Eddie Josse: forensic and educational polymath
BMJ 2020; 369 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1913 (Published 14 May 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;369:m1913
- John Illman
- London, UK
- john{at}jicmedia.org
Credit: Craig Hibbert/ Daily Mail/Solopix
Edouard “Eddie” Josse was Britain’s longest serving police surgeon until his retirement, five years ago at the age of 82. Also a one time BMA negotiator and all round forensic and educational polymath, he was renowned for his resounding laugh, kindness, and incisive mind. He worked until November 2019 and was to have helped to run a chest clinic at the North Middlesex University Hospital on the day that he became an inpatient at the Royal Free Hospital.
Police surgeon
Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe thanked Josse personally for his 50 years with the Met. A former president of the Association of Police Surgeons, Josse subsequently remained in demand as an expert witness, especially in drink driving cases. His wide ranging expertise included police custody and detention, assault, drug testing, and medical competence and negligence.
In one famous case he took samples from a sexual assault in 1984. The police initially …
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