David Caro was born in Auckland, New Zealand on 8 February 1922, the son of Harold D Caro, a merchant, and Rubina, née Ballin. He was educated at King's School and College, Auckland, before entering Otago University in Dunedin. He qualified in 1946 and shortly afterwards came to England for postgraduate study, passing the FRCS in 1949. He returned to New Zealand and was appointed part-time assistant surgeon at Waikato Hospital, Hamilton. After a few years in his home country he returned to England and was appointed senior casualty officer at St James's Hospital, Balham. When that hospital closed he obtained an appointment as consultant in charge of the Accident and Emergency department of St Bartholomew's Hospital and was associated with the formation of the Casualty Surgeons Association, becoming its second president. He was involved in drafting the major accident and emergency plan for St Bartholomew's Hospital which was put into operation on several occasions, notably after the IRA bomb explosion at the Old Bailey. After retiring from hospital work he went to live in New Zealand. He died of lymphoma on 15 March 1996 and left a wife, Dulcie, née Dunningham, whom he had married in 1950, a son, a daughter and two grandchildren. His outside interests were the theatre, music, art and the history of art.