Medical Institute honours leading figures

The Birmingham Medical Institute has awarded its first two honorary fellowships in its 134-year history.

They went to two leading figures from BHSF during the annual Gamgee Lecture which the Birmingham-based health insurer sponsored at the Institute.

The honours went to Sir David Perris, Chairman of BHSF from May, 1985, until May, 2000, and Dr Paul Kanas, who has been Chairman since May 2000. 

The eulogy to each of them was given by Professor Robert Arnott, the Institute’s Director, and the presentations of the Fellowship Certificates were made by the President of the Institute, Dr Ian McKim Thompson.

The lecture is in the memory of Sampson Gamgee and this year it was delivered by Professor Dame Carol Black.

Sampson Gamgee founded BHSF in 1873 and went on to be a founding member of the Birmingham Medical Institute two years later.  BHSF has been helping people care for their health ever since, and as a not-for-profit health insurer, covers 400,000 people, the majority through 3,000 client organisations.