Margaret Ellen Mary O'Flynn (25 January 1920 – 22 September 2014), known professionally as Margaret Foley, was a British

gynaecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, which focuses on pre ...

and pioneer of

contraception Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...

services for women. She dedicated most of her career to the improvement of women's health in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

and south east

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

, which witnessed a flourishing range of facilities and services in

family planning Family planning is the consideration of the number of children a person wishes to have, including the choice to have no children, and the age at which they wish to have them. Things that may play a role on family planning decisions include marit ...

, women's sexual health, and the management of the

menopause Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time when Menstruation, menstrual periods permanently stop, marking the end of the Human reproduction, reproductive stage for the female human. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 5 ...

, as a result of her determination.

Early life

She was born Margaret Boulton at Talke of the Hill, Staffordshire, in January 1920, the eldest daughter of Ernest and Edith Boulton. She became head girl at Orme Girls School and was inspired to study medicine by Miss Sprunt, her headmistress. In 1937, at the age of 17, she took her first MB and following admission to

King's College Hospital Medical School King's College London GKT School of Medical Education (often referred to simply as GKT) is the medical school of King's College London. The school has campuses at three institutions, Guy's Hospital (London Borough of Southwark, Southwark), Kin ...

, began her second MB, which she later completed in Glasgow after the students were evacuated to there for their own safety during the Second World War. She qualified in 1942. Her father, who had fought as a

grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was historically an assault-specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in siege operation battles. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when ...

in the First World War, encouraged her to contribute to the war effort at the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary during the summer holidays.

Marriage

She met her future husband, John Foley, at a friend's house and they married in 1949. They had four children, all delivered by

caesarean section Caesarean section, also known as C-section, cesarean, or caesarean delivery, is the Surgery, surgical procedure by which one or more babies are Childbirth, delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen. It is often performed because va ...

by John Peel, later Sir John Peel. O'Flynn and her husband became the first wife-and-husband fellows of the

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is ...

. John Foley died in 1972 and on returning from her position as senior gynaecologist in Abu Dhabi in 1976, Margaret married

general practitioner A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a Consultant (medicine), consultant in general practice. GPs have distinct expertise and experience in providing whole person medical care, whilst managing the complexity, uncertainty and risk ass ...

Garry O'Flynn, and so gained five step-children.

Medical career

O’Flynn trained under numerous consultants, including a house post under Sir Clement Price Thomas and a junior gynaecology post under Sir William Gilliatt and A.C. Palmer. It was after this post that she met her lifelong mentor,

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

, later Sir John Peel, royal gynaecologist. Peel was influential in her career, encouraging her to do the DRCOG without haste so that she could do the next step, the MRCOG, in 1949. He taught her about contraception and the practical skills of gynaecology. They remained friends until he died at the age of 101 years. The South London Hospital for Women offered her a consultant post in 1952, after she had been there for three years. However, she had a young child by then and her husband John was now appointed consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology in Portsmouth. In Portsmouth, she had the opportunity to review the contraceptive services available there which were mostly run by small charities using substandard buildings. With the help of Malcolm Roads, she obtained funding for free oral contraceptive pills for women with four or more children. This was later extended to all women. These initial services were primarily funded by voluntary contributions with some state help. Funding soon improved and the

Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their o ...

gave £20,000 for the construction of a specialist women's sexual health centre in the city known as the Ella Gordon Unit. Originally, contraception for women was free only for those with four or more children. The decision, in the early 1970s, to grant UK family planning clinics the ability to prescribe single women the contraceptive pill was contentious as until then the government had felt that contraception encouraged

promiscuity Promiscuity is the practice of engaging in sexual activity frequently with different partners or being indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners. The term can carry a moral judgment. A common example of behavior viewed as promiscuous by man ...

or "free love".

Later life

Later, O'Flynn became involved in training, in particular of general practitioners, calling upon her colleagues, including Peel and Dame Josephine Barnes, as tutors. She died on 22 September 2014, at the age of 94 years. One of her grandchildren is now also a doctor, specialising in cardiology; he qualified the year she died. Her granddaughter is a midwife.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:OFlynn, Margaret 1920 births 2014 deaths People from Talke English gynaecologists Fellows of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Alumni of King's College London 20th-century English women medical doctors 21st-century English women medical doctors 20th-century English medical doctors 21st-century English medical doctors