The Company’s Surgical Prize has been awarded to Professor Norman Williams MS FRCS FMed Sci, and Mr. Lee Edwards BSc FRSA, who have jointly invented a circular stapling device and associated instrumentation to effect innovative techniques for ultra low sphincter saving resection, and stoma trephine reinforcement to prevent herniation.

Both winners attended the Surgical Award Dinner held at Cutlers’ Hall in March and received their prize from the Master. The dinner was also attended by Professor John Stanley, Vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons; the Surgeon-General, Vice Admiral Philip Raffaelli; Lieutenant Colonel Tunde Akinkunmi, representing the Commanding Officer of 256 (City of London) Field Hospital; the Masters of the Barbers’, Apothecaries’ and Armourers’ and Brasiers Companies; and many distinguished members of the surgical profession.   

The Cutlers’ Surgical Prize is open to anyone who has performed outstanding work in the field of instrumentation or technical development in any branch of surgery. Entries are judged by representatives of the specialist surgical associations, in conjunction with the Royal College of Surgeons, who recommend which of the entrants should receive the award. The Company also awards Fellowships to recently qualified surgeons at Barts and The Royal London Hospitals, who wish to travel overseas and study surgical techniques that are relevant to their chosen specialism.

This year Fellowships has been awarded to Mr. Paul Charlesworth MSc MRCS (Engl), a registrar in paediatric surgery, who will be studying paediatric laparoscopy and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery in Prague and Strasbourg; and Mr Sanjaya Wijeyekoon MA MBBS MSc MRCS FRCS(Gen), a locum consultant laparoscopic colorectal and trauma surgeon, who will be undertaking a transanal endoscopic microsurgery training course in Chicago.  

                                                                                                                          20.3.11

The following have been installed as officers of the Company:

                                 Master: Christopher Charles Fisher

                                Senior Warden: George Adam Traill

                                Junior Warden: Christopher John Robinson

                                                                                                                       20.7.11