Jeff Dolphin was a senior consultant surgeon in Walsall. He was born on 11 October 1929 in Aldridge in the West Midlands, the son of Raymond Dolphin and Joyce Dolphin née Phipps. He grew up in Harborne, Birmingham and was educated at King Edward VI Five Ways School and King Edward’s School, Edgbasto

Gordon Heard was a consultant surgeon at the University Hospital of Wales and a former president of the Vascular Surgical Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He was born on 23 February 1926 in Rhiwbina, Cardiff the second son of Albert Heard, a geologist at Cardiff University; his brother, Brian,

John Lloyd Provan was born on 9 August 1931 in Newport, England. His father was Andrew Lloyd, a chief chemist for the Milk Marketing Board, and his mother was Gwyneth Mary Evans. He attended Adams' Grammar School, Newport, Shropshire, from 1939 to 1945. From there he went to King's College School, W

Ivor Alwyne Sewell studied medicine at King's College Hospital, qualifying MB BS in 1955. A lecturer in surgery at Westminster Hospital Medical School at the start of his career, he then became senior registrar in surgery at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He was awarded a PhD for research into the microci

David Robert Bird was born on 10 August 1947, in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire. His father, Bernard John Bird, known as 'Jack', was a clerk in local government and a keen amateur musician. He had one younger sister who died at the age of 37 from ovarian cancer. His mother Mary, née Bull, develope

John Fairgrieve was a consultant vascular and general surgeon in Cheltenham who, in his youth, was an outstanding sprinter representing Great Britain in the 1948 Olympic Games and reaching the quarter final in the 200m. Although John was English, being born in London, he had Scottish roots as bot

John Thomas Hobbs was a renowned vascular surgeon, researcher and educator. He was born on 18 January 1931 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, to John Leonard Hobbs and Winifred Maud Hobbs née Haynes. He qualified in 1954 at St Bartholomew’s Medical School, London, and spent the next three years as

Ian Massey was a consultant general and vascular surgeon at the Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, Lincolnshire. Born in Birmingham on 31 May 1939, Ian was the son of Charles William Massey, a master baker and managing director of a large bakery in Lancashire, and Ellen née Astley. He had one brother, Alasta

Sir Geoffrey Slaney was Barling professor of surgery and head of department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham University, and a former president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was born in West Hallam, Derbyshire, on 19 September 1922, the elder son of Richard and Lois Slaney.

Trevor Pickering was a consultant surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, a member of Australia’s first successful transplant team and president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA). He was born in Adelaide, South Australia, the only child of Hilda Hale Bleckly and

Roland Jones was a consultant surgeon at Essex County and Black Notley Hospitals. He was born in Southport, Lancashire, on 16 May 1919. His father Norman was an architect, his mother was Esther née Cooper. He was educated at Oundle and St John's College, Cambridge, from which he went to St Thomas's

Athula Withanage, a consultant general and laparoscopic surgeon, was lead clinician in the department of surgery and clinical director at Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest, Wales. He was born in Gonagalapura, southern Ceylon, the son of Paul De Silva and his wife Piyaseeli Kanahera Arachchi, and was