Memories of Donal Joseph O'Donoghue | Ever Loved

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In memory of

Donal Joseph O'Donoghue

Manchester, UK

August 15, 1956 - January 3, 2021

Aug 15, 1956 - Jan 3, 2021

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Rachel Middleton

I have been lucky to work with Donal for the last 20 years, first as a trainee and his research registrar and then as a consultant colleague. I am proud to work in the department he grew and nurtured. He put Salford on the map as a leading renal centre and built a strong cohesive team who are all devastated by his loss. Donal’s vision of kidney treatment close to home led to the development of our local kidney care centres we have today and embedded quality improvement and shared decision making at the heart of our practice.

As a mentor over the years, I am indebted to Donal for his wise words, support and vision for myself, our team and nationally for kidney services. Donal’s legacy as a doctor, clinical director, national clinical director, president of renal societies, Registrar of RCP is unparalleled, his ability to navigate through political landscapes was unique and awe inspiring. All with his characteristic generosity and good humour. Yet he had so much more to give.

Donal would always be the first to congratulate or offer support. He was a passionate advocate of our renal community and encouraged all trainees to extend their learning at national conferences. I will forever be amazed at his ability to be last up at the end of a long day and first at the conference the next morning.

Thank you Donal for all the support and opportunities you gave me over the years. My heartfelt condolences go to Marie and all Donal’s family.

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Marie O'Donoghue

James O'Donoghue

Simon Bowers

Donal sat as Hospital clinician on our CCG Governing Body when I was vice chair and later chair. He always made time for colleagues looking to benefit from his wisdom. My overriding memory is him taking me for a pint after work and, once we’d dealt with United and Liverpool’s latest travails, his passion for people, both patients and staff being central to everything he said. Our Governing Body had 9 GPs. It is tribute to my friend Donal that it would be he - the hospital doctor - who would often drag the conversation back to patients. Liverpool thanks you, Donal. Rest in Peace

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Alison Shore

2020, Royal College of Physicians, Saint Andrews Place, London, UK

I worked regularly with Donal managing several committees he either chaired or was a member of. I will miss his eloquence, gentle humour and most of all his support and guidance. I remember his enthusiasm about my first visit to New York in Christmas 2019 and the joy he spoke about visiting himself. I will miss this wonderful, clever, dear, kind man.

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Mary Newman

By the time I worked with Donal he had been NCD for Kidney Care for some time and the specialty had had central investment for some time: the challenge for us was to keep momentum going despite the looming creation of NHS England which de facto abolished his role (and mine as his sponsor) and the teams supporting nationally coordinated action. Donal taught me that if the ship is big enough, you don’t have to worry about course corrections. His loss is a truly great loss, but the improvements he oversaw in renal care both for chronic disease and acute injury will last. His family have every reason to be proud.

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Bev Matthews

James O'Donoghue

Eileen Burns

I remember well how welcome he made me on my first College Council meeting. And if you stayed at Harvey House you could rely on a friendly face at breakfast. Always time for colleagues, never stood on ceremony despite the high esteem in which we all held him. Gone far, far too soon. Thoughts and prayers with his family.

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Bhavana V Nagabhushanarao

2019, Royal College of Physicians, Saint Andrews Place, London, UK

Professor Donol, The Registrar

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Marie O'Donoghue

Bhavana V Nagabhushanarao

We had an opportunity to have Professor Dr Donal O’Donghue’s company during my fellowship dinner on 10 September 2019 at the Royal College of physicians, London. He was compassionate and gregarious. We discussed several topics related to medical practice in India. He asked my suggestions regarding fellowship functions. When I expressed my opinions, he took note of the suggestions in a notebook. It shows how much importance he gave to members' views. I was overwhelmed by this grand gesture. Great people are great because they are great. His sudden demise is an immense loss to the international medical profession and the Royal college of physicians, London.

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Marie O'Donoghue

Jill Norman

Like so many others, I was deeply shocked and saddened to hear of Donal's death. Many of the tributes on this page have been from fellow clinicians and healthcare professionals but Donal also gave generously of his time and knowledge to non-clinical researchers (or, as Donal once put it, "those who work on molecules"). I once had the pleasure of examining a PhD with Donal - both the student and I learnt a lot from my fellow examiner! He will be much missed across the renal community. My deepest sympathy to his family and friends.

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Stephen Marks

It was always a pleasure to meet and work with Donal who was an inspirational leader in our renal community. He was passionate about the care of all children and young people with kidney disease. He will be sorely missed and our heart goes out to his family at this difficult time.

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Marios Adamou

An exceptional human being, always looking out on how to support progress. A true visionary and medical leader, will be missed by his family, colleagues and profession.

Was instrumental in promoting a project supporting the well-being of doctors https://www.scirp.org/journal… and has been a source of counsel and wisdom along the way

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Helen Roper

1980, Manchester University

Donal 4th row from front, 2nd left

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Bev Matthews

Marie O'Donoghue

Comments:

Damian Fogarty

Great picture Helen. What year in Med school? Great picture Helen. What year in Med school? Great picture Helen. What year in Med school?

Helen Roper

I was so sorry to hear the news of Donal's death and send all my condolences to is family, friends and colleagues.
I was a contemporary of Donal's at Manchester University Medical School and we were House Physicians at MRI. We would perhaps have met at our (sadly cancelled) 40 year reunion planned in November 2020.
Donal is in this pre-graduation photo, 4th row from the front, 2nd left.

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Comments:

Ged ODonoghue

Thanks for this photo Helen. I well remember Edmund and Eamon, the compadres either side of him in the photo.... Read more Thanks for this photo Helen. I well remember Edmund and Eamon, the compadres either side of him in the photo. Three rapscallions.... Read more Thanks for this photo Helen. I well remember Edmund... Read more

Marie O'Donoghue

Lovely to have this photo, Helen. very hPPY Dys Lovely to have this photo, Helen. very hPPY Dys Lovely to have this photo, Helen. very hPPY Dys

Ross & Beth Morton

Familiar faces: good memories Familiar faces: good memories Familiar faces: good memories

John Coleman

We had the great pleasure of meeting this wonderful man in February 2019 such a lovely person , the world of renal medicine will miss his great knowledge and wisdom rest in peace Sir John & Joy Coleman

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Matthew Graham-Brown

British Renal Society

British Renal Society Tribute to Prof Donal O’Donoghue

Donal served as President of the British Renal Society (BRS) from 2000-2003. During his term, he led the transition of the informal British Renal Symposium to a fully-fledged multi-professional society and established the foundation for its success in bringing together all professions within the UK kidney community to promote research and continuous improvement in clinical care. Donal was passionate about improving the care and quality of life of people with kidney disease and devoted himself to this end in the multiple leadership roles he held during his distinguished career. He recognised the critical importance of multi-professional collaboration in providing truly holistic care and promoted this at every opportunity. He was one of only two people to have served as President of both the BRS and the Renal Association (RA). As President of the RA he worked to set in motion the process to bring together the BRS and the RA to form a single professional society to better represent and serve the whole UK kidney community. It is ironic that the final success of these efforts, the formation of the UK Kidney Association, was announced shortly after his untimely passing. Donal was a towering figure in the UK kidney community and his loss will leave a great void. Nevertheless, his influence will endure long into the future through the many people he mentored and the multiple improvements that he brought to patient care.

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Matthew Graham-Brown

Roger Boyle

It was my pleasure to work with Donal at the Department of Health while he was National Director for Kidney Disease. He was gracious, utterly committed and helpful to all of us and everyone with kidney disease. He became a good friend and I shall miss him greatly.
I send my sincere condolences to his family.
Sir Roger Boyle
Previously National Director for Heart Disease and Stroke

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Bev Matthews

Kath Fishwick

The team at Oaklands Hospital were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Professor O'Donoghue. He had held practising privileges with us since 1992 and was well respected by his colleagues and patients alike. A huge loss to the Medical profession. Our sympathy goes out to his family. May he rest in peace X

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Maggie Rae

The Faculty of Public Health was very sad to hear of the passing of Donal O'Donoghue. Donal was very highly respected and liked in the Royal College community and was a strong supporter of public health throughout his time as Registrar of the Royal College of Physicians. Our thoughts and sympathies are with all his family and friends.

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Frances Mortimer

Donal was introduced to us in 2008, early in the life of our charity (The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare) and was immediately supportive of the new ideas we put on the table. He became one of the first champions of sustainable healthcare and continued to support green nephrology and CSH all through the years. During his time as National Clinical Director, through NHS Kidney Care, he funded the first 'Green Nephrology Fellow', and thereby pioneered the first sustainability work in any specialty and launched a real commitment to sustainability in kidney care. The models and case studies from Green Nephrology have since been spread and shared across the country and the world and have inspired others to start work in this area.

He was also the first to start including sustainability as a seventh dimension of quality, and we still use his slide in our teaching. This insight led to the development of the SusQI framework which places sustainability at the heart of QI and is proving so powerful in equipping clinicians to act for a greener, better health service.

We often use Donal as an example of leadership in our training courses; he really was the best kind of leader. He was inclusive and personally kind to people in our small team – drawing us into strategic conversations and incredibly generous with his time and networks. He made time for us on the phone and email – always replying on the same day with practical help and connections. We were so touched when he came to the CSH 10-year workshop and party a couple of years ago. And he was the star of our Sustainable Specialties video https://www.youtube.com/watch… which we will treasure more than ever now.

From Frances and the CSH team

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Bev Matthews

Albert Ong

Like everyone who knew him, I was both shocked and saddened by Donal's untimely passing. He was a unique figure in British nephrology combining so many talents, achieving so much yet never losing the common touch. As others have commented, he had the gift of making time for everyone and retained a wonderful light touch despite his increasing prominence and success. His commitment to improving patient care through delivering better renal services stands out for me as his major legacy. His personal support towards me in working to improve the care and treatment of ADPKD patients will long be remembered. My sincere condolences to his family. I will miss him.

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Sally-Anne Hulton

Donal was a remarkable mentor to me during these last 3 years, welcoming me with extraordinary kindness into his care as a new Trustee to the Renal Association. I was in awe of him, his knowledge, his expertise, his perspicacity. Over our frequent, regular meetings and telephone calls I grew to appreciate so much of this great man. He was unusual in that he was open to new ideas, welcoming of change, warm and without pretence or grandiosity. His support of the Trustees was always apparent and I cannot recall a word or phrase that was ever undermining. A man of integrity.

I miss his wisdom, acuity of thought, insights, humour, passion for patient care, dedication and extraordinary ability to reply to an email within the second that the message moved from my outbox to sent item! What a tragedy that he should have succumbed to Covid within days of vaccine approval. With so many others, I grieve for him dreadfully.

Sally Hulton
President BAPN
Vice president RA

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Matthew Graham-Brown

Bev Matthews

Marie O'Donoghue

Charles Swainson

I missed Donal in Edinburgh in the 80s but he and Liam Plant were a formidable team and well remembered. But I met him many times over the next 15 years and was always impressed by his patient centred approach long before it became fashionable. The tributes illustrate how excellent he was.

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Rasheed Ahmad

Donal was full of life and at the medical conferences, his amicable attitude was very much appreciated by all.His measured outspokenness and genuine criticism shall be missed. Dr Rasheed Ahmad, Retired Consultant Nephrologist, Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

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Kathryn Mills-Webb

Toby Hillman

I worked with Donal at the College on sustainability in healthcare. His enthusiasm for a niche concern was evident and his advice and support were always valued. Donal was very supportive when required and had the sharp mind and attention to detail one would expect of a Renal Physician, but without inducing the fear that this particular breed of specialists used to induce in me. Donal held so much in his capable hands at the College and will be sorely missed; not just for his trojan work ethic, but also the softer skills that he had in such abundance.

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Sue Crossland

With my sincere and heartfelt condolences to Marie, his children and wider family and all whom he touched.

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Sue Crossland

I first met Donal when he became Registrar of the College. He instantly made me feel like I had known him forever. He took time to get to know me and has helped me immensely in my role as President of SAM. He was so kind and generous with his time and always supported both Acute Internal Medicine, and me personally.I know he touched many lives and I feel privileged to have known him and counted him as a friend. Rest easy Donal.

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Created with love by Graham Lipkin & Renal Community (Donal's coworker).

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