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Eluned "Lyn" Woodford-Williams (12 September 1913 – 25 November 1984) was a British
geriatrician Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of older adults. The term ''geriatrics'' originates from the Greek γέρων ''geron'' meaning "old man", and ιατρός ''iatros' ...
. As the leader of the geriatric unit at
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, she was a pioneer in geriatric medicine and
geriatric psychiatry Geriatric psychiatry, also known as geropsychiatry, psychogeriatrics or psychiatry of old age, is a branch of medicine and a subspecialty of psychiatry dealing with the study, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative, cognitive impairment, ...
.


Early life

Eluned Woodford-Williams was born on 12 September 1913 in
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. She was the eldest of four daughters born to John Woodford-Williams, a dentist, and Edith Mary Stevens. She began her schooling at
Liverpool College Liverpool College is a school in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, England. It was one of the thirteen founding members of the Headmasters' Conference (HMC). History Liverpool College was the first of many public schools founded in the Victorian E ...
, and after her family moved to Wales she attended Cardiff High School for Girls. She received a
BSc A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
from the
Welsh National School of Medicine The Cardiff University School of Medicine ( cy, Ysgol Feddygaeth Prifysgol Caerdydd) is the medical school of Cardiff University and is located in Cardiff, Wales, UK. Founded in 1893 as part of the University College of South Wales and Monmouth ...
in 1933 before moving to London to complete her clinical training at
University College Hospital University College Hospital (UCH) is a teaching hospital in the Fitzrovia area of the London Borough of Camden, England. The hospital, which was founded as the North London Hospital in 1834, is closely associated with University College London ...
, graduating as
MBBS Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...
in 1936.


Career

After qualifying, Woodford-Williams became a house physician at University College Hospital. She later became interested in
paediatrics Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...
, taking up a position at Liverpool's
Alder Hey Children's Hospital Alder Hey Children's Hospital is a children's hospital and NHS foundation trust in West Derby, Liverpool, England. It is one of the largest children's hospitals in the United Kingdom, and one of several specialist hospitals within the Liverpool ...
and gaining a Diploma in Child Health in 1938. She then moved to Redhill Hospital in
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
as a resident medical officer, and in 1940 she was awarded an MD with a gold medal. She transferred to
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
in 1942, working as an assistant physician at
Manchester Royal Infirmary Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) is a large NHS teaching hospital in Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, England. Founded by Charles White in 1752 as part of the voluntary hospital movement of the 18th century, it is now a major regional and nati ...
and Manchester Northern Hospital. After the war, she moved with her husband Dennis Astley Sanford to
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, where he had been appointed a consultant surgeon. She did not work for several years, but in 1950 she began working for the Austrian
geriatrician Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of older adults. The term ''geriatrics'' originates from the Greek γέρων ''geron'' meaning "old man", and ιατρός ''iatros' ...
Oscar Olbrich, first as his senior registrar and later as an assistant physician. When Olbrich died in 1958, Woodford-Williams succeeded him as the leader of the Sunderland geriatric unit; under her leadership, the unit gained an international reputation for geriatrics. She established the practice of admitting all patients over the age of 65 to the geriatric unit, regardless of their specific illness; this practice has since become the norm in many hospitals. Woodford-Williams, who petitioned the
Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...
to create a geriatrics committee, has been credited with establishing geriatrics as a distinct medical discipline. She was appointed to the
Health Advisory Service The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) was a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department of Health of the United Kingdom from 2001 until 2004, when its functions were subsumed by the Healthcare Commission. CHI was established by ...
in 1973 and held the position for five years, during which time she influenced government policy on geriatric medicine and especially
geriatric psychiatry Geriatric psychiatry, also known as geropsychiatry, psychogeriatrics or psychiatry of old age, is a branch of medicine and a subspecialty of psychiatry dealing with the study, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative, cognitive impairment, ...
. She also co-edited the journal ''Gerontologia Clinica''.


Later life

Woodford-Williams retired to
Abersoch Abersoch is a village in the community of Llanengan in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a popular coastal seaside resort, with around 800 residents, on the east-facing south coast of the Llŷn Peninsula at the southern terminus of the A499. It is about ...
around 1980. She recovered from an episode of
infective endocarditis Infective endocarditis is an infection of the inner surface of the heart, usually the valves. Signs and symptoms may include fever, small areas of bleeding into the skin, heart murmur, feeling tired, and low red blood cell count. Complications ...
but later died of
heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...
on 25 November 1984 in Sunderland.


Honours

Woodford-Williams was appointed
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(CBE) in 1978. She was elected
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...
(FRCP) in 1964 and
Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom, and is responsible for representing psychiatrists, for psychiatric research and for providing public information about mental healt ...
(FRCPsych) in 1983 for her contributions to geriatric psychiatry. After her death, the Royal College of Psychiatrists introduced the Woodford-Williams Prize to be awarded for research in
dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
prevention.


See also

List of Welsh medical pioneers This page lists pioneers and innovators in healthcare either in Wales or by Welsh people, including in medicine, surgery and health policy. Medical pioneers * George Owen Rees (1813–1889), the first to analyse the chemistry of urine and ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodford-Williams, Eluned 1913 births 1984 deaths British geriatricians Women geriatricians People educated at Liverpool College People educated at Cardiff High School Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians 20th-century Welsh medical doctors 20th-century English medical doctors Fellows of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Commanders of the Order of the British Empire