Dr John Holden was known to many within the RCGP for his work on the quality agenda, GP training, clinical audit, Fellowship by Assessment, Membership by Assessment, past Council membership, Provost of Mersey Faculty, and as a recipient of the President’s Medal.
John tragically passed away in a fall from a ridge between Steeple and Little Scoat Fell above Ennerdale in the closing stages of the Joss Naylor (fell running) Challenge on 15 July 2018. He was a keen climber, fell runner, and collector of big-city marathons. As those who knew him well, he was never happier than when he was ‘on the fells’.
John served the community of Haydock in St Helens, Merseyside, for a number of years, having qualified in Birmingham. In 2004 he undertook the establishment of a new surgery nearby in Garswood with his partner Jon White, initially being based in a portacabin in the Stag pub car park. John was always delighted by this postal address, until the practice finally relocated to its new LIFT building.
John worked tirelessly to promote the values of the College and especially equity of access for vulnerable older people, being one of the local leaders who established the first virtual ward — Eldercare — in St Helens in 2007, which cared for up to 700 housebound or care home older people at one time.
He was probably the most published ‘GP in practice’ in the North West — having over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals, including Cochrane reports. But from a general practice point of view he will be most remembered as a true role model and mentor to many of us, and the GP who made clinical audit and significant event analysis popular in Cheshire and Merseyside in the early 90s, before they were universally accepted as quality improvement and learning tools.
John was undoubtedly a wise Yorkshireman who listened well and had much to say on general practice. He was a devout Christian and spent time fundraising and working in Africa and more recently Pakistan, being part of a wide church family at home in Ashton, where he was a lay reader. John enjoyed a partial relocation to the Lakes in the last couple of years.
His first love was, however, his family and he more recently often spoke of his joy at becoming a grandfather. Our thoughts and prayers are with Alyson, his daughters Jenny, Emily, and Rosie, his friends, and colleagues.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2018
