John Hunt, Baron Hunt Of Fawley
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John Henderson Hunt, Baron Hunt of Fawley (3 July 1905 – 28 December 1987) was a British
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 ...
(GP) who, in 1952, co-founded the College of General Practitioners. In 1967 the royal prefix was approved and the college was renamed the
Royal College of General Practitioners The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is the professional body for general (medical) practitioners (GPs/ Family Physicians/ Primary Care Physicians) in the United Kingdom. The RCGP represents and supports GPs on key issues including ...
(RCGP). He became its president in the same year. Hunt was born in India, the son of a surgeon, and sent to England as a young child, accompanied by his mother. Educated at
Charterhouse School Charterhouse is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Godalming, Surrey, England. Founded by Thomas Sutton in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian monastery in Charter ...
and then at Oxford, he studied medicine at
St Bartholomew's Medical College Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, commonly known as Barts or BL, is a medical school, medical and dental school in London, England. The school is part of Queen Mary University of London, a constituent college of the federal ...
and qualified in 1931. His early house jobs were at St Bartholomew's Hospital, and later at the National Hospital, Queen Square, London. During the Second World War, he was a
Wing Commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr or W/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Wing commander is immediately se ...
with the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
. On his return to civilian life, he entered
general practice General practice is personal, family, and community-orientated comprehensive primary care that includes diagnosis, continues over time and is anticipatory as well as responsive. Definitions A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a consu ...
, working in
Sloane Street Sloane Street is a major London street in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea which runs north to south, from Knightsbridge to Sloane Square, crossing Pont Street about halfway along. History Sloane Street takes its name from Sir Han ...
, London. He was president of the
Hunterian Society The Hunterian Society, founded in 1819 in honour of the Scottish surgeon John Hunter (1728–1793), is a medical society based at the Medical Society of London, London. Established by William Cooke, a general practitioner, and Thomas Armiger ...
, the Section of General Practice at the
Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society based at 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK. It is a registered charity, with admission through membership. Its Chief Executive is Michele Acton. History The Royal Society of Medicine (R ...
, the Harveian Society and the
Medical Society of London Medicine is the science and practice of caring for patients, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
. In 1973 he was the first GP to be made a
life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
as Baron Hunt of Fawley, of Fawley in the County of Buckingham.


Early life

John Hunt was born on 3 July 1905, in
Secunderabad Secunderabad () is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South ...
, India, where Hunt's father, Edmund Henderson Hunt (1874–1952) was a surgeon with the Nizam of Hyderabad's State Railways. The Hunt family members were
goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...
s and
silversmith A silversmith is a metalworker who crafts objects from silver. The terms ''silversmith'' and ''goldsmith'' are not exact synonyms, as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are (or were, at least) largely the same but differed in that t ...
s in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; John Samuel Hunt (1785-1865) being initially in business with his uncle-by-marriage,
Paul Storr Paul Storr (baptised 28 October 1770 in London – 18 March 1844 in London) was an English goldsmith and silversmith working in the Neoclassical style, Neoclassical and other styles during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Hi ...
; also descended from John Samuel Hunt are the diplomat
Roland Hunt Roland Charles Colin Hunt (19 March 191624 March 1999) was a British diplomat. Son of Colin Bertram Hunt (1881–1967), of HM Inspectorate of Schools, and his wife Dorothea Mary (née Charles), Hunt was educated at two boarding schools: The Dr ...
, his son, the meteorologist
Julian Hunt, Baron Hunt of Chesterton Julian Charles Roland Hunt, Baron Hunt of Chesterton (born 5 September 1941) is a British meteorologist who was the Director General and Chief Executive of the British Meteorological Office from 1992 to 1997. He was made a Life peer of the La ...
, and grandchildren, historian and former Labour politician
Tristram Hunt Tristram Julian William Hunt, (born 31 May 1974) is a British historian, broadcast journalist and former politician who has been Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum since 2017. He served as the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Sto ...
and his sister, writer Jemima Hunt. Hunt's mother, Laura Mary, was the daughter of Colonel Sir James Buckingham, secretary of the
Indian Tea Association The Indian Tea Association (ITA) is a trade association of Indian tea producers. The head office is in Kolkata (Calcutta). History ITA was founded in 1881 to protect the interests of tea planters in British India and to promote the consum ...
. His younger brother was Alan Henderson Hunt DM, MCh, FRCS. He returned to England as a young child with his mother and attended
Charterhouse School Charterhouse is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Godalming, Surrey, England. Founded by Thomas Sutton in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian monastery in Charter ...
. His father continued to work in India until 1931. As a result of contracting
diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...
whilst at school, he is believed to be one of the last cases in England to have his tonsils painted with
cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
and then removed by guillotine. In 1924, Hunt graduated in
physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...
from Oxford and in 1926, won the Theodore Williams scholarship in physiology. In 1928, he won the Radcliffe Scholarship in
pharmacology Pharmacology is the science of drugs and medications, including a substance's origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur betwee ...
.


Medical career

Hunt undertook his early clinical training at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School in 1931. Becoming second assistant at the Medical Unit at St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1933, he subsequently spent two years in a medical house job at the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases. He became a member of the
Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians of London, commonly referred to simply as the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of ph ...
in 1934, and in 1935 he acquired, from the University of Oxford, his
Doctor of Medicine A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin language, Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of ph ...
for a thesis on
Raynaud syndrome Raynaud syndrome, also known as Raynaud's phenomenon, is a medical condition in which the spasm of small arteries causes episodes of reduced blood flow to end arterioles. Typically the fingers, and, less commonly, the toes, are involved. Rare ...
that appeared in the '' Quarterly Journal of Medicine'' a year later. In 1936 he returned to St Bartholomew's Hospital as chief assistant to the consultative neurological clinic. He originally planned a career in neurology but changed direction to enter general practice, to the surprise of his colleagues. By 1937, he took a job with Dr George Cregan in the practice at 83 Sloane Street, following which, in 1941, he married Elisabeth Ernestine, daughter of architect Norman Evill,
FRIBA The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
, chief draughtsman for
Edwin Lutyens Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memorials ...
from 1899 to 1902; they had five children: twin sons who became general practitioners, a son who died in childhood, and two daughters. He joined the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
as a neurologist at the onset of war and by the end of the conflict had reached the rank of wing commander. After the war, in 1945, Hunt set up a private practice at 54 Sloane Street. He chose to stay independent in 1948, unlike many of his colleagues who joined the new
National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...
.


Royal Society of Medicine's general practice section

After the end of the war, Hunt became committed to forming a college for general practitioners to oversee education, postgraduate training and ensure the highest standards of general practice. The Royal Society of Medicine's GP section was established in 1950, following a case put to its council by Dr. G. M. Kerr and Dr. Geoffrey Barber and granted on the understanding that it would deal with matters of education only and not politics. Hunt was one of the first to become a member and became its president in 1956. This was, according to Lord Horder, "the seed bed" for many ideas that were later established in the RCGP.


Royal College of General Practitioners

Described also as a "dress rehearsal for the foundation of the College", the origins of the College for general practice appear to have materialised when certain key players from RSM's general practice section,
Worshipful Society of Apothecaries The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London is one of the livery companies of the City of London. It is one of the largest livery companies (with over 1,600 members in 2012) and ranks 58th in their order of precedence. The society is a me ...
and other particularly non-London based GPs, including Fraser Rose, met together. Hunt also recalled Barber and Sir Wilson Jameson, chatting outside Oxford's ''Mitre'' pub and hatching a plan to form a College. Despite the RSM wishing to stay neutral, seven members of the RSM's first two councils of general practice were heavily involved in the establishment of the College. Hence, in the words of John Fry, "there was a close liaison between ourselves and the Society". At one stage, the question as to whether a "college" or "faculty" be pursued, Hunt had sought the opinion of his cousin, Lord Horder, the royal physician. Horder's opposition to either, although later revoked, disappointed Hunt and encouraged further his defence of general practice. Following the emphasis on the plight of GPs in the Cohen report, there appeared an urgency to form a college and Hunt questioned the role of the new section of general practice of the RSM. A further report by a visiting Australian physician, highlighting the worst of general practice, further lowered GP morale, but brought general practice to the front pages of politics. Subsequently, discussions with Lord Webb-Johnson (president of RSM),
Abercrombie Abercrombie may refer to: People * Abercrombie Lawson (1870–1927), botanist and professor * Abercrombie (surname) (list of people with the family name Abercrombie) Places Antarctica * Abercrombie Crests, rock summits in Antarctica Australia ...
(1st president of GP section and eventual RCGP co-founder) and the RSM executive led to a request in 1951 to support the forming of a college. This was turned down because it was "too political". Along with other concerned GPs, Hunt offered the idea for a "college" in a letter to the General Practice Review Committee of the
British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union and professional body for physician, doctors in the United Kingdom. It does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The BMA ...
(BMA). The letter was also sent to the ''British Medical Journal'' and ''
The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, founded in England in 1823. It is one of the world's highest-impact academic journals and also one of the oldest medical journals still in publication. The journal publishes ...
'', and was co-signed by Dr Fraser Rose:
There is a College of Physicians, a College of Surgeons, a College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, a College of Nursing, a College of Midwives, and a College of Veterinary Surgeons… but there is no college or academic body to represent primarily the interests of the largest group of medical personnel in this country – twenty thousand general practitioners.
Its response was aggravating. As well as receiving many encouraging comments, resistance was obvious, predominantly from the presidents of the traditional Royal Colleges: "I had far rather start with a big idea in a small way than a small idea in a big way" wrote John Hunt to Fraser Rose on 3 December 1951. A steering committee was formed, with members including former Minister of Health (1943–1945), Sir
Henry Willink Sir Henry Urmston Willink, 1st Baronet, (7 March 1894 – 20 July 1973) was a British politician and public servant. A Conservative Member of Parliament from 1940, he became Minister of Health in 1943. During his time in power he was appointed ...
, who agreed to be chairman. The College of General Practitioners was formally established on 19 November 1952. More than 2,000 doctors enrolled in the first six months. Hunt was the college council's first honorary secretary, and he followed that by serving as president for three years (1967–1970). Hunt's practice at 54 Sloane Street later became the second headquarters for the college. Although Hunt had failed to gain official support from the RSM to form a college, the close connection between the GP section members and the college steering committee was undeniable. Following the establishment of the college, he spent numerous evenings in 1953, in the RSM basement researching historical attempts to form a college and why they failed.


Other roles

Hunt was the main medical officer for the Provincial Mutual Life Assurance Association, and the Royal Air Force took him as an honorary consultant in general practice. In 1953, he became the Hunterian Society's president. Three years later, he was elected president of the general practice section at the RSM, and by 1970, he was president of the Harveian Society. In addition, he took presidencies at the Chelsea Clinical Society in 1971 and at the
Medical Society of London Medicine is the science and practice of caring for patients, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
in 1973. In addition to the numerous presidencies, Hunt had many other senior appointments. Between 1948 and 1966, St Dunstans' appointed him as a consultant physician, then became its council member until 1983. Charterhouse School, Sutton's Hospital, Old Charterhouse and the National Hospital, Queen Square, all had him as a governor. Between 1948 and 1969, the
Medical Protection Society The Medical Protection Society (MPS) is one of the three UK mutual protection organisations for medical, dental and healthcare professionals. (Dentists are covered through its subsidiary company Dental Protection.) It protects and supports th ...
appointed Hunt to its council. At the same time, he advised the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
on their General Advisory Council. The Medical Services Review Committee, Medical Commission on Accidents and 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 ...
all at some point had Hunt as a member.


Honours

Hunt was appointed a
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
in 1970. Subsequently, he toured the country and overseas, advocating his college and the teaching of general practice in universities. He received numerous honorary fellowships, including the Royal Society of Medicine, the Australian College of General Practice, the
American Academy of Family Physicians The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) was founded in 1947 to promote and maintain high-quality standards for family medicine, an offshoot of the classical general practitioner. It is headquartered in Leawood, Kansas. AAFP is one of ...
, and the Singapore College of General Practice. 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 ...
elected him a fellow in 1966. He was the first general practitioner to become a
life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
, being created Baron Hunt of Fawley in the County of Buckingham on 25 June 1973. He was an important contributor to the debate on the Medical Act of 1978. In 1980, he received the gold medal of the British Medical Association and became an honorary fellow of Green College, University of Oxford.


Later life and legacy

In later life, Hunt was blind and had
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
. He remained confined to his bed for the last three years of his life and died on 28 December 1987 at his home in Fawley, near Henley-on-Thames. His son Dr Jonathan Hunt and granddaughter Dr Chiara Hunt both followed him into the Sloane Street practice. Jonathan Hunt's daughter Marina is the wife of broadcaster
Ben Fogle Benjamin Myer Fogle (born 3 November 1973) is an English broadcaster, writer and adventurer, best known for his presenting roles with British television channels Channel 5, BBC and ITV. Early life Fogle is the son of English actress Julia ...
; her sister Olivia, formerly a girlfriend of
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982), is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. William was born during the reign of his pat ...
, married Nicholas Wilkinson, son of Dame Heather Hallett. Established in 1992 to commemorate the College's 40th anniversary, the RCGP awards the John Hunt Lectureship to someone who is not medically qualified. The Prince of Wales gave the inaugural lecture. 


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt of Fawley, John Hunt, Baron 1905 births 1987 deaths People educated at Charterhouse School Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford 20th-century British medical doctors Conservative Party (UK) life peers People from Secunderabad Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians Fellows of the Royal College of General Practitioners Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Royal Air Force officers British general practitioners Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Life peers created by Elizabeth II