Health News - TV presenter Bill Oddie unveils a statue outside hospital after director left cash in her will

Published: 19 May, 2011
by PAVAN AMARA

ONE of the final wishes of a hard-working and loyal woman who devoted her life to the Royal Free was fulfilled on Thursday when a statue in her memory was unveiled outside the Hampstead hospital.

Joan Roberts, who began her Royal Free career as a secretary and went on to become a senior director, died from cancer in 2009, aged just 46.

She left funds in her will to the Royal Free Charity and asked that a statue be bought and unveiled somewhere in the hospital’s grounds.

Doo Wah Diddy, a 1.8-metre bronze sculpture, inspired by the Manfred Mann song, was chosen by colleagues who spotted it in the Catto Gallery in Hampstead. It was created by Welsh designer Helen Sinclair and has been placed in a prominent position outside the front entrance.

More than 70 of Ms Roberts’ friends and former colleagues joined the official unveiling on Thursday by TV presenter Bill Oddie.

He said: “I was asked to do this a few weeks ago, and as soon as I found out about her I thought it would be churlish not to come here. From what I hear she was very unpretentious, and I really like that. 

“The sculpture represents everything that Joan was – it has a great sense of humour and looks like it’s full of life.”

Tony Ewart, the  Royal Free’s head of performance, who worked with Ms Roberts for many years, said: “I asked colleagues for some words that summed up Joan: ‘hard-working’, ‘kind’, ‘caring’ and ‘loyal’ were mentioned over and over again. Our colleagues who knew her very well said ‘bold’, ‘free’, and ‘fun-loving’, and that’s exactly what this sculpture conveys. It is a wonderful memorial to our dear friend.

“Me and Joan went up the ranks together. She was not from a privileged background but she worked hard at everything, and from starting as an office manager, she was inspired by those around her and went on to do an MBA.”

Ms Roberts’ NHS career spanned 28 years, the majority of which was spent at the Royal Free. She began her career at Camden and Islington Health Authority in 1981 and joined the hospital as a secretary to the finance office manager in 1982.

In 1994, she moved on to a managerial position at a local GP practice and then joined Kingston hospital, before returning to the Royal Free in 2000 where she took up the role of interim general manager of surgery, and later division director. 

She left the hospital in 2007 to join the Middlesex Hospital and then later went on to Bart’s, where she worked until her death in March 2009. 

Ms Sinclair added: “We all know people like Joan who light up a room by just walking through the door and who make you feel better just with a smile or a few words. These are rare people who should be celebrated because they make life better for all of us.”