Arthur Rushforth was born in Islington, London, on 10 February 1917, the son of Frederick William Rushforth, a fine art publisher, and Annabella Henry née Riddoch. Qualifying from Guy's Hospital, he completed his house jobs and specialised in orthopaedics as a registrar to the Emergency Medical Service Hospital at Orpington during the Blitz. He then entered the RAFVR as a specialist in orthopaedics, rising to the rank of Squadron Leader. After the war he was a registrar at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, before being appointed as a consultant at St Albans City Hospital and Finchley Memorial Hospital. He spent many hours negotiating at regional board level, trying to improve the hospital service. He was a devoted Christian, who went each year as the doctor to a Crusader Boys' Holiday Camp. He married Kate (Kitty) Ethelwyn Alkin, a nurse, in 1942 and they had two sons, Graham and Keith, and one daughter, Mary, also a nurse. He had eight grandchildren - David, Joanna, Andrew, James, Rebecca, Timothy, Jonathon and Peter. He died on 12 June 1997.