All professions produce individuals whose activities the profession as a whole benefits from. The importance of the financial benefits of the NHS pension scheme for dentists and in particular the issue of dynamisation cannot be understated. The individual responsible for persuading the Department to accept the profession's case in the late 1960s was Douggie Albert.

Born in 1927, Douggie qualified from the London Hospital in the late 1940s. He was posted to Nottingham, initially working as an oral surgeon in the air force. After completion of his 'tour' Douggie returned to the London working in the oral pathology department where he developed research skills that would prove invaluable in his later career. One of his enormous attributes was the recognition that the care for patients lay in the long-term obligations that true professionalism carries: the application of practice based research made him a quite unique and remarkable practitioner.

Douggie built up a practice in which not only the delivery of care took place but passed on his experiences and insights to students for further generations.

His commitment and devotion to his profession was equally strong. His value and efforts on behalf of the profession and the public were recognised by his peers with the award of a Tomes medal.

What was particularly noteworthy about Douggie was his ability to combine his professional commitment with a personal devotion to his pride and joy: his wife and family. There was impish delight in his eyes when recalling his courting of Ruth while based in Nottingham; his subsequent service duties in the Far East included persuading the aircrew to allow him control of a Sunderland flying boat when trying to meet Ruth as she made her way to Singapore to see him. He and Ruth have nurtured three exceptional children: Frances, Robin and David, and their children.

Everybody who knew him praised his qualities: those of sound principles in all aspects of life, a thinker, a carer, but most of all someone who was genuine and who was devoted to those who he knew and what he believed in. The affection of which he spoke about nature: his trip to Japan and holidays with Ruth in the Balearics, the walks along the Seven Sisters after meetings at the former Dental Practice Board all reinforce what a thoughtful and beguiling individual Douggie was.