Henry Proctor

Henry Proctor (“Harry”) studied medicine at Durham University and St Bartholomew's Hospital in London prior to gaining his fellowship from Edinburgh University.

Following a resident appointment at Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1940 and served in the Middle East and Palestine from 1941 to 1945 as graded surgeon in charge of Surgical Division A and B Military Hospitals. Returning to England after the war he was appointed senior orthopaedic registrar at the Royal Liverpool Infirmary.

He was appointed consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Birmingham Accident Hospital in 1951, where in addition to the primary care of injured patients, his interest in the long term care of patients with brain injuries lead to the formation of the Head Injury Trust and Head Injury Work Centre, of which he was chairman.

A member of the BMA for 65 years, he was joint author of Principles for First Aid for the Injured, which was published in several languages over three editions. He retired from the accident hospital in 1975, the year following the Birmingham pub bombings, many of whose victims were treated at the hospital.

After retirement he worked with the Birmingham Road Injuries Research Group and the accident departments of several Birmingham Hospitals.

Harry married Jean Seaton in 1940; she died suddenly in 1973 from pulmonary embolism while they were together on a lecture tour in Canada. He was married again in 1974 to Joan Drake, who survives him, together with his son and daughter, four grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.