Sir Harold Gillies memorial lecture. Speak ye comfortably

Sir Harold Gillies: surgical pioneer

Innumerable articles and eulogies have been written about Harold Delf Gillies (HDG) detailing his contributions to the field of plastic surgery. There is perhaps more to HDG than this alone. While his singular personality led him to think ‘outside the box’ in surgical terms, his innovations extended past mere technique and he was perhaps responsible for a more generally applicable philosophy -that of the multidisciplinary team. This article examines some of his achievements and looks behind the surgeon to the visionary.