It is with deep sadness that we are sharing the news of the death of Professor Tim Draycott, MD, BSc, MBBS, FRCOG. Tim died peacefully on Monday 24 November following a sudden illness.
He had been a Consultant Obstetrician at Southmead Hospital since 2002. Tim was the senior clinical advisor to NHS Resolution in the UK, and the immediate past Vice-President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Tim’s development of the multi-professional maternity emergencies training package, PROMPT, has revolutionised maternity care across the world. He established the academic department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at North Bristol, now recognised as a world leading intrapartum and safety research centre. The developments he led improved outcomes for mothers and babies in Bristol, and across the world.
Tim’s work has been recognised by prizes from NHS Innovations, NICE, and the BMJ. Tim was also awarded Hospital Doctor of the Year for his intrapartum emergencies work; he has been recognised as an NHS Hero, and he was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Excellence in Education by Queen Elizabeth.
Tim’s greatest skill was his ability to make everyone, whoever they were, feel special and important. He delivered hundreds of babies, touched so many lives, furthered countless careers and opened doors around the world. He championed the idea that good outcomes happen when teams – doctors, midwives, nurses, and support staff - work and train together. This is his profound and enduring legacy.
On behalf of everyone at North Bristol Trust, we extend our heartfelt sympathies to Tim’s family, friends, and colleagues in the NBT family who we know will be deeply saddened by this loss.