About Liam Donaldson
Sir Liam Joseph Donaldson (born 3 May 1949) is a British physician. He was formerly the Chief Medical Officer for England, being the 15th occupant of the post since it was established in 1855. As such, he was principal advisor to the United Kingdom Government on health matters and one of the most senior officials in the National Health Service (NHS). In December 2009 it was announced that he planned to retire from this role in May 2010, although he said that, if the influenza pandemic should unexpectedly worsen, he would have postponed his retirement. On 1 July 2010 he was appointed the Chairman of the Independent Monitoring Board overseeing the polio eradication initiative coordinated by the World Health Organization. In the 2002 New Year Honours List he was awarded a knighthood in recognition of his achievements in health and health care. Between 2009 and 2019 he served two terms as Chancellor of Newcastle University.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.