Dr Barbara M. Morgan

1993-1996 - President
1997 - Gold medal winner

Barbara Morgan was born and educated in South Africa, trained in medicine in Pretoria and started her anaesthetic career at the Groote Schuur Hospital Cape Town. She came to London in 1968 and, to the benefit and delight of those in the UK, married an Englishman, David Morgan and never went home. They have three sons, twins and a singleton. In the days when we were discussing how to persuade women to accept caesarean section under regional anaesthesia, she stood up and said “I never have any difficulty – I simply tell them I have had one section under GA and one under epidural, and can describe first-hand the physical and emotional advantages of epidural and conscious childbirth.”

After anaesthetic training in several London hospitals, she became Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Anaesthetist at Queen Charlotte’s Hospital, a post she held from 1975-1995. Here she led a clinical research team that was outstandingly productive, to the benefit of both the numerous young anaesthetists whom she trained and of obstetric anaesthesia itself. Many who are prominent in obstetric anaesthesia today profited not only from her leadership and guidance, but also from her warm-hearted friendship and understanding.

She was a brilliant president of the Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association. Many of its extremely popular activities that we take for granted today were instigated by Barbara Morgan: the three-day course and the controversies meeting, to name but two. One of her books, Foundations of Obstetric Anaesthesia, based on the former course, has become a classic of its kind. She had a magic touch when organising meetings. She forged enduring links with our colleagues in Europe. She developed the first guidelines for obstetric anaesthesia, providing a framework that still survives. She was tireless in the advancement of our subspecialty.

When she retired (prematurely it seemed to us) it took three or four people to fill the gap she left. Many of us felt devastated to lose such a valued, inspirational and charismatic colleague, but her retirement into the world of the arts was well-earned. She has left us with an enduring legacy. FJMR