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Clin. Cardiol. 24, 264–265 (2001)
This section edited by J. Willis Hurst, M.D., and W. Bruce Fye, M.D., M.A.
Aubrey Leatham, M.D.
The Heart Hospital, London, U.K.
The death of John Parker (Fig. 1), Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at St. George's Hospital London, at the age of 60 from a cerebral tumor, was a sad loss to British cardiology. His career demonstrated some important general principles that should be widely appreciated. Although aiming at cardiac surgery early on in his career, he completed his higher medical degrees before his surgical degrees and was President of the British Cardiac Society before he was elected President of the Cardiothoracic Surgeons. Even when practicing surgery he made a point of attending a weekly medical round and, when at St. George's, he seldom missed the weekly cardiac conference. Thus, knowledge of cardiac medicine not only gave him enormous insight into the natural history of cardiovascular problems so that his judgment on a course of action was greatly respected, but also enabled him to see ahead much more clearly than most physicians or surgeons and more than most administrators. Indeed, his wisdom and skill in planning for the future of cardiovascular services in the United Kingdom was as great a contribution to medicine as his skill in cardiac surgery.
John Parker was born in Harrow on February 1, 1938, and spent the first 10 years of his youth in Zimbabwe where he demonstrated his ability to combine academic excellence with leadership, becoming school captain, captain of the rugby team, and winning a scholarship to study medicine at the University of St. Andrew's (1956–1962). While there, he won prizes in almost every scientific subject, still finding time to become President of the Scottish Union of Students.
Parker's giant intellectual capacity, organizational ability, and energy were evident from the beginning. What made him unique was the combination of these qualities of natural leadership with kindness, fairness, intellectual honesty, and thoughtfulness for others.
Although he was interested in every aspect of medicine, Parker was naturally inclined to surgery. After an academic appointment at St. Andrew's and general surgical appointments in Dundee and 6 months of cardiology at the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow, he settled on cardiothoracic surgery. He became Registrar and later Senior Registrar at the Brompton Hospital, National Heart and London Chest Hospitals (1968–1972). This included a very stimulating year at the University of Alabama with John Kirklin, generally regarded as the world's foremost cardiac surgeon at that time. The two Johns developed great mutual respect while sharing their main interest in research and developing safe intracardiac surgery and, in particular at that time, valve replacement. The writer first met John and Niki Parker while visiting John Kirklin.
When John Parker returned to the National Heart Hospital as Senior Lecturer he immediately demonstrated his excellent preoperative assessment and postoperative care: his surgical results equaled those of his more experienced colleagues. He had a broad view of medicine and believed in the integration of the cardiologists with the cardiac surgeons, which included undertaking ward rounds with his cardiologist colleagues. In 1975, a surgical vacancy was advertised at St. George's, soon to move from Hyde Park Corner to Tooting and to become the only teaching hospital in the South West Region. Those aware of Parker's ability persuaded him to apply to St. George's Hospital, where he was appointed Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon. With its expansion after the move to Tooting, St. George's became one of the leading centers for cardiac surgery in Europe.
One main reason for the success of St. George's was the remarkable symbiosis that Parker helped to establish between medicine and cardiac surgery. A unique feature of John Parker's prowess was his interest in cardiac medicine as well as surgery. This started with his obtaining the MRCP in 1966 (before his FRCS), and his FRCP came in 1984. It was no surprise when he was elected President of the British Cardiac Society in 1993, the first surgeon to head this medical group. His performance for the physicians was outstanding, including suggesting, planning, and acquiring the Society's home in Fitzroy Square. He was appointed President of the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons in 1998.
John Parker's interest in basic research in the early days (e.g., changes in the lungs during coronary bypass surgery) was superceded by his awareness of the practical importance of assessing the values of various medical and surgical procedures, and of long-term planning. Not only was he in the Chair or a valued member of every important long-term planning committee at St. George's Hospital, but at the national level he was concerned with the Randomised Intervention Treatment of Angina (RITA) trials, comparing angioplasty with surgical and medical treatment of coronary disease, the Read Centre on coding and terms for cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, the National Health Service Casemix Office for assessing health resources and group developments for cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, and the Clinical Standards Advisory Group, producing a report on access to and availability of coronary artery bypass graft and coronary angioplasty.
Parker was much sought after for independent reviews, such as the introduction of the external market and its effect on the organization and management of cardiology at Guy's Hospital, the report on the utilization of resources for cardiac surgery at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, and the review of adult cardiac and cardiothoracic services in the North West Region for the NHS Executive North West. He was Chairman of the Working Group on Cardiovascular Surgery for the European Society of Cardiology and President of the Cardiothoracic Section of the Royal Society of Medicine from 1993 to 1995.
His awards were many and included his appointment as Hunterian Professor of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1972 and the Clement Price Thomas Award for recognition of outstanding contributions to cardiac surgery in 1992. Finally, his CBE in 1997 was enthusiastically welcomed by his colleagues as a just recognition of a lifetime of prodigious and outstandingly successful service to medicine.
John Parker was a shy and modest man and never sought recognition for his professional efforts. He recognized the value of the contribution of every member of his team and sought to involve each of them. He was almost continuously available and always invaluable for surgical emergencies. It is amazing that he found time to indulge his passion for sailing. This was a challenging leisure activity, planned and organized to visit interesting places with good restaurants as well as enjoying the variety of sailing on the way--always safely because of careful forethought. On no occasion did he have to make use of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, of which he was a valued member of their Medical and Survival Committee.
His family was very important to him, and this was most evident in the last year of his life. His stoical and realistic acceptance of a bad prognosis and his capacity to undertake advisory and organizational work was quite incredible and, in the writer's opinion, nobody could have given a better example. The life and work of John Parker have inspired his colleagues and will always be remembered.
*Sections modified from "Munk's Roll--The Lives of the Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of London," volume XI, 1997.
Address for reprints:
Dr. Aubrey Leatham
The Heart Hospital
47 Wimpole Street
London W1M 7DG, U.K.
Received: February 8, 2000
Accepted: May 30, 2000