Royal Free Association, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF Answerphone: 020 7830 2579 Fax: 020 7830 2070 E-mail: rfassociation@gmail.com

Page 1

The President’s Report 2013 It is with pleasure that I write to you all again. Following last year’s successful return to the Members’ Ward Rounds on the Association Day, we will stick to the winning formula this year. The news from the Committee remains similar to last year – we continue to look for willing and able members to take up roles to ensure the survival of the RFA. In particular, Wendy has definitely worked beyond her contracted hours and needs some relief! Perhaps you are wondering how you are going to fill your retirement?! All offers will be gratefully considered. As you know, the pace of change within medical education and the NHS is rapid and the long term implications remain uncertain nationally and the Royal Free is no exception. There are local changes in provision of specialist services and a proposed merger with a neighbouring Trust which will, doubtless, bring many new challenges for clinicians and managers, not to mention the patients.

The Medical School continues to modify the curriculum and has involved the student body in this process which is perhaps, partly reflected in UCL having the highest student satisfaction rating of the five London medical schools at 94%. As you will see further on in the Newsletter, the new Medical School Alumni Association is now established and are keen to involve the Royal Free Association in their activities. There is an invitation to their annual dinner on 9th November at which I am very happy to represent the membership, but I would be pleased if anyone else wishes to attend. It is always great to hear from you all, especially when reunions take place and we are very pleased to see that the year of 1987 had a very well attended 25th anniversary last year and will be followed by the year of 1988 in October. I am sure that gym attendances will have had a temporary boost as a result! Philip Lodge

Inside this issue ◘ The Programme for THURSDAY, 21st NOVEMBER 2013 ................... Page 2 ◘ Minutes of the AGM held on 15th November 2012 ... Pages 3-5 ◘ Financial Statement for Year to 31st March 2013 ...... Page 6 ◘ This and That: Internal Issues ......................................................... Pages 7-8 Achievements ......................................................... Page 9 Members‘ Contributions ........................................ Pages 10-11 Reunion News ........................................................ Pages 12-17 ◘ RUMS ..................................................................... Page 18 ◘ Obituaries .................................................................... Pages 19 Enclosures: ◘ Registration Form for Attendance (pink) ◘ Membership Subscription Form (yellow) ◘ Stay in Touch Form (green)

The Royal Free Association (incorporating the Royal Free Old Students' Association and Members of the School)

Newsletter

President: Dr Philip Lodge, qualified 1989, Consultant in Palliative Care, Royal Free Hospital and Marie Curie Hospice, North London Vice-President: Dr Jane Zuckerman, qualified 1987, Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Travel Medicine; Sub-Dean, Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant at the UCL Medical School (Royal Free Campus) and the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, London.

Royal Free Association, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF Answerphone: 020 7830 2579 Fax: 020 7830 2070 E-mail: rfassociation@gmail.com

Page 2

THE PROGRAMME

for the Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday, 21st November 2013 in the

Sir William Wells Atrium, Ground Floor, Royal Free Hospital

10.00 a.m. REGISTRATION AND COFFEE

Sir Williams Wells Atrium Ground Floor, Royal Free Hospital

10.30 a.m. WARD ROUNDS Simulation Training with Dr Nick Murch and Dr Penny Smith Respiratory Medicine with Dr James Goldring Cancer of Unknown Primary Service with Dr Roopinder Gillmore and Miss Jackie Marshall Neuroendocrine Tumours with Dr Chrissie Thirlwell Elderly Care

with Dr Ruth Mizoguchi Gynaecology Clinic

with Miss Susan Tuck

11.45 a.m. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Agenda 1. Apologies for absence 2. Recording of deaths 3. Minutes of the last Meeting held on

Thursday, 15th November 2012 4. Matters arising 5. President’s Report 6. a. Election of Officers for 2013-2014

b. Election of new Members 7. Financial Report 8. Any Other Business 9. Date of next Annual Meeting 12.15 p.m. REPORTS ON UCL MEDICAL SCHOOL Speaker: Swathi Rajagopal

President of the Students’ Union Report

Medical School Report

Speaker to be confirmed

12.30 p.m. STUDENT ELECTIVE REPORTS 1.00 p.m. LUNCH

2.00 p.m. THE PETER SCHEUER SYMPOSIUM

Chairman: Dr Philip Lodge

Consultant in Palliative Care

Speaker: Dr David Cohen, FRCP

North-West London NHS Trust “ Acute Stroke Care in 2013: A Revolution in Our Time“

To be followed by two further presentions by Alumni Speakers to be confirmed

4.00 p.m. TEA

5.00 p.m. THE MARSDEN LECTURE

Speaker: Professor Sir John Bell, FRS, HonFREng, PMedSci

President of the Academy of Medical Sciences & Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University

6.00 p.m. TRUSTEES’ RECEPTION

6.30 p.m. for 7.00 p.m. INFORMAL DINNER

at Thyme 215 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 4RB

Page 3

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting

of the Royal Free Association held in the Sir William Wells Atrium at the Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG

on Thursday, 15th November 2012

Present: Dr Philip Lodge in the Chair plus 48 Members of the Association, namely:

Lesley ASHWORTH (1961) Rosemarie BAILLOD (1961) Elizbieta BIEL (1961) Richard BRUETON (1971) Helen CLARK (1964) Malcolm CLARKE (1965) Wendy CLINE (1965) Andrew CLYMO (1959) Colin COOPER (1959) Barbara CROFT (1959) Helen CROSSLEY (1961) Anita DAVIES (1959) Ewa DRAGOWSKA (1960) Jennifer EDWARDS (1960) John GIBSON (1956) Charmian Goldwyn (1960) David HENDERSON (1965)

Susan HILLS (1979) Dorothy HOLDSWORTH (1961) Rita HORNIK (1959) Peter HOWDEN (1983) Wendy KELSEY (1966) Sylvia LAQUEUR (1972) Patricia LAST (1958) Cynthia LUCAS (1959) Patricia MURRAY (Guest) Neil McINTYRE (Member) Fred MEYNEN (1964) John MOORHEAD (Member) Ann NAYLOR (1961) Ruth ODELL (1947) Margaret PAGE (1964) Santilal PARBHOO (Member)

Yvonne PLUMMER (1977) Anna RAKOWICZ (1962) Avery REZEK (1959) Aba SAGOE (1965) Elizabeth SALTER (1965) Helen SAPPER (1959) Sonia SASSOON (1977) Louise SCHEUER (Member) Hilda STRANGER (1965) Zoe SLATTERY (1949) William TAMPION (Member) Mary TATE (1961) Brenda THOMPSON (1961) John TUCKER (1966) Anne WICKHAM (1965)

Philip Lodge welcomed everyone to the Meeting. 1. Apologies for Absence Apologies were received from 104 members as per the list on page 5. 2. Recording of Deaths The Chairman regretted to report the deaths of 37 members; many of whom had made outstanding contributions to medicine and the care of patients. He read out the names: AYLETT, Pamela E. (née Warner) (1947); BARNES, Anne P. (1957); BARON, Denis N. (Member); BENNETT, Enid (1963); BOESEN, Evelyn A.M. (1953); BROWN, Beatrice (née Moore) (1945); BUSH, Michael (1969); CROFTON BIWER, C. Joan (née Crofton) (1967); ELLIS, Mary (Mrs Rusher) (1960); FINGRET, Ann L.M.F. (née Field) (1957); GILMOUR, Sharron H. (née Kell) (1960); GRIEVE, Donald W. (Member); HATFIELD, Sylvia Annette (née Herford) (1935); HARVEY, Peter (Member); HIRST, Anne E. E. (1939); HODGES, J. R. (Member); HORDER, John P. (Member); HUGHES, June M. (née Kingan) (1944); JEFFRIES, Donald J. (1966); LAYFIELD, James (1980); LEIPER, Margaret D. (née Thomas) (1939); MARSHALL, Margaret (1936); MCCARTIE, Kathleen M. (1952); MENZIES, Robin P.D. (1975); NEWMAN, Freda (1954); PEAT, Christopher J. (1974); RACKHAM, Mary M. (née Adlington) (1957); ROWNTREE, Barbara M. (née Sibbald) (1940); SAVAGE, D. Janet (née Falconer) (1935); SPOONER, Melanie (2005); STEIN, Lore (née RACHWALSKY) (1947); TAYLOR, Colette L. (née Raulin) (1949); TAYLOR, Josephine (née Werren) (1950); THOMPSON, Valerie (Mrs Yorke) (1948); VEITCH, E. Mary H. (née Greenhow) (1979); ZIOLKOWSKI, Rosemary J. M. (1946) There followed a short silence.

Page 4

3. Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting held on Thursday 17th November, 2011 The Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting had been circulated to all members via the Annual Newsletter and copies were made available to those present. There were no objections or questions and the Minutes were approved. 4. Matters Arising Matters arising would be covered during the rest of the Agenda. 5. President’s Report The last year had gone quickly, with little change. Philip agreed that he would continue as Chairman for one more year. Help was requested for administration tasks to allow Wendy Kelsey to stand down. Philip welcomed Helen Sapper on to the Executive Committee. The name of the Royal Free remains first in the RUMS Association (Royal Free, University College London and Middlesex) and a new badge created for RUMS combining the 3 Medical Schools. Philip was pleased that two of the four quarters were devoted to the Royal Free. Officers for 2012-2013 President: Philip Lodge Vice-President Jane Zuckerman Secretary/Treasurer: Wendy Kelsey Executive Committee: Rosemarie Baillod Richard Brueton Jacqueline Cooper Bimbi Fernando Peter Howden Dimitri Mikhailidis Andrew Platts Helen Sapper Susan Tuck 6. Financial Report Wendy Kelsey announced that, unfortunately, the Accountant was in hospital and therefore the accounts had not yet been audited officially. However, the Association was doing well, with a healthy amount credited from donations and subscriptions. Wendy reminded Members that we no longer received £7,000 per annum from the Royal Free Charity.

Current balances were: High Interest Account £24,000 and Current Account £5,500. Outgoings for the year were £8,500 (£2,500 of this figure was spent on postage and £6,000 on printing). In addition, £3,500 went towards Elective Bursaries, and £4,500 was allocated to students in distress. Wendy informed the meeting that it would be helpful to build up the database further with e-mail addresses for Members (currently a third of Members have provided these), as this would help to reduce future postage costs. It was suggested that Members could provide a stamped, address envelope for mailings. There was surprise at having received so few requests for the Student Distress Fund during the year. She explained to the meeting the process for applying for funds. Because the process consists of several stages with a number of different people involved, it was noted that few students were able to really appreciate the source of, and who distributed, the money. 7. Any Other Business John Moorehead brought to the attention of Members that Ward names in the Hospital had been changed in a utilitarian approach (to North, South Ward, etc) and therefore erasing the history of the Royal Free. The Sheila Sherlock Centre remains as it comes under the auspices of the Medical School, not the Hospital. It was noted that the portrait of William Marsden had been removed from its prominent position. John suggested that 4000 RFA members could motivate a change back to the use of appropriate ward names, which recognised the contributions of people to the success and work of the Royal Free. Members formally agreed with the proposal that ward names should be restored. Neil McIntyre agreed to discuss a way forward with David Sloman. The Chief Executive has the power to change ward names and it was suggested that a group should be formed to discuss names and organise a ceremony to re-name. Before closing the meeting, Philip Lodge thanked Gareth Chan for agreeing to talk for the second year running, and welcomed to the meeting Patricia Murray, the grand-daughter of a 1909 Royal Free graduate. 8. Date of Next Meeting The next Annual General Meeting would be held on Thursday, 21st November, 2013.

Page 5

Apologies for Absence - 2012 ABEYESUNDERE, Rohini L. (1962) ADAMS, Maureen B. (1948) ADAMSON, Kenneth P. (1967) ALLEN, Roy T.J. (1960) ASHBY, Rosemary R. (1956) BARR, Alexander D. (1990) BEECHING, Yvonne G. (1952) BEERE, Deborah M. (1981) BENTLEY, Janet (1983) BERRY, Robert (Sam) (Member) BIRKS, Doreen A. (1949) BISHOP, Angela P. (1976) BLATCH, Sheila (1958) BOUCHER, Audrey M.G. (née Wilson) (1974) BROOK-WILLIAMS, Penelope (1964) BROWN, Claudine M. R. (née Vesey) (1950) BROWNE, Doreen R. G. (1959) BURGE, P. Sherwood (1969) BURTENSHAW, Hazel M. (1959) BUTLER, Eleanor P. (née Durand) (1963) CAMERON, Helen L. (née Shaw) (1954) CARTER, Josephine A. (née Innocent) (1964) COPE, Anna (née Pridal) (1956) CORBETT, Margaret F. (née Lowe) (1953) DOBLE, Nandika S. (née Thevathasan) (1981) ETHERIDGE, Monica M. (1940) EVERETT, V. Jill (1959) FOGARTY, Kevin (1962) GARLAND, Jean S. (1959) GOWER, Sean G. (1989) GREEN, Michael R. (1983) GUY, Rosemary (1966) HALL, Judith M. (1958) HARRISON, Elizabeth (1965) HARTMAN, Sandra E. (née Goodey) (1969)

HAWKINS, Thomas J. (1961) HEAD, David R. (2001) HENDERSON, Elizabeth P. (1953) HENDERSON, Moira M. (1958) HITCHINGS, Roger A. (1966) HOBBS, Rebecca J. (1982) HUBBARD, Hilary C. (1970) HUNTER, Anne L. (1950) JAGO, Audrey (née Price) (1951) JEWELL, Derek P. (M) JONES, Edith V. (née Wahl) (1952) JONES, Pamela A. (1966) JONES, Shirley P. (1959) KING, Isabel J. (née Halstead) (1973) KING, Janet E. (née Porter) (1958) LINDESAY, Kathleen M. (née Howard) (1957) LINSELL, Jane C. (1978) LUCY, Elizabeth (née Bloxham) (1941) MacLEAN, Rona (1951) MacDONALD BURNS, David C. (Member) MAWHINNEY, The Rt. Hon. Lord Brian (M) MARRIN, Charles (1971) McDONALD, Jean M. (née Arnold) (1963) McINTYRE, Waveney (1994) McLAUGHLIN, James E. (Member) McMILLAN, Jean M. (née Watkins) (1956) MEADOWS, I. Jane T. (née Bryant) (1957) MEHTA, Asita (1979) MITCHELL, Jean (1945) NICHOLS, Mary P. (née Bacon) (1982) ODEKU, K. Jill (née Adcock) (1961) OSBORN, Marion L. (née Woodford) (1955) OSBORNE, Bridget V. (née Martin) (1980)

PAGE, Tobias (1999) PAINTIN, Avril (1955) PEARCE, Barbara (1961) PEPYS, Mark (Member) PHILLIPS, Brian L. D.(1954) POLLOCK, Estelle G. (1947) PORTER, Elizabeth J. (1958) POVEY, John S. (1957) RADLEY SMITH, Rosemary C. (1963) RANDALL, Jean M. (1948) RENDELL, P. Anne M. (1954) ROGERS, Valerie A. (1961) ROSS, Ian H. (1968) ROSSITER, Michael A. (1991) ROWLANDS, A. Eleri (née Owen) (1970) SANDHU, Davinder P.S.(1980) SEYMOUR, Anne (1959) SHAH, Anoop (2005) SHOTTS, Nina (1957) SIVATHASAN, Niroshan (2004) STREETER, Helen L. (1989) SUMMERS, Lynne (1976) THOMAS, Michael (Member) THOMPSON, Eileen N. (1954) THORNLEY, Barbara A. (1966) TOBIN, Jean M. (1968) TOWNSEND, Catherine R. (1959) VERDON, Jonathan H. (1974) WALJI, Shahenaz F. ( née Moosa) (1977) WALMSLEY, Patricia A. (1964) WALSHE, Margaret M. (1956) WEBB, Freda (née Garnett) (1957) WILLIAMS, D. Glyn (1984) WORLD, Michael J. (1972) YOUNG, Glenda (1961) YOUNG, Michael (1961)

Royal Free Association, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF Answerphone: 020 7830 2579 Fax: 020 7830 2070 E-mail: rfassociation@gmail.com

Page 7

This and That ……….. Internal Issues

Executive Committee 2012/2013President: Dr Philip Lodge Department of Palliative Care Royal Free Hospital Pond Street, London NW3 5QN e-mail: Philip.Lodge@nhs.net Vice-President: Dr Jane Zuckerman WHO Collaborating Centre for Travel Medicine UCL Medical School, Royal Free Campus Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF

e-mail: j.zuckerman@ucl.ac.uk Treasurer/Secretary:

Dr Wendy Kelsey 7 Butterworth Gardens Woodford Green, Essex IG8 0BJ

Members:

Mr Richard Brueton, Orthopaedics Dr Rosemarie Baillod, Emeritus Dr Jacqueline Cooper, Anaesthesia Mr Bimbi Fernando, Nephrology Dr Dimitri Mikhailidis, Clinical Biochemistry Dr Andrew Platts, Radiology Dr Peter Howden, GP (retired) Dr Helen Sapper Miss Susan Tuck, Obstetrics and Gynaecology

e-mail: mcintyre@boston.demon.co.uk

* * * * NOTICES * * * *

The 2013 Edition of the Members’ Directory is now available and is being posted to all Members. This is the last Directory to be printed

due to the high printing costs, so do not destroy!!

The database of Members will be maintained fully and contact details will be updated, so please ensure that you inform us of any changes to your name, qualifications, postal address and

(very important) e-mail address.

The database will not be available on-line because of data protection. However, if you would like to know the contact

details of any Member(s), for example, if you would like to organise a reunion for your Year, then these can be provided on request to:

Tanya Shennan

rfassociation@gmail.com 020 7830 2579

Royal Free Association, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF Answerphone: 020 7830 2579 Fax: 020 7830 2070 E-mail: rfassociation@gmail.com

Page 8

This and That ……….. Internal Issues (Continued)

Did you know that the Royal Free Association has a page on the Royal Free NHS website? This can be accessed via:

http://www.royalfree.nhs.uk/rfa

Here you will find copies of previous Newsletters, important dates, and some memorabilia, including …

► the photographs shown by Professor Arie Zuckerman in his presentation to the Royal Free Day last year, “Reflections of a Student to Dean”. ◄

Other interesting articles to look for:

► Dr Jennian Geddes’ article entitled ◄

“Deeds and Words in the Suffrage Military Hospital in Endell Street”

► 1958-59 graduate year Newsletter and Aussie Supplement. ◄

► early 1990s Video Prospectus “Studying Medicine at the Royal Free”. ◄

Feel free to browse!

Page 9

This and That ........................... Achievements

To all Alumni and Members

Our warmest congratulations to all Alumni and Members for their achievements and successes during the year

and in particular to:

Martyn Caplin

Professor Martyn Caplin, a Royal Free consultant, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the

end of 2012 for his pioneering work in the field of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs), a rare form of cancer.

The Award was presented by the UK and Ireland Neuroendocrine Tumour Society (UKI NETS) in recognition of his extensive work in developing treatments and research into NETs.

Professor Caplin also set up the Royal Free’s pioneering NET Unit which has an international reputation for the management of NET patients and was the first centre in the UK to be awarded the

status of European Centre of Excellence. The Unit sees patients from all over the country and abroad.

Barbara Bannister

Dr Barbara Bannister has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours’ list for Services to Public Health. Barbara worked as a Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the Royal Free from 1985 until 2011when she retired from full-time clinical work. During her time at the

Royal Free she maintained and developed the High-Security Infectious Diseases Unit (HSIDU), first at the old Coppetts Wood Hospital and then from its new home at the Royal Free Hospital,

which managed patients with hazardous infections, such as Lassa fever, Ebola and Marburg.

Barbara also held the role of non-executive board member of the Health Protection Agency from 2004 to 2013 and over the years has contributed to Department of Health plans for

various infectious diseases such as viral haemorrhagic fevers, smallpox and pandemic flu. She still undertakes occasional work in public health and this work currently brings her

to the Royal Free about once a week.

Paul Dilworth

Training tomorrow’s professionals:

In April 2013, Dr Paul Dilworth was appointed as UCL Medical School Sub-Dean for the Royal Free campus. Dr Dilworth is a Consultant Physician in Respiratory Medicine at the

Royal Free and previously held the role of Chairman of the Trust’s Consultant Staff Committee.

Andrew Burroughs

Professor Andrew Burroughs has received a Lifetime Achievement Award 2013 from EASL (European Association for the Study of the Liver).

Page 10

This and That …………… Members’ Contributions

Valerie Major (1959 Graduate) writes:

This is my first contribution to the newsletter and I am not quite sure how to summarize the years since 1959! Here goes my first attempt! I specialised in Anaesthesia and while working in Cardiff was granted leave of absence to take up a Nuffield Scholarship for a year at Christian Medical College and Hospital in Vellore, South India. During that time I became really impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment of the staff and also by the way they tried to achieve a good standard of medical care and yet make it available for those who lived locally, since the hospital was relatively rural. Also there was a real need for someone to share in both the work-load and the teaching in the Anaesthesia Department. So I came home, worked my notice and was accepted by the Church Mission Society and returned to CMC for a 5 year period which somehow stretched to 28 years! I faced compulsory retirement for Professors at 60 and returned to the UK in 1995. I am so grateful for the opportunities and experiences I had there and all the friends I made. There just isn’t time or space here to talk about all CMCH does. In my time we ran 17 operating rooms, including cardio-thoracic and neurosurgery, and it is even larger today! We did the first renal transplant in my time and the 2000th was celebrated in the Millennium (and all from living donors). There is outreach work, including palliative medicine and rural community work. There is an emphasis on teaching at all levels and much of the witness of CMC is due to those who take the skills they have learnt, and hopefully the compassion too, back to the region they come from. I keep up my interest in the work of the Hospital and College through the Friends of Vellore, UK, and in particular support the Person to Person Scheme which provides small targeted grants to patients at CMC, which often make all the difference. If anyone would like to know more please do get in touch (v.major1@ntlworld.com) or go to the Friends of Vellore website and receive their newsletter!

Book Review:

‘The Fellowship of Women – two hundred surgical lives’ by Margaret Ghilchik Published 2011 Smith-Gordon, pb, pp 334 £25.00

What a feat of excellence – and what a good read. Eleanor Davies-Colley gained the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1911 and by publishing details of the first 200 women to gain this distinction Mrs Ghilchik has indeed celebrated the significant contribution that women have made to the various branches of surgery both in the UK and abroad. The story is told with historic accuracy, it is a delight to see Elizabeth Garrett properly named, as also is the London (Royal Free Hospital) School of Medicine for Women. The LSMW was not allowed to incorporate ‘Royal Free Hospital’ into its title until 1898 some 20 years after the women students had started their clinical training there. Subsequent chapters are divided into easily digestible sections. No more women became FRCS until after WWI – none of the lady surgeons of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals nor those seconded to the RAMC were FRCS. The RAMC did not gazette women to its ranks until 1953 well after WWII. Each surgeon has a brief biography and they are grouped into their specialities, each chapter ends with the names listed in chronological order. It was a delight to meet up with the women surgeons of our student days, Miss Barry, Mrs Barclay, Miss Hill, Miss Moore, Miss Robinson, Miss Dollar, Miss Collier and of course Dame Josephine Barnes. Many of these women were married, but it was always the tradition at the RFH to keep one’s maiden name. Dame Jo, a former President of the Medical Women’s Federation, was also the first woman to be a triple Fellow – FRCS, FRCP, and FRCOG and the first to be President of the BMA. There are chapters on the more than 25 hospitals and dispensaries founded and run by women both here and abroad – India, Africa, Australia - where women had a very important role to play. The place of women in society has changed enormously in the last 100 years. The early women doctors would scarcely recognize themselves. Whilst we have much more freedom and opportunity and more than 50% of students qualifying in medicine today are women, perhaps we have restrictions too. The days of sharing houses, plentiful domestic support and adopting children as a single woman are past. Thank you Margaret Ghilchik for giving us such an in depth and readable account of our forebearers.

Pat Last (FRCS Glas 1964)

Page 11

This and That … Members’ Contributions (Continued)

Royal Free Disease, 58 years on

Did you know that some Royal Free Hospital staff and students who went down with “Royal Free Disease” in 1955 are still ill 58 years later? Royal Free Disease is now called ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) or CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome). We are putting together an historical follow-up of people’s experiences of the outbreak of The Royal Free disease and would like to get in touch with anyone who was there at that time; including those who became ill and are still ill, those who became ill and recovered, and those who remained well. If you were at the Royal Free at the time of the outbreak, and would be willing to have a private discussion about it, we would be most grateful if you could write to one of us and include your phone number. Please could you pass this message on to anyone else you know who might be able to help us.

Dr. Rosemarie Baillod: 21 Belsize Court, Wedderburn Road. London NW3 5QN E-mail: rabaillod@aol.com Tel: 020 7435 6285

Dr. Rosemary Underhill: 57 Chiltern Court, Baker St, London NW1 5SL E-mail: petro8888@aol.com

A CALL FOR HELP, from Professor Neil McIntyre Since retiring in 1999 I have been writing a history of the Royal Free Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine. The book is now finished and is entitled “How British Women Became Doctors: the Story of the Royal Free Hospital and its Medical School”. The book is about 700 pages, illustrated and derived largely from original sources. There is no other history of the RFH (except for Lynn Amidon’s brief illustrated history published in 1996) and, while several books cover the early history of women in medicine, most are relatively superficial. I have tried to cover the ‘formal’ story of the Hospital and School, and also to describe the people who were involved to paint a picture of the lives of the students at the School –from the point of view of their (i.e. your) curricular and extra-curricular activities. Learning that a 240 page book with a similar theme – Laura Kelley’s “Irish Women in Medicine c.1880s-1920s” was published recently by Manchester University Press with a purchase price of £60, I explored the possibility of ‘self-publishing’. I discovered that to produce 500 high quality paperback copies, the price per copy would be about £24; for 1000 copies it would be about £14 each and for 2000 copies about £8.50. Hard cover copies would cost about £6 to £8 extra (again depending on the number printed). To decide on the size of the first order, I am now trying to get some idea about likely demand from YOU, Members of the Royal Free Association, and also from other interested groups. Any money made will go to the Royal Free Hospital and/or the Royal Free Association to be used in a way that will help to preserve and promote the history of the Free. I have no wish to profit personally.

*** I would be grateful if those of you who are interested in purchasing the book could e-mail *** Tanya Shennan (rfassociation@gmail.com) to indicate which of the following prices would be

the upper limit that you would be willing to pay for a paperback copy – i.e. £25 plus p&p, £15 plus p&p, or £10 plus p&p, and whether you would wish to spend an extra £8 to get a hard cover copy.

Page 12

This and That ……… Reunion News

REUNIONS TO BE HELD IN 2013

1983

30 YEAR REUNION FOR 1978 ENTRY/1983 QUALIFIERS

I am organising a reunion which is to be held on Saturday, 9th November 2013 at the Holiday Inn in Peterborough. It promises to be an excellent weekend with

around 75% of our group attending including a fair number travelling from overseas.

If I have not already been in contact with you and you would like to be included,

please contact me as soon as possible on the following email address: peter.howden1@btinternet.com

If you have expressed an interest in coming but haven't confirmed by sending me a deposit, would you please do so!

I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best Peter Howden

1988-89

The Class of 88/89 Reunion is planned for Saturday 12th October, 2013 at Norton Park Hotel, Winchester.

Anyone needing more information, please contact Gisu Cooper by email:

gisu.cooper@gmail.com

Page 13

This and That ……… Reunion News (Continued)

REUNIONS TO BE HELD IN 2014

REUNION INFORMATION: If you are organising a Reunion for your Year, the RFA can provide a list of names and contact details for any particular year. Contact: Tanya Shennan, Royal Free Association, UCL Medical School (Royal Free Campus), Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, e-mail: rfassociation@gmail.com

1984

I have arranged a 30 year reunion for the graduates of 1984. It will be on Saturday, 14th June 2014

at the Ettington Chase Hotel, near Stratford on Avon.

Many of you have already confirmed, but if you have not heard from me, it is because I do not have your email address.

Please do get in touch at barbara.hanak@ntlworld.com or SMS or call me on 07941 365630

I would love to catch up with you all!

Barbara Hanak

1964

RFH class of ’64, 50th reunion

We plan to hold our 50th reunion in Bath, Pat Jones has generously agreed to be our organizer and I will help by keeping in contact with you all.

A dinner is planned for Wednesday, 14th May 2014, in the Terrace of the Pump Rooms.

Similar to the past two reunions, we will arrange a three day event, with informal meals on

Tuesday and Thursday and visits within the City and slightly further afield. Whilst we hope that those attending will join in the whole programme, it will be possible to attend the dinner only.

If you are in contact with members of the year who do not have e-mail, please pass this to them

and ask them to contact me (Jean Keeling) at: 9 Forres St, Edinburgh, EH3 6BJ, jeanwkeeling@aol.com

Or Tel 0131 225 9673 to indicate their interest.

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The 50th Anniversary of the 1963 Qualifiers On 15th May, 2013 thirty four of us met at the National Liberal Club in Whitehall Place in London. The reunion was organised by Eleanor and Dick Butler who have lived in London since 1975 so have taken on the task very happily. Twenty four of us had qualified in 1963,one in 1962 and one in 1964. Those from other years were husbands also qualifying at the Royal Free. Of the other spouses present one had been on the staff at the Royal Free and two had been consultants elsewhere and four had worked in other professions. Our special guests were Professor Neil McIntyre and his wife Dr Wendy Kelsey (a Royal Free graduate of 1966.) Professor McIntyre was Professor of Medicine at the Royal Free Hospital and since his retirement has been tirelessly researching the history of the Medical School and Hospital. His work has nearly reached completion and we hope that in a year or so his book will be published and available to us all. Our day began in the Lady Violet Room, with enthusiastic greetings between old students who hadn’t seen each other for 5 years. Our first reunion was 20 years after we qualified, in 1983, then we have met again in 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008. Professor McIntyre gave us a wonderful presentation of some of our history focussed on the buildings which had seen the Hospital and the School develop from their earliest days. We recalled many famous names from the past from William Marsden to Elizabeth Garrett Anderson to Katherine Lloyd Williams and many more. The sight of the Royal Free Hospital in Grays Inn Road after the doodlebug raid made us wonder how it was ever rebuilt by the time we arrived in 1957. The pictures of the Medical School in Hunter Street were particularly relevant to us and we suddenly realised that we, too, are part of history now!

Royal Free Students 1963 Qualifiers – May 2013

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We met up with the later arrivals for pre-lunch drinks in the elegant smoking room at the Club with Mr.Gladstone looking down on us and did some more catching up. Three people had come a long way to be with us: Susan Harlap (nee Legg) and Judy Fisher (nee Shaw) from the USA, Penelope Brook- Williams from Canada and Brenda Ekman (nee deSouza) from Sweden. The others who came from not so far away were, Sarah Barker (nee Scruby),) Janet Boulton, Valerie Broadbent, Glennis Busk (nee Howarth), Janet Caric (nee Banks), Margaret Cohen (nee Brown) with Geoffrey who was Mrs Ledingham’s registrar when we were students, Maureen Bartlett (nee Leadlay), Eleanor Butler (nee Durand), Margaret Curtis (nee Simmons), Christine Davey(nee Watsham), Susan Dibdin (nee Lemberger), Diane Elliott ( nee Weston), Jenny Flindall (nee Jackson), Peter Davies and Jenny Rees, Susan (nee Lucas) and Jim Hardiman, Liz Maclay (nee Abbott), Renu Morris (nee Chidambaram), Christine Rodger (nee Butcher), Heather Suckling, Jennifer Varney (nee Bolam and Pippin Wood (nee Moore.) We had a splendid formal lunch around tables seating 8 or 9 and moved around towards the end of the meal to try to talk to as many people as possible. Eleanor passed on news from those who couldn’t be there, but first we remembered two of our number who had very sadly died since the last time we met, Gillian Sleigh and Patricia Marshall. Rosemary Radley Smith and John Hopewell, Celia and Bruno Handel, Janet Foreman, Diana Bishop were all unable to come because of their own or family illness and others had arranged holidays. Anne Clover, Judy van der Werff, Valerie Bloom, Peggy Langton, Margaret Robinson, Marilyn Smith and Ann Codman sent best wishes. Everyone hopes we shall meet again in 5 years time.

Eleanor Butler

Royal Free Students 1962 Qualifiers – May 2012

50 Year Reunion

On May 12th, 2012, thirty two former students of the RFHSM who had qualified in 1962, met in Old Windsor to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. Of the original sixty five qualifiers, some have died, some could not attend and others have lost touch.

It was a truly memorable occasion, which all want to repeat, but possibly in five years rather than ten!

Following this enjoyable event, Dr Dora Empson (Rosenfield) and I set about producing a booklet to commemorate the occasion – no mean feat as Dora lives in Massachusetts, USA and I live in Wales. It was compiled using the photos which the participants sent to me, and Dora had it printed in the USA. A copy was sent as a gift to all who attended.

Patricia Steane (née Glenwright)

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Royal Free Students 1964 Qualifiers – September 2012

Forty Eighth Reunion, Class of ‘64

Our Reunion was held in Edinburgh and attended by 19 members and guests.

The weather was kind throughout, important when arranging events in Scotland! We met up on the evening of Monday 17th September for an informal meal in a city-centre restaurant and a catch-up on the last three [or 8] years.

On Tuesday, we headed into Perthshire for a visit to Scone Palace. In the evening, our Reunion Dinner took place in the New Library of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, an impressive venue and new to even those who had visited the city previously. There was still so much catching-up going on that I forgot to assemble the group on the staircase for a photograph!

The following day, we visited the Georgian House, one of Edinburgh’s best tourist venues, followed by lunch at the National Galleries complex and a guided tour of their collection of Scottish paintings. After a brief opportunity for individual sightseeing, the Reunion ended with another informal meal.

Jean Keeling

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Royal Free Students 1972 Qualifiers – May 2013

1976-1972 Reunion - There was a good turnout at Cannizaro House on 7th May in glorious sunshine – especially ordered for the occasion. 40 years from qualifying was last year, but the reunion took a year to organise and set the date and venue. 61 out of the second year group of 94 came, with partners making 84. We failed to find only 7 of those who had qualified and most of the rest who could not attend were abroad. Despite most having some slight reservations about the whole business, everyone seemed to enjoy meeting one another again. Most are approaching retirement or have already retired now so there was plenty to talk about. The main problem was that we did not have enough time together, although some took the opportunity to stay the night in the hotel and continue chatting. Moaning about the state of the NHS was forbidden! We were very pleased to have Wendy Kelsey (Secretary) and Neil McIntyre as our guests. Neil gave an interesting after-dinner talk on the founding women of the RFH and RFHSM and I am pleased to say that he is going to produce a book on this ..... which we must all buy! Next we will celebrate 50 years from starting- it will be easier for the next person now we have a good contact list and little website of our own!

Geoff Scott

Royal Free Students 1960 Qualifiers – November 2012

Last November it was great to catch up with friends from the Royal Free who qualified in 1960. There is something about all the material we had to learn and the experiences, sometimes enlightening, sometimes gruesome, which draws medical students together. And in our generation we felt unique because the teachers we had like Quist, Gardner, Ledingham and others were larger than life and brilliant at teaching and who had themselves had pretty tough times as students. Those of us who got together chatted over memories of our student days, and everyone had done most interesting and varied things both in their working lives and outside. We met in the British Museum, and it is amazing really how little people have changed. Almost at once the wrinkles fly away and you see again the young person underneath as we met in those heady days of starting at medical school and struggling with exams, ward rounds, sick patients and attempts to look like ‘proper doctors’. We chatted a lot, and then most of us went round the Shakespeare exhibition, which was interesting but I felt only loosely related to Shakespeare and his life, more about the era when he lived and worked. We had lunch around a table in the ‘Gallery Restaurant’ and then most of us had a break until the evening. Eva and Lionel Blumenthal had laid on a great spread and their lovely home looked very festive. I will never be able to thank them enough for taking on the task of providing the venue and the food. We had lots to talk about again, old memories, recent interests, our working and retired lives. It was a most happy and animated gathering.

Charmian Goldwyn

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RUMS Alumni Association (Royal Free, University College and Middlesex)

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medicalschool/alumni

We are delighted to introduce you to the Royal Free and University College Medical School Alumni Association (RUMS Alumni Association). We are currently into our 2nd full year as an Alumni Association and we would like to give you a brief introduction to our vision for the Association as we continue to grow.

We hope that the association will draw on the heritage of our world leading alumni from the Royal Free, University College and the Middlesex Medical Schools. We aim to develop an active and enthusiastic alumni association. As I am sure you are aware, many of our current and prospective medical students are under significant financial pressures regarding tuition fees and living costs within London. We believe that the aforementioned financial concerns can have a negative impact on the academic and social welfare of students. Thus, one of our core aims is to develop support schemes for students via both competitive and non-competitive funding schemes such as scholarships. This ambitious aim will only be achievable with financial contributions via our membership fees and innovative thinking and enthusiasm from our members.

However, the Association also recognizes the importance of supporting newly qualified doctors and senior students with regards to their career progression. To this end we also aim to create a forum whereby members of the alumni association may help setup networking events where junior doctors will be able to draw on the experiences, skills and advice of more senior alumni.

Without doubt the above goals will only be achievable if the Association as a whole is vibrant fun. Therefore, the Association will also function as a means by which alumni will be able to remain connected to friends and colleagues both past and present. In October 2012 we held our inaugural RUMS Alumni Association dinner. This event was very successful and was attended by about 100 alumni from across the last 10 years. We are determined establish this as an annual event and have already set the date for this year’s dinner on 9th November, 2013. We would be delighted to see members of the Royal Free Association in attendance. (Details will be available through our website http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medicalschool/alumni).

It is hoped that the Royal Free Association and RUMS Alumni Association will work together to promote the history and heritage of the world-class institutions and members that we represent and we look forward to collaborating with the RFA. Dr Joel Smith, Class of 2010 Dr Derick Adigbli, Class of 2008 RUMS alumni Communications Officer RUMS alumni Chair

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Dr Mary Rackham (nee Adlington), qualified in 1957

1933 - 2012 I am sorry to report the death of my friend, Mary Rackham at Easter. She had suffered from cancer for four years, and in spite of many courses of chemotherapy it became generalized. Mary was remarkably cheerful and active until the last few months, and continued with her many activities and interests. Her courage and serenity were amazing. After qualification and registration, Mary married Kenneth and they decided to go to India as medical missionaries. With a young family they returned home and settled in Leicester where they were both in general practice until reaching retirement. Their three children all became doctors, and it looks as though their grandchildren are set to follow in the profession, two of them being medical students. Mary is greatly missed by family and friends, as well as by the wider community both at home and abroad, for whom she was a tireless, cheerful and practical worker.

Margaret Smith

Obituaries

We are sad to report the recent deaths of two Members of Royal Free Association:

Dr Edith Gilchrist (Mrs Donaldson), Anaesthetist and Honorary Archivist at the Royal Free Hospital, died 23rd July 2013.

John Harris, Professor of Anatomy, died on 21st June 2013. John worked at the RFHSM from 1967 until 1991.

Marian Elizabeth JENKINS 1 January, 1936 – 16 January, 2013

Marian was born in London in 1936. Her parents were from Wales and ran a dairy in Soho which is where, with the exception of the war years when she was evacuated to relatives in South Wales, Marian spent her early life. In 1963 her parents sold their business and the family home moved to Barnes. Marian’s association with the University of London began in1960 when she started work at Bedford College in Regent’s Park. She joined the staff of the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine in 1964. Whilst working full-time and caring for her elderly mother, Marian studied for a professional qualification at evening classes and became a member of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries in 1972 and subsequently was appointed to the post of Finance Officer in 1976. Most of her association with the RFHSM was in Hunter Street and many of you may remember those days when trying to get money out of an Accounts Department! As the RFHSM School Accountant she moved with her Finance Department up to Hampstead where she worked until her retirement in 1992. In 1995 Marian moved to Sussex. She liked to travel both in Europe and further afield to Australia and New Zealand. Marian was a keen follower of all sports, particularly rugby and being very patriotic, liked nothing more than to see the Welsh rugby team doing well. She was also very knowledgeable about cricket and in the early days of her retirement was a special steward at Lords. Marian used her accounting skills to great advantage in her retirement, assisting two local charities with their finances and fund raising. Sadly, in 2006 Marian developed Alzheimer’s disease, but with the help of professional care and her many friends she was able to remain in her own home until November 2012 when she was diagnosed with inoperable colon cancer. Marian died peacefully in her sleep on 16 January and is greatly missed by all who knew her.

Marilyn Westland