A Newcastle University professor who died this week was a "medical hero" who spent decades "at the forefront of innovation, development, and leadership in the public health sector".
Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, an Emeritus Professor at Newcastle University who was the founding chair of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), died aged 81 in Darlington on New Year's Day. Over a lengthy career in pharmacology he was a champion for patient safety and ensured patient voice was at the heart of decision-making.
In addition to leading NICE for 12 years, he also chaired the board of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for six years to 2020, and was president of the Royal Society of Medicine for two years.
