Obituary - Dr Nigel Salmon

1953 to 2016

Nigel trained at Nottingham and started his Anaesthetic career in Cambridge, later moving on to Southampton where he met Suzanne, who came from a Hampshire farming family. During his training he spent time working in Sweden and Hong Kong where he and Suzanne made many friends. He especially enjoyed the Swedish tradition of saunas, birch twigs and ice baths, but curiously was never willing to show us any photos...! In 1987 he was appointed to a Consultant post at Hereford Hospitals, beating off a field of 40 other applicants.

Nigel was a careful, thoughtful doctor who always placed the welfare of his patients before expediency. He had a dry and impish sense of humour, which was often directed against NHS red tape. Nigel devoted a large part of his professional career to Obstetric Anaesthesia, and established a weekly Anaesthetic Antenatal clinic to ensure prospective mothers received the best possible care. He developed a special rapport with all his patients and the enduring respect of the obstetric, surgical and anaesthetic colleagues. Many trainees and colleagues appreciated Nigel’s detailed assessments and anaesthetic plans, when confronted at 3am by an obstetric patient with a complex medical history.

He devoted his time outside work to his beloved family and a variety of other interests including running the London Marathon, learning Italian and working in his beautiful Herefordshire garden which stretched down to the banks of the River Wye.  Nigel and Suzanne enjoyed Italy especially around Naples and the Amalfi coastline, where he, Suzanne and Jenny would return each year.

Nigel was pre-deceased by Suzanne, whom he nursed through her final illness, and is survived by their daughter, Jenny.

Dr John Hutchinson, Hereford