World-leading heart surgeon recalls Sandwell Hospital roots after Pride of Britain honour

A world-renowned heart surgeon who received a Pride of Britain Lifetime Achievement Award has reflected on his early career at Sandwell Hospital – where he also met his future wife.

Mr Asif Hasan trained at the hospital between 1983 and 1984, more than four decades before receiving the prestigious honour in recognition of his achievements in medicine.

The cardiac surgeon has credited his time at Sandwell with helping shape his career, recalling the influence of experienced colleagues and a working environment which encouraged young doctors to consider every aspect of a patient's health.

His time at the hospital also had a lasting impact on his personal life, as it was there that he met his wife, who was working on Lyndon 2 ward.

Looking back on his early years, Mr Hasan recalled the dedication of Dr Walkden, whose weekend ward rounds left a particular impression on him.

He said: "Everybody knew when Dr Walkden had been on his weekend rounds. He lived in the Hallam building and would spend his weekends visiting patients across the entire hospital, taking the time to understand every aspect of their symptoms and care.

"On Monday mornings, you could always spot his contribution immediately. There would be notes written in distinctive green ink across patients' charts."

Mr Hasan believes the lessons he learned during his time at Sandwell remain relevant today, particularly as the NHS faces growing pressures.

Despite going on to become one of the world's leading cardiac surgeons, he has continued to advocate for a greater emphasis on general medical skills rather than focusing solely on individual conditions.

He said: "We have lost something through increasing specialisation. Understanding the whole patient, not just one organ system or one condition, is fundamental.

"The NHS faces significant challenges today and a renewed focus on generalist skills would greatly improve patient outcomes."

Away from the wards, Mr Hasan also has fond memories of the hospital's cricket team, which was captained by Dr Hugh Bradbury.

The team brought together doctors from different departments, while an annual physicians versus surgeons cricket match became a tradition which continues to this day.

Mr Tariq Sami, a consultant urologist at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and a long-standing friend of Mr Hasan, welcomed the recognition.

He said: "I could not be more pleased about this fantastic news. Asif deserves the recognition and more for all that he has done with his career.

"We join the healthcare profession to make a difference, to research technological breakthroughs, to provide treatment at the very edge of what is possible.

"We are here to do the very best for our patients and seeing one of our own recognised in this way is validation of our core values."

Mr Hasan's career has since taken him to the highest levels of cardiac surgery, but he continues to regard his early experiences at Sandwell Hospital as an important foundation for his success.