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Geoffrey Chamberlain

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Geoffrey Chamberlain
Chamberlain in 2000
Born
Geoffrey Victor Price Chamberlain

21 April 1930
Cardiff, Wales
Died30 October 2014 (aged 84)
EducationCowbridge Grammar School, University College London
Known forPresident of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1993–1994
Medical career
ProfessionGynaecologist and Obstetrician
InstitutionsSt George's Hospital, Tooting
Notable works
  • Obstetrics by Ten Teachers
  • Home Births: The Report of the 1994 Confidential Enquiry by the National Birthday Trust Fund

Geoffrey Victor Price Chamberlain (21 April 1930 – 30 October 2014) was professor and academic head of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at St George's Hospital, London, editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). At one time, he was president of the obstetrics and gynaecology section at the Royal Society of Medicine. He also authored numerous textbooks and journal articles on obstetrics.

Chamberlain took considerable interest in maternal mortality and frequently presented significant importance to the triennal Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Death Reports. In his role with the National Birthday Trust, he directed four national surveys of British obstetrics.

He resigned from his academic, editorial and presidential posts following his acceptance of a 'gift authorship' on a fraudulent research paper written by a colleague. Subsequently, Chamberlain moved to Wales where he published an internationally acclaimed textbook, From Witchcraft to Wisdom, whilst teaching history of medicine as an Apothecaries' lecturer.

Early life

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Geoffrey Chamberlain was born on 21 April 1930 in Cardiff to Albert Victor Chamberlain, the Lord Mayor of Cardiff's secretary, and Irene May Chamberlain née Price.[1][2]

His early education was at Llandaff Cathedral School, followed by Cowbridge Grammar School, before he went on to University College London to study medicine.[2] His flair at rugby at school earned him the nickname "Bodger".[3]

Medical career

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Chamberlain's early appointments included placements at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital for Women, and King's College Hospital, London. Subsequently, between 1965 and 1966, he taught at the George Washington Hospital, Washington DC, USA.[2] It was during these years that he performed his controversial fetal and placental research.[4][5][6]

In 1954, he entered the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, before retiring in 1974 with the rank of surgeon commander.[2]

He held a consultant post at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital for 12 years from 1970. In 1982 he was appointed professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at St George's Hospital Medical School, where he remained until his resignation in 1995.[2]

In 1989, Chamberlain was elected president of the section of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Royal Society of Medicine. Between 1971 and 1994, he was actively involved in several areas of the RCOG, being elected vice-president from 1984 to 1987 and president from 1993 to 1994 and being a member of the council throughout that whole time. He was also the academic head of the department and editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.[2][7] In 1994, Chamberlain carried out the 1994 Home Birth Study, which demonstrated the safety of planned home births.[8]

Chamberlain took considerable interest in maternal mortality, often recommending GP Irvine Loudon's book, Death in Childbirth, which he described as "first rate", authoring articles on the subject and presenting significant importance to the triennal Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Death Reports.[9][10] In addition, he directed four national surveys of British obstetrics in his role with the National Birthday Trust.[4]

In 1994, Chamberlain resigned as editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and as president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists after unknowingly[11] counter-signing a dishonest report on a fabricated story about a successful transplant of an ectopic fetus into the uterine cavity.[2][12][13][14] The concept of 'gift authorship' was not uncommon at the time, where, without contributing, a senior name could appear on a paper. It could have happened in many other journals.[11][15]

Over the years, Chamberlain had witnessed an increase in attendance of the partner during labour and once said that "the presence of the husband in the labour room has been an advance", they "can act as a referee between midwife, doctor and the woman".[16]

Between 2000 and 2008, he remained at Swansea University as an Apothecaries' lecturer in history of medicine.[2] During this time, he produced an internationally successful textbook on the history of obstetrics, From Witchcraft to Wisdom.[17]

Personal and family

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Chamberlain appreciated opera and travel. He carved wooden decoy ducks[2] and enjoyed wearing his Dr. Martens.[18]

He married Jocelyn Olivia Kerley in 1956 and together they had five children.[2]

Death and legacy

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Chamberlain died on 30 October 2014 at the age of 84.[2][19]

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists presents the Professor Geoffrey Chamberlain award every three years to outstanding trainees.[18]

Selected publications

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References

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  1. ^ "Obituary: Geoffrey Victor Price Chamberlain". Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists. Retrieved 12 October 2021.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k England, Royal College of Surgeons of. "Chamberlain, Geoffrey Victor Price – Biographical entry – Plarr's Lives of the Fellows Online". livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  3. ^ Witness Seminar Maternal 2000, p. 7.
  4. ^ a b Christie, D. A.; Tansey, E. M., eds. (2001). Maternal care: witness seminar transcript (PDF). London: Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-85484-079-3. OCLC 49006847.
  5. ^ Rini, Suzanne M. (1988). Beyond Abortion: A Chronicle of Fetal Experimentation. Avon, New Jersey: TAN Books. pp. 75–76. ISBN 0-89555-487-9.
  6. ^ Ramsey, Paul (2002). Margaret A. Farley (ed.). The Patient as Person: Explorations in Medical Ethics. USA: Yale University Press. p. 17. ISBN 0-300-09396-9.
  7. ^ "Presidents of the RCOG". Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists. Retrieved 23 April 2018.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Flint, Caroline (1997). "Forward". In G. Chamberlain; A. Wraight; P. Crowley (eds.). Home Births: The Report of the 1994 Confidential Enquiry by the National Birthday Trust Fund. The Parthenon Publishing Group Limited. pp. 9–10. ISBN 978-1-85070-934-3.
  9. ^ Witness Seminar Maternal 2000, p. 5.
  10. ^ Chamberlain, Geoffrey (November 2006). "British maternal mortality in the 19th and early 20th centuries". Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 99 (11): 559–563. doi:10.1177/014107680609901113. ISSN 0141-0768. PMC 1633559. PMID 17082299.
  11. ^ a b Smith, Richard (May 2006). "Research misconduct: the poisoning of the well". Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 99 (5): 232–237. doi:10.1177/014107680609900514. ISSN 0141-0768. PMC 1457763. PMID 16672756.
  12. ^ "Consultant struck off for fraudulent claims". BMJ. 310 (6994): 1554–1555. 17 June 1995. doi:10.1136/bmj.310.6994.1554a. ISSN 0959-8138. PMID 7787636. S2CID 28734773.
  13. ^ "Consultant sacked over pregnancy claims". The Independent. 24 December 1994. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  14. ^ Studd, J.W.W. (1995). The Yearbook of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 1995. RCOG Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-902331-77-8.
  15. ^ Smith, Richard (2006). "The Trouble with Medical Journals". Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 99 (3). Royal Society of Medicine Press: 115–119. doi:10.1177/014107680609900311. ISBN 978-1-85315-673-1. PMC 1383755. PMID 16508048.
  16. ^ "Childbirth: the professional view". 13 December 2006. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  17. ^ "RCOG Annual Reports 2007" (PDF). RCOG.org.uk.
  18. ^ a b "Fantastic Finds for Friday: Professor Geoffrey Chamberlain". Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Heritage Blog. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  19. ^ United Kingdom Probate Search: CHAMBERLAIN, GEOFFREY VICTOR PRICE
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