Bruce Philp was a wonderful colleague to us all, a consultant here at St Andrew’s Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, where he specialised in acute burns and burns reconstruction. Unfortunately, he died in August this year, far too young, and I would like to do a fundraiser for a cause that was very close to his heart.  

Being a ‘gentle giant’ Bruce was a true polymath with skills in wonderful and varied areas of life including academia, plastic surgery, sport and art. He loved films, music and had a desert dry sense of humour. When I worked at a London teaching hospital in the year 2000, he was my senior registrar and protected me when working for difficult consultant colleagues. Even more memorable was our ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ take off at the Christmas Party and his surprisingly good impression of Meatloaf….

Bruce’s funeral was the most positive celebration of a life that I have seen, and his sporting interests were well covered as he was famous as someone who rowed for both teams in the Oxbridge boat race. Later, he became an avid triathlete and even had a tattoo on his leg having completed a full IronMan (2.4mi swim; 112mi bike; 26.2mi run). 

In 2019, 5 of us (including 2 patients Louise Quinn and Carol Palmer) did a bicycle ride down to the summer plastic surgery meeting from Chelmsford to Bournemouth via plastic units in East Grinsted and Portsmouth. This year Louise and I have entered the Weymouth Half IronMan on 18^th September as another personal challenge and fund raiser. Louise is raising monies for a new patient support group, Breast Friends, run by another two amazing patients and cancer survivors, Caroline Sturman and Janine Aldiss. 

Her page can be found at:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/louise-quinn?utm_term=ZrVr3QqZa

In light of Bruce’s keen interest in triathlons, I have decided to donate to the Children’s Burns Club so would welcome your support for this great project that is non-profit organisation that is part NHS and part charity funded. It is staffed by a fantastic team of volunteers and health professionals. Their overarching aim is to provide opportunities and support to children and their families after they have received a burn injury or other injury/illness that has led them to need specialist burns care cover ing the whole of the London and South East Burns network. 

Wish me luck, as I tend to ‘swim uphill’ according to one swim teacher…..!