Jenny S. Ackroyd Lennox (1950 – 2004) was a

vascular surgeon Vascular surgery is a surgical subspecialty in which diseases of the vascular system, or arteries, veins and lymphatic circulation, are managed by medical therapy, minimally-invasive catheter procedures and surgical reconstruction. The specialty ...

Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust serves a population of 258,000 and provides healthcare services to the communities of Harlow and the surrounding areas. It runs Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, England which is a 419 bedded ...

. She was the first woman to be appointed a

registrar A registrar is an official keeper of records made in a register. The term may refer to: Education * Registrar (education), an official in an academic institution who handles student records * Registrar of the University of Oxford, one of the se ...

St Thomas' Hospital St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS teaching hospital in Central London, England. It is one of the institutions that compose the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. Administratively part of the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foun ...

. Ackroyd established the

day surgery Outpatient surgery, also known as ambulatory surgery, day surgery, day case surgery, or same-day surgery, is surgery that does not require an overnight hospital stay.The International Association for Ambulatory Surgery (IAAS) would not consider al ...

unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Early life and education

Ackroyd was born in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

. She was the fourth of five children of Peter and Evelyn Ackroyd. Her father was an academic at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

. Ackroyd attended

James Allen's Girls' School James Allen's Girls' School, abbreviated JAGS, is an independent day school situated in Dulwich, South London, England. It is the second oldest girls’ independent school in Great Britain - Godolphin School in Salisbury being the oldest, founde ...

. She studied

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...

s and

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, where she was a member of New Hall. Ackroyd completed her junior doctor training at the

Middlesex Hospital Middlesex Hospital was a teaching hospital located in the Fitzrovia area of London, England. First opened as the Middlesex Infirmary in 1745 on Windmill Street, it was moved in 1757 to Mortimer Street where it remained until it was finally clos ...

, where she was the first woman surgical registrar. In 1986 Ackroyd earned a Master's in surgery at the

; and may have been the first woman to do so.

Career

Ackroyd was a founder of the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations a ...

''Women in Surgical Training'' programme. In 1987 Ackroyd was appointed as a Consultant Surgeon at the

. She raised money to develop a

unit at the hospital. The wing is home to a same-day admission facility, 82 beds and two operating theatres. In 1992, Ackroyd lost her sight in one eye after developing a

melanoma Melanoma, also redundantly known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas typically occur in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye ( ...

, but continued to work and became known as the "partially sighted, female surgeon from Wareside". She was invited by the

Royal National Institute of Blind People The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is a UK charity offering information, support and advice to almost two million people in the UK with sight loss. History The RNIB was founded by Thomas Rhodes Armitage, a doctor who had eye ...

to attend the 1993 Women of the Year Lunch. Ackroyd was responsible for the building of a new surgical wing, which was opened by the health secretary in 2004. Ackroyd died on 5 September 2004. The Jenny Ackroyd Surgical Symposium is an annual celebration of Ackroyd's life. There is a tree planted in Ackroyd's memory at the Capio Rivers Hospital.

Personal life

Ackroyd was married to the surgeon Malcolm Lennox. Together they had two children, Sophie and Sandy. Ackroyd was a member of St Mary's Church Choir.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ackroyd, Jenny 1950 births 2004 deaths British women surgeons People educated at James Allen's Girls' School Alumni of New Hall, Cambridge Medical doctors from Leeds English surgeons 20th-century surgeons 20th-century English medical doctors 20th-century English women medical doctors