William David George (March 1943 – 6 April 2023)[1] [2] was a British surgeon and breast cancer researcher.[3]
Born in Reading, Berkshire, George was educated at Henley Grammar School.[4]
George began his career in 1973 as a lecturer at the University of Manchester.[4] In 1981, he became a general surgeon at the Western Infirmary in Reading.[5] [4]
By 1990, George shifted his focus to improving breast cancer survival rates through diagnostic procedures.[5] He implemented a diagnostic method that allowed patients to complete all necessary diagnostic tests for breast lumps within a day, as opposed to the traditional multi-week process.[5] In the same year, he helped establish a Surgical Forum which gathered surgeons in Glasgow to exchange medical practices.[5] In 2000, George assumed the Regius Chair of Surgery at the University of Glasgow.[3] [5] He also held leadership positions in several professional organizations, including presidencies at the British Association of Surgical Oncology and the Surgical Research Society of Great Britain and Ireland.[5] Additionally, he served as chairman for the British Breast Group and the West of Scotland Managed Clinical Network for Breast Cancer.[5]
In 2008, George was awarded a CBE for his services to medicine and healthcare, recognizing his contributions, including his advocacy for early-stage breast cancer detection.[5]
He died, aged 80, in April 2023 and was survived by a wife, four children and two step-children.[5]