Dr George Leslie Feneley

Personal Details

Dr George Leslie Feneley

24/07/1904 to 21/12/1991

Place of birth: Whiteford Road, Plymouth, Devon.

Nationality: British

CRN: 715484

Also known as: Fen

Education and qualifications

Professional life and career

Postgraduate career

House surgeon (to Mr Tommy Carwardine) and House Physician (to Dr Roger Charles) before joining a General Practice in Westbury-on-Trym whilst retaining an interest in hospital medicine by taking up anaesthetics. There were no training or resident posts in Anaesthesia in Bristol and so he, with two of three like minded GP colleagues, earned a living in General Practice and studied anaesthesia, giving their services to the Bristol Hospitals for free. After obtaining the DA in 1939 he was appointed an Honorary Anaesthetist to Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI), and joined the RAMC as an anaesthetic specialist in 1942 serving in North Africa, Italy and Greece. He returned to civilian practice in 1947 as Consultant Anaesthetist to the United Bristol Hospitals and was also appointed a consultant to Southmead, Cossham, Malmesbury and Tetbury Hospitals. With the introduction of the NHS in 1948 he relinquished the latter posts to concentrate on Bristol Royal Infirmary.

Professional interests and activities

Established anaesthetic departments at the BRI and three nearby General Hospitals, and introduced a rotational training scheme throughout the hospitals of the South West. He was a founder member of the Society of Anaesthetists of the South Western Region, actively promoted the establishment of a Chair in Anaesthetics at the University of Bristol and witnessed the appointment of Professor John Clutton-Brock in 1966. Feneley was President of the Bristol Medico-Chirurgical Society in 1958/59.

Author and sources

Sources: obituary published by Society of Anaesthetists of the South West Region and personal contact with Professor Roger Feneley (son).