CBE, ChM, FRCS
1899 - 1995
In June 1961, BAUS elected Leslie Pyrah (1899 - 1995) as its next president. Pyrah was a urologist in Leeds, a department which had been established there in 1950, and he was very keen to pursue the aim of urology as a separate and distinct surgical specialty. An approach to Dr Godber at the Ministry of Health, in December that year, was answered with, "It was for urologists themselves to bring about change". Pyrah realised that BAUS would have to persuade every hospital to create a urology department, "one by one". A standing committee was formed by BAUS and, led by Pyrah, they visited 26 hospitals, but this took 10 years.
The formation of urology departments in Great Britain and the founding of urology as a distinct specialty was given encouragement neither from the Ministry of Health nor the Royal College of Surgeons; it was, according to Leslie Pyrah, all down to the efforts of BAUS Council.
In fact, it was largely down to Leslie Norman Pyrah, the first professor of urology in Great Britain.
Plarrs Lives of the Fellows Online
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