Professor John Blandy (1927-2011)

It is with great regret that BAUS notes the passing of one of the UK's finest urologists. After schooling in India and Clifton, John won a scholarship to Oxford in 1946 to read medicine. From Oxford he proceeded to the London Hospital for his clinical studies before deciding on a career in surgery. In 1959 he won a scholarship to the Presbyterian St Luke's Hospital in Chicago to investigate the practicalities of bladder substitution, work which led to his DM (Oxford) thesis. After a year as RSO at St Pauls, John was appointed to the consultant staff at the London Hospital in 1964, initially performing general surgery and urology, as was common in that era, and, in 1969, he was appointed to the first departmental chair of urology in London.

His early reputation was established in TURP and the London ran a hugely popular TURP course for consultants and trainees well into the 1980s. The unit at the London developed an international reputation in urinary stone disease, transplantation and oncology under his expert guidance and John was in demand worldwide as a speaker, writer and artist, providing many of his own illustrations in his published texts.

John was elected to the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and was Vice President of the College from 1992 to 1994. He was BAUS President from 1984 - 1986 and the Association recognised his scientific expertise with the award of the St Peter's Medal in 1982. John was appointed CBE in 1995 in recognition of his achievements.

Beyond Britain, John worked to advance urology through the EAU and EBU where he was head of the EAU Scientific Committee in 1984, President of the 8th EAU Congress in London in 1988 and EBU President from 1991 - 1992. He was awarded the Willy Gregoir Medal in 2001 for his significant contribution to the development of the specialty in Europe.

John had an outstanding urological career and was one of the leading urologists of his generation. BAUS is proud to recognise his contribution and talents, to both the national and international fields of urology, where he was keen to develop high standards of practice and promote our specialty as a separate entity. Urologists of his calibre and ability are few and he will be sorely missed.