MacSorley}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2015}}

{{Infobox medical person

| name = Fred MacSorley

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| nationality =

| citizenship =

| education =

| occupation =

| years_active = 1980s–present

| known_for = Medical cover for motorcycle racing events

| relations =

| website =

| profession = Doctor

| field = General Practitioner

| work_institutions =

| specialism = Prehospital care, High Speed Accidents

| research_field =

| prizes =

}}

Frederick James MacSorley {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE|FRCGP}} is a doctor from Northern Ireland who provided medical cover at motorcycle races for more than 20 years. He worked as a General Practitioner (GP).

Early life

MacSorley came from a medical family in Belfast.{{cite news |url=http://www.portadowntimes.co.uk/news/your-community/family-ties-central-to-doctor-s-honour-1-2783255 |title=Family ties central to doctor’s honour |work=Portadown Times |date=17 June 2011 |accessdate=20 December 2015}}

Medical career

He registered in Belfast in 1978{{cite web|url=https://churchwalk.gpsurgery.net/team/|title=Team - Church Walk Surgery|publisher=churchwalk.gpsurgery.net|accessdate=22 December 2015}} and has worked as a GP, based in Lurgan since 1992. He also had a role as a BASICS doctor.{{cite press release |url=http://www.basics.org.uk/press_area/archive_2011/mbe_for_basics_doctor |title=MBE for BASICS Doctor |publisher=British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS) |date=June 2011 |accessdate=22 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223072638/http://www.basics.org.uk/press_area/archive_2011/mbe_for_basics_doctor |archivedate=23 December 2015 |df=dmy-all }}

In the 2002 he devised a programme of self-defence classes for GPs.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2263879.stm |title=Self-defence classes for GPs |work=BBC News |date=17 September 2002}}

MacSorley was one of the team that pioneered the concept of a mobile response at motorcycle racing events in the mid 1980s.{{cite journal |url=http://www.ums.ac.uk/umj084/084(2)077.pdf |title=The Art of Motorcycle Medicine |first=John |last=Purvis |journal=Ulster Medical Journal |date=May 2015 |volume=84 |issue=2 |pages=77–78}} He worked as part of the Motorcycle Union of Ireland's medical team.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8040426.stm |title=Biking Doctors |work=BBC News |date=8 May 2009}} In September 2014, MacSorley retired from being a “travelling doctor” at motorcycle competitions.{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/sport/other-sports/retirees-have-put-so-much-into-road-racing-30589650.html |title=Retirees have put so much into road racing |work=Fingal Independent |date=20 September 2014 |accessdate=20 December 2015}} He had previously had a well-established partnership with his colleague John Hinds.{{cite news |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/flying-doctor-how-medic-john-hinds-is-helping-to-make-biking-safer-31217208.html |title=Flying doctor: How medic John Hinds is helping to make biking safer |first=Stephanie |last=Bell |work=Belfast Telegraph |date=13 May 2015 |accessdate=20 December 2015}} Hinds died the following year while providing medical cover at a race.{{cite news |url=http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/motorcycling-news/dr-john-hinds-irreplaceable-says-fellow-flying-doctor-fred-macsorley-1-6836451 |title=Dr John Hinds ‘irreplaceable’ says fellow ‘Flying Doctor’ Fred MacSorley |first=Kyle |last=White |work=The News Letter |date=7 July 2015}} He retired from his GP role and event medical cover in 2017.{{cite news |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/motorcycling/ulster-gp-last-lap-for-highly-regarded-travelling-doctor-fred-macsorley-1090328 |title=ULSTER GP: Last lap for highly regarded travelling doctor Fred MacSorley |work=The News Letter |date=10 August 2017 |access-date=17 April 2025}}

Honours

MacSorley was Northern Ireland Doctor of the Year in 1999.{{cite news |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/ulsters-top-doctors-vie-for-gp-title-28283394.html |title=Ulster's top doctors vie for GP title |work=Belfast Telegraph |date=23 October 1999 |accessdate=23 December 2015}} He received a MBE in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to Healthcare in Northern Ireland.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jun/11/queens-birthday-honours-mbe |title=Queen's birthday honour's list: MBE |work=The Guardian |date=11 June 2011}}

References