Prue Barron

Prudence Barron

Early life and education

Prudence Halton was born in

She returned to Cumberland Infirmary as assistant surgical resident for a year, before becoming surgical resident at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where she assisted in the first paediatric open heart surgery to be performed at the hospital. Barron was invited back to Edinburgh by Herzfeld, and was appointed senior surgical registrar at Bruntsfield Hospital in October 1947. She supplemented her salary by demonstrating anatomy to medical students at the University of Edinburgh.^[1]

Medical career

When the youngest of her three children was old enough, she returned part-time to her medical career, initially working as the medical officer at Crawford’s biscuit factory in Edinburgh and later as a

When St Columba’s Hospice for palliative care opened in 1977,[5] Barron worked on a voluntary basis, covering weekends and many nights, subsequently as a member of the executive committee until 1993. In addition she worked as a volunteer marriage guidance councillor, and volunteered in the Leith Hospital Samaritan Society. She was chair of the local Medical Women’s Federation and in her retirement chair of the Cruse bereavement counselling service.^[3]

Personal life

She met fellow surgeon Arthur F.M. Barron while they worked together as anatomy demonstrators. They married in Carlisle Cathedral in July 1950. He became consultant surgeon to Leith Hospital. He died suddenly in 1971 following a stroke.

Barron underwent successful open heart valve replacement surgery at the age of 92. She died in Edinburgh on 10 October 2014.^[1]

Awards and honours

In 1975, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to geriatrics.^[1]

References