Obituary - Sir Terence English
26 November 2025
(Last updated: 26 Nov 2025 22:12)
Sir Terence English KBE DL FRSCE FRCS FRCP
Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon & Pioneer of Transplantation (1932–2025)
The Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain & Ireland is saddened by the news of the death of Sir Terence English, the surgeon who led the UK’s first successful heart transplant and a visionary who extended the boundaries of what cardiothoracic surgery could achieve. He died peacefully at his home in Oxford on 23 November, aged 93.
Sir Terence performed the landmark heart transplant in August 1979, ending a decade-long moratorium and establishing the Cambridge programme and the UK as world leaders. Through determination and courage in the face of scepticism and early setbacks, he strengthened the public and professional image of cardiothoracic surgery, demonstrating our potential to save and transform lives.
Born in South Africa, he studied engineering before switching to medicine at Guy’s Hospital. Joining Papworth Hospital in 1972, he became a driving force in the development of transplantation, later contributing to Europe’s first heart–lung transplant in 1984.
He was knighted in 1991. He was honoured with the SCTS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.
Sir Terence held numerous distinguished roles, including President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, President of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, President of the British Medical Association, and Master of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge. He continued to shape global health through humanitarian and educational work long after retiring.
He is remembered as a man of energy, resolve and deep purpose. He is survived by his four children, eight grandchildren and his wife, Judith. He is predeceased by his first wife, Anne. He continued to visit Royal Papworth until recently and is remembered for his charm, humour and as an inspiring figure.
SCTS honours Sir Terence English as a pioneering surgeon, an influential leader and a figure who reshaped and elevated the field of cardiothoracic surgery.
Royal Papworth Hospital Obituary of Sir Terence English
St.Catharine's College, Cambridge Obituary of Sir Terence English
Aman Coonar
SCTS President
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