The kindest of doctors

Published: 21 October, 2010

• I WAS sad to read (Obituary, October 14) of the death of Mr John Lee of Moorfields Eye Hospital. 

I had been a patient under Mr Lee’s guidance for the past 15 years. He was one of the kindest and considerate men I have ever known in the medical profession. 

He always wore humorous badges on the lapels of his white coat, especially for the children under his care. There was also a corner in the waiting area full of toys, including a rocking horse, again for the children.

On one occasion, two uniformed security guards arrived, I think from a prison, handcuffed to a prisoner who had come to the clinic for treatment. 

Mr Lee said to the guards that he would not treat his patient while he was handcuffed. Courteously, he asked the guards to unhand-cuff his patient and to sit outside his room and then said “he’s hardly going to do a runner, is he?”. 

He always talked to you as if you were the only patient he was dealing with that day. He always explained in layman’s terms what the problem with your eyes was and what result to expect if a particular method was to be used on you. 

He also gave you the opportunity to decide for yourself if you wanted to proceed with a particular course of treatment. He will be sadly missed by all his colleagues and by all who knew him and who were treated by him.

DAVID LEWIS
Crediton Hill, NW6