A DOCTOR who helped to deliver thousands of babies in East Lancashire has died while playing golf.

Ian Mahady, 70, suffered a cardiac arrest while playing a round with friends at Royal Porthcawl golf club, in South Wales, on Thursday.

Dr Mahady joined Burnley General Hospital in 1980 and worked there as a gynaecologist.

He also helped to found Gisburn Park hospital and worked at Beardwood Hospital, in Blackburn, before quitting the NHS in 2006.

He has spent the last five years working in Shanghai, in China, and helped to deliver three babies the day before he returned to the UK for a holiday on Bank Holiday Monday.

He spent two days at the family home in Burnley, before travelling to Wales to play golf with friends.

His four children, Chris, 44, Kirsten, 40, Lizzie, 32, and Kate, 29, said their dad “lived life to the full”.

“He was 70 this year and he said it was the first time he had felt over 21,” they said.

“He lived life to the full, he loved golf, he was a member at Nelson and St Andrew’s, in Scotland, he was a season ticket holder at Manchester United and used to watch Scotland Rugby Union team at Murrayfield.”

Dr Mahady was also chairman at Keighley Rugby League club for 12 years.

He was well known in the Burnley area, and made national headlines in 1994 when he became the first doctor to be made redundant under the new hospital trust system, before being given his job back soon after.

In 2006 he quit the NHS, blaming management for being more interested in balancing the books and meeting targets than looking after patients.

His children said: “He was very strong-willed and he was very passionate about what he believed in. For him patient care was the number one priority, he loved looking after people and that is what he wanted to do.

“He had a couple of months off after he left the NHS, but he soon went to China and had spent six years there. He had to be involved in caring for people.”

Dr Mahady was born in Dundee, Scotland, and worked in Scotland, Denmark, Reading and Manchester before settling in Burnley.

His children said: “He came from a very poor background but he had an incredible knowledge, as well as sports he loved travel, he could speak six languages and loved reading as well.

“He was a very proud Scotsman, the country was a huge part of his life, he loved celebrating Burns Night and going back up there whenever he could.

“He had a great social life, when he came back he would drive all over the country to see friends, and he used to hold brilliant parties at home in Burnley.”

He also leaves his partner in China, Lya, as well as three grandchildren, and his ex-wife Val, who he remained friends with.

His funeral takes place on Tuesday (May 22) at St Peter’s Church, Burnley, at 10.45am.