Geoffrey Chamberlain Explained

Geoffrey Chamberlain
Birth Name:Geoffrey Victor Price Chamberlain
Birth Date:21 April 1930
Birth Place:Cardiff, Wales
Death Date:30 October 2014 (aged 84)
Education:Cowbridge Grammar School, University College London
Known For:President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1993–1994
Notable Works:
  • Obstetrics by Ten Teachers
  • Home Births: The Report of the 1994 Confidential Enquiry by the National Birthday Trust Fund
Profession:Gynaecologist and Obstetrician
Work Institutions:St George's Hospital, Tooting

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

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

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 counter-signing a dishonest report on a fabricated story about a successful transplant of an ectopic fetus into the uterine cavity.[2] [11] [12] [13] 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.[14] [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

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

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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Obituary: Geoffrey Victor Price Chamberlain . Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists . 12 October 2021 .
  2. Web site: Chamberlain, Geoffrey Victor Price – Biographical entry – Plarr's Lives of the Fellows Online. England. Royal College of Surgeons of. livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk. 19 April 2018.
  3. Witness Seminar Maternal 2000, p. 7.
  4. Book: Maternal care: witness seminar transcript. 2001. Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL . Christie, D. A. . Tansey, E. M. . 978-0-85484-079-3. London. 5. 49006847.
  5. Book: Rini, Suzanne M.. Beyond Abortion: A Chronicle of Fetal Experimentation. 1988. TAN Books. Avon, New Jersey. 0-89555-487-9. 75–76.
  6. Book: Ramsey, Paul. Margaret A. Farley. The Patient as Person: Explorations in Medical Ethics. 2002. Yale University Press. USA. 0-300-09396-9. 17.
  7. Web site: Presidents of the RCOG. Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists. 23 April 2018.
  8. Book: Flint, Caroline . G. Chamberlain . A. Wraight . P. Crowley . Home Births: The Report of the 1994 Confidential Enquiry by the National Birthday Trust Fund. https://books.google.com/books?id=BCModOVgNdMC&pg=PR10. 1997. The Parthenon Publishing Group Limited. 978-1-85070-934-3. 9–10. Forward.
  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. 0141-0768. 1633559. 17082299. 10.1177/014107680609901113.
  11. Group. British Medical Journal Publishing. 17 June 1995. Consultant struck off for fraudulent claims. BMJ. 310. 6994. 1554–1555. 10.1136/bmj.310.6994.1554a. 0959-8138. 7787636. 28734773.
  12. News: Consultant sacked over pregnancy claims. 24 December 1994. The Independent. 19 April 2018.
  13. Book: Studd, J.W.W. . The Yearbook of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 1995. 1995. RCOG Press. 978-0-902331-77-8. 13.
  14. Smith. Richard. May 2006. Research misconduct: the poisoning of the well. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 99. 5. 232–237. 0141-0768. 1457763. 16672756. 10.1177/014107680609900514.
  15. Smith. Richard . The Trouble with Medical Journals. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine . 99 . 3 . 115–119 . 2006. Royal Society of Medicine Press. 978-1-85315-673-1. 16508048 . 10.1177/014107680609900311 . 1383755 .
  16. News: Childbirth: the professional view. 13 December 2006. 23 April 2018.
  17. Web site: RCOG Annual Reports 2007. RCOG.org.uk.
  18. News: Fantastic Finds for Friday: Professor Geoffrey Chamberlain. 6 November 2014. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Heritage Blog. 19 April 2018.
  19. https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/search-results United Kingdom Probate Search: CHAMBERLAIN, GEOFFREY VICTOR PRICE