BDS, FDS, RCS(Eng), MB BS, MRCS(Eng) FRCS (Tr&Orth), Consultant Spinal Surgeon in Complex Adult and Paediatric Spinal Deformity and Spinal Tumour at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, former Senior Spine Fellow (Post-CCT) at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore.
Andrew was born on 6th June 1964 in Canterbury, Kent. He lived in Preston and later in Cooper Street with his late parents, Terry and Barbara, his brother Timothy and his sister Catherine, and attended Sir Roger Manwood’s School in Sandwich. Andrew’s family then moved to Oaks Farm, High Halden.
Andrew loved flying and was passionate about anything and everything to do with aeroplanes, especially the Spitfire. Trained to fly by the late Ted Girdler of the Red Arrows, Andrew gained his PPL at the age of 16 from Thanet Flying Club in Manston. He also helped run the flying school with the Girdler family, and trained the air cadets with a tremendous impact on results. He was accepted into the RAF Volunteer Reserve and was earmarked to fly the Tornado but was unable to pursue this career due to his asthma. Andrew therefore went to Dental School in 1985 to study for his Batchelor in Dental Surgery (BDS).
He first studied at Guy’s and Thomas’ and met his future Wife Krystyna in Commonwealth Hall of Residence, Cartwright Gardens in Bloomsbury, London, where Krystyna was staying on the 2nd Floor and Andrew on the ground floor. Andrew then transferred to Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
After graduation, Andrew took up his House Officer position at The Bristol Royal Infirmary for six months, where he and Krystyna lived in Hospital Accommodation from January to June 1993. They then moved to the Isle of Wight for three months for Andrew to take up a locum position in Ryde while waiting for his Senior House Officer contract in Maxillofacial Surgery to begin at the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead. After a year in Hospital Accommodation, Andrew and Krystyna moved into their permanent family home in East Grinstead: Krystyna was now three months pregnant with their first daughter Anna.
Andrew went on to study for the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB BS) at University College London Medical School, as a pre-requisite for career progression in Maxillofacial Surgery. During this time, Andrew and Krystyna completed their family with the birth of their second daughter Helena.
Rather than returning to Maxillofacial Surgery, Andrew moved into Orthopaedic Surgery and was accepted onto the South East Thames Training Rotation. He studied for his MSc (T&O) at the University of Brighton and for several years was on the interview panel selecting prospective medical school students. Andrew then did his Fellowship at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hosptial in Stanmore before accepting a locum position in Belfast, which transferred into a Substantive Consultant position in 2015.
Andrew loved his work, particularly with the children. His patients and colleagues report that his care was exemplary and holistic, focusing not just on surgical intervention but on the needs of the whole person and the family, and that they felt safe in his hands. His ground-breaking work and surgical expertise are sadly missed, as is his compassion, kindness, thoughtfulness, generosity, intelligence, creativity, storytelling, and sense of humour. He was a visionary and very keen to innovate and develop new services. ThePaediatric Neurology Department at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children is hoping to continue his work as a legacy.
Andrew was a gifted teacher and excellent public speaker. He held the title of Honorary Lecturer at various universities and institutions worldwide, most recently at Queen’s University in Belfast. His students still comment on the impact he had on their knowledge and work, and how they continue to draw heavily on his words of wisdom.
Andrew was a respected and influential member of many of his professional bodies. As Chairman of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, it was clear he wanted to do his best by his profession and he worked hard to uphold junior doctors’ rights at a time of great uncertainty and threat. More recently, Andrew’s sense of humour and deep regard for the medical profession were front and centre in his work with the BMA Consultants’ Committee in Northern Ireland, where he made invaluable contributions, including setting their strategy for the next five years. Andrew’s huge personality coupled with his dry sense of humour meant meetings were always fun and extremely productive.
Alongside his work, Andrew was in the throes of lauching two new global companies: ‘Bioregenerative Technologies’ and ‘Nerospinal Innovations’, for which Andrew was CEO and Founder, and which had a launch date set for June 2019. He was fast-tracked through the ‘HS Live’ Start-Ups selection process having pitched and progressed to the investment stage. Andrew’s visionary plans for revolutionising treatment stremmed again from his deep care and concern for his patients, and his loss is felt in circles around the world.
Andrew died on 28th September in St Catherine’s Hospice, Crawley, at the age of 54, after a 10-week battle with Malignant Metastatic Melanoma Stage 4, which had metastasised throughout his spine.
Deeply principled, kind and caring, Andrew was a true gentleman, which a cheeky smile and light in his eyes. He was always full of fun and mischief. Ever-patient, open and friendly, Andrew did his best for everyone and was always there when needed. Nothing was too much trouble and he always made time. He was a walking encyclopedia - Andrew’s family and friends recall his wealth of knowledge and the great lenghts he would go to fix everything. He was a born teacher, lecturing, sharing and helping others to succeed. Stubborn, passionate, and endlessly thoughtful, Andrew was unique and tremendously loved. He was a great family man, a wonderful Husband and a brilliant Father, and is greatly missed forever.
Taken when he still had so much to give to the world and so much left to do, Andrew was a bright and most beautiful star. Andrew will live on in his patients and in the hearts and memories of everyone whose lives he touched. RIP Andrew. With all our love.