Children's Hospital pioneer who changed lives retires

Professor Deirdre Kelly CBE will complete her final shift today but will continue her academic and national work, including leading a pioneering new national Hepatitis C Treatment pathway for children.

Her journey started at London’s Royal Free Hospital in the early 80s.

She trained under the renowned Dame Professor Sheila Sherlock before spending time at Great Ormond Street Hospital and at the University of Nebraska, USA.

Professor Kelly joined Birmingham Children’s Hospital in 1989; setting up the national paediatric Liver Unit.

Professor Kelly said: “At first, people were quite negative about the idea of infant transplantation, but we soon showed them that the process could work and used our published data and experience to convince them.

“When I began, I wanted not just to set up the best Liver Unit in the world but also to make sure children and families felt welcomed and cared for.

“With the help of a marvellous team, I think we succeeded.”

Starting from humble beginnings in a Portakabin, a small team and just two beds at the former Five Ways Children’s Hospital site, the Liver Unit almost immediately started to improve the lives of children.

Within two years the survival rate of infants undergoing transplantation had increased from 40 per cent to about 90 per cent.

Today the Birmingham Children’s Hospital Liver Unit enjoys an international reputation for excellence and a dedicated and expert multi-disciplinary team of more than 50 that includes doctors, nurses, surgeons and allied health professionals, who care for hundreds of patients each year.

Professor Kelly added: “I’m retiring from routine clinical care but will continue to use my experience to help children with liver disease. There are still a lot of exciting things coming my way.

“In a sense I’m ending one chapter but opening another one.

“It’s been immensely rewarding and I have learnt a lot. I take away countless memories that will stay with me forever.”