My friend and colleague Andrew Wilson, who has died of acute leukaemia aged 65, was a pioneering general practitioner. He made a substantial contribution to British medicine through his work as an associate dean for Health Education England and as convener of the membership examination of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).
He was born in London and raised by his mother, Jessie (nee Franklin), a secretary, in Bounds Green, as his father, Thomas Wilson, a theatre agency booking clerk, died of a heart attack aged 41, before Andrew’s third birthday. He attributed his zest for life to the fact that his father had died so young.
After attending Reed’s school in Cobham, Surrey, Andrew initially studied engineering at University College London but moved to Westminster hospital medical school when he noticed that his childhood sweetheart, Chris Dunn, was having a lot more fun studying medicine. They married in 1972.
Andrew won the prestigious University of London gold medal for the medical student who had most distinguished himself in the final examinations. He joined Chris as a partner at the Schopwick surgery in Elstree, Hertfordshire, which they turned into a thriving, exemplary practice. Andrew was a highly capable, empathetic and caring general practitioner.
Countless colleagues have been influenced by the intellectually rigorous approach he brought to his work on the Teaching the Teachers courses for GP educators and his leadership of the RCGP examination as it became the qualifying standard for all GPs in the UK.
Andrew approached life with a great curiosity and passion. He often attended several plays a week, explored new cuisines, captained sailing boats across the Channel and danced salsa all over the world.
A man of strong opinions, he also had a gift for friendship. Visits to the theatre were followed by amiable debates: Andrew loved the plays of Harold Pinter but had little enthusiasm for musicals, some of which he would dismiss as “drivel”.
Andrew is survived by Chris, their children Tom, also a doctor, and Ellie, a policy officer for Oxfam, four grandchildren and his sister, Dany.
