Henry Thomas Marsh
CBE
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 ...
FRCS
Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a professional qualification to practise as a senior surgeon in Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is bestowed on an intercollegiate basis by the four Royal Colleges of Surgeons (the Royal C ...
(born 5 March 1950) is an English neurosurgeon, and a pioneer of neurosurgical advances in
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. His widely acclaimed memoir ''Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery'' was published in 2014.
According to ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'', this memoir is "so elegantly written it is little wonder some say that in Mr Marsh neurosurgery has found its Boswell." His second memoir ''Admissions: A life in brain surgery'' was published in 2017. ''And Finally'', his most recent book, was published in 2022 to critical acclaim and explores his bewildering transition from doctor to patient.
Early life
Marsh is the youngest of his parents' four children. His parents, the law reformer Norman Stayner Marsh (1913–2008) and bookshop owner Christiane "Christel" Christinnecke, relocated from
Halle in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
to England in 1939 after his mother had been denounced to the Gestapo for "making anti-Nazi comments".
They married in London in the late summer of 1939.
Marsh was born in 1950, in the countryside outside
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
. His father was teaching at
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
.
Marsh attended the
Dragon School
("Reach for the Sun")
, established = 1877
, closed =
, type = Preparatory day and boarding school and Pre-Prep school
, religion = Church of England
, president =
, head_label = Head
, head = Emma Goldsm ...
in Oxford.
The family later moved to
Clapham
Clapham () is a suburb in south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (most notably Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth.
History
Early history
T ...
in London and he was sent to
Westminster School
(God Gives the Increase)
, established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, head_label = Hea ...
, for a while as a boarder. Academically successful, he studied
Politics, Philosophy and Economics at
University College
In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...
, Oxford University, achieving
First Class Honours
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...
, before graduating with Honours in Medicine from the
Royal Free Medical School. His educational background and its social implications, however, left psychological issues and Marsh, contemplating suicide, was a voluntary patient for a while, taking a year off from studying to work as a porter in a northern hospital.
Career
Marsh was until 2015 the senior consultant neurosurgeon at the Atkinson Morley Wing at
St George's Hospital
St George's Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Tooting, London. Founded in 1733, it is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals and one of the largest hospitals in Europe. It is run by the St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundatio ...
, south London, one of the country's largest specialist brain surgery units.
He specialises in operating on the brain under
local anaesthetic
A local anesthetic (LA) is a medication that causes absence of pain sensation. In the context of surgery, a local anesthetic creates an absence of pain in a specific location of the body without a loss of consciousness, as opposed to a general an ...
and was the subject of a major
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
with protégé neurosurgeon Igor Kurilets, since 1992 and his work there was the subject of the BBC
'' from 2007.
He has a particular interest in the influence of hospital buildings and design on patient outcomes and staff morale; he has broadcast and lectured widely on this subject.
In 2017 Marsh published ''Admissions: Life as a Brain Surgeon'', a second memoir with
'' in September 2018. His favourite selection was ''Better Not Look Down'' by
.
. Also in 2010 he presented the
.
and spends his spare time making furniture and keeping bees.
, an organisation which seeks a more compassionate approach to dying in the UK, including the legal right to a medically-assisted death, if that is a person's persistent wish.
In April 2021 it was announced that Marsh had been diagnosed with advanced
which as of August 2022 is now in remission.
He has, in the meantime, visited Ukraine to teach and advise local doctors.