Consultant and honorary senior lecturer in pathology; Born June 29, 1950; Died December 6, 2007. Alistair Robertson, who has died suddenly aged 57, was a consultant who helped develop the national breast screening service and was engaged in the development of nuclear medicine facilities in Tayside.

Born in Aberdeen in 1950, he excelled at Aberdeen Grammar School and read medicine at Aberdeen University. Having secured prizes in anatomy, he was offered the opportunity to spend an additional year studying for a bachelor's degree in medical biology. He seized this offer, choosing to spend this extra year studying pathology. Joining a department rich in talented pathologists and at a point when pathology was moving from descriptive morbid anatomy to a subject that explained the aetiology and development of disease stimulated his interest in the discipline. He obtained the degree of BMedBiol with honours before returning to the mainstream medical class, collecting the Russell Medal in Pathology and Bacteriology en route to graduating MBChB with commendation in 1975.

He completed pre-registration house jobs in medicine and surgery at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary before commencing his formal career in pathology in 1976 under the close guidance of the late Professor John Swanson Beck (who had recently moved from Aberdeen to the chair of pathology in the newly opened department in Ninewells Hospital Dundee).

This was the start not only of a successful partnership in pathological research and service development but also the beginning of an enduring friendship. Promoted to the post of lecturer in 1978, Robertson gained the professional qualification of membership of the Royal College of Pathologists in 1981 and the following year was appointed as consultant in administrative charge of laboratory services for Perth and Kinross.

After 10 years spent upgrading laboratory facilities and developing a flexible multiskilled workforce in Perth, he returned to the department in Dundee as a consultant and honorary senior lecturer, being appointed clinical director of the NHS pathology service. He maintained strong diagnostic interests in cytopathology, and in breast and gynaecological pathology. He was a central figure in introducing a successful external quality assurance scheme (designed to monitor the performance of individual pathologists) and also helped to develop the national breast screening service.

In 1999, he was appointed clinical group director for clinical support services. He held this role until his death and was engaged in modernisation and development of nuclear medicine facilities in Tayside.

In addition to local management, he chaired a range of national committees and his ability to direct projects and deliver results was widely recognised and greatly appreciated at government level. Always fascinated by the benefits of new technologies in pathology he was recently responsible for the successful implementation of a national digital telepathology system and was chairman of Cancer eHealth. Colleagues demonstrating anything less than commitment to a project could expect to be appraised of their shortcomings but he invariably performed this duty with warmth and good humour.

He was involved in the training and examining of several generations of junior pathologists and greatly enjoyed lecturing to undergraduate medical students, always emphasising that a thorough grounding in pathology would be an investment they would never regret throughout their careers. He continued to engage in research work, successfully attracting grant money and publishing in excess of 90 papers.

Despite this array of responsibilities, Robertson remained above all a diagnostic histopathologist who derived great enjoyment from participating in the clinical service. His enormous energy, drive and enthusiasm for both pathology and management will be missed.

Outside medicine, Robertson pursued a host of interests and shared a love of classical music, theatre, travelling and wildlife with Frances, his wife of 32 years who survives him.