The death of Professor Tony Gershlick has left a big hole at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, and the shock waves of his loss have been felt across national and international cardiology communities.
Tony grew up in Southend-on-Sea in an ordinary household and went on to forge an extraordinary career as a clinician, educator and researcher.
He overcame problems with dyslexia and secured a place at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School in 1970. Tony made the most of his opportunity, adding an intercalated BSc (pharmacology and biochemistry) during his course, which no doubt primed his future in clinical science. After pre-registration, Tony undertook prestigious training posts in London teaching hospitals, quickly gaining his MRCP. Cardiology became the career target, inspired by Wallace Brigden, an elder statesman of the day, and others, during his senior house officer post at the National Heart Hospital.
Early clinical and research experience was at the London Hospital. His senior registrar post at the London Chest Hospital introduced Tony to Raphael Balcon, his key career mentor, and Martin Rothman, who inspired him in the then new discipline of coronary angioplasty. Tony quickly embraced the skill set and was active in learning, teaching and developing virtually all subsequent developments in coronary intervention.
In 1988 Tony was headhunted by Professor David De Bono to help establish an academic team alongside the busy clinical cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery services in Leicester (then at Groby Road Hospital). Tony became senior lecturer and honorary consultant, one of just four tertiary centre cardiologists for a population of 3 million in the East Midlands. Tony took on the immense service challenge and maintained a full frontline clinical role until his death, including on-call primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care until the start of this year.
His drive and collaboration with UK and world leaders in coronary intervention brought major technical advances. After transfer to Glenfield Hospital in 1993, Leicester’s clinical and research programme flourished and achieved a strong national and international reputation. Tony’s part in the transformation was considerable. His presence in clinics, wards, catheter suite, research laboratory, multidisciplinary meetings and simply walking the corridors made him highly engaged and popular with all grades of staff. His loyal secretary coordinated his complex timetables and ensured that clinical duties interrupted by academic commitments were replaced by ad hoc sessions and swapped on-call duties. Tony worked hard, usually already at his desk before some might leave for work. He enjoyed the 8am MDT meetings to strengthen decision-making, and was always prepared to give and receive challenges.
Tony’s research programme took off rapidly after arrival in Leicester. Within his first year, Tony was coordinating a multicentre clinical trial of post angioplasty anticoagulation. The academic output became increasingly prolific (over 250 publications) and addressed and influenced key contemporary clinical issues.
Tony was appointed to a personal chair at the University of Leicester in 2008, and has since had a major role in scores of local and multicentre studies. Tony also led the later 2015 CvLPRIT study that helped guide a decision to follow PPCI to the infarct vessel with treatment of disease found in non-infarct vessels. As recognition for his pivotal work, Tony was appointed to the European STEMI Guidelines Committee, a position he proudly held in 2012 and 2018.
He attracted over £3 million in research grants, and this year was chief investigator for studies of early coronary intervention for high-risk ACS patients, and whether ECMO has a place in cardiogenic shock (BHF Rapid Non-STEMI study and EUROSHOCK respectively).
Tony embraced educating others, including over ten years as East Midlands training programme director. Probably his favourite role was organising and hosting highly successful ‘Gershlick brand’ live courses in Leicester – cases beamed to local or remote audiences, an international faculty, showcasing basic and new techniques, expert updates, lectures, panel discussions – they were a hot ticket! Invitations came to travel and teach, memorably a 3-month sabbatical tour to South Africa in 2015. His NHS and research registrars gained an amazing opportunity to develop their skills and reputation and many now populate consultant interventionist roles across the country and beyond.
In 2017 after nearly 30 years of development, research, training, setting standards and leadership, Tony was honoured as the inaugural recipient of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society Lifetime Achievement Award – an accolade much deserved.
Tony also enjoyed an impressive array of pastimes. Sports included rugby (played when young and latterly an avid Leicester Tigers season ticket holder), cycling (Lycra-clad around Leicestershire) alternating with running in his local village, a couple of London Marathons and recreational squash. He was a passionate Jazz saxophonist, and could be seen performing with a group at his local pub, and opportunistically in a New York bar while relaxing at a US meeting! Less well-known was his painting, good enough to frame and hang. He was a very successful and sharp-witted man: intelligent, ambitious, mischievous, loyal, hardworking, and he fashioned a great career. He was supported by his family and a wide circle of friends. Tony was particularly proud of his sons, David and Ben, both now developing their own careers.
Sadly, like many other healthcare professionals, Tony succumbed to COVID-19 infection despite taking protective precautions, most likely a result of continued clinical practice into his late 60s. He leaves his wife Mary, their two boys and many close personal and professional friends.
He will be missed.
J Douglas Skehan
[This obituary originally appeared in the Royal College of Physicians’ In tribute: Remembering RCP members and fellows who died from COVID-19 in 2020]