Professor Timothy Draycott MD, BSc, MBBS, FRCOG passed away in November 2025. His colleagues offer a remembrance.
We are deeply saddened as a team by the loss of Professor Tim Draycott, who died peacefully on Monday 24 November following a sudden illness. Tim was truly one in a million – a pioneer in obstetrics, an inspirational leader, and an extraordinary human being.
Tim was the eldest of seven children and grew up outside London. He was educated at Haberdashers’ School in London before progressing to Charing Cross Medical School.
Tim was a widely respected figure in patient safety and maternity care worldwide. He had been a Consultant Obstetrician at Southmead Hospital since 2002, having also worked there as a junior doctor. His impact on patient safety, particularly in maternity care, was unparalleled. Through his visionary leadership of the PROMPT (PRactical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training) programme, Tim transformed maternity care by embedding multi-professional simulation training into everyday practice. The results were extraordinary: a 50% reduction in babies born starved of oxygen and a 70% reduction in babies born with a paralysed arm in Bristol alone. Today, PROMPT is used in 85% of UK maternity units and in many countries worldwide, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Hong Kong – a truly global legacy.
Tim’s greatest gift was his ability to make everyone, whoever they were, feel valued and important. He delivered hundreds of babies, touched countless lives, furthered innumerable careers, and opened doors across the world. He firmly believed that the best outcomes are achieved when teams – doctors, midwives, nurses, and support staff – work and train together. This belief shaped his life’s work and remains his profound and enduring legacy. A gifted communicator, Tim had a remarkable ability to hold a crowd; his stories, humour, and unwavering positivity will be fondly remembered by all who heard him speak.
He had a unique talent for building teams and nurturing people. Tim was a mentor and friend to many junior academics, many of whom now have successful careers that would not have been possible without his encouragement and support. Despite his global success, he always made time to nurture colleagues both professionally and personally. His generosity was exceptional: he offered thoughtful, constructive guidance and created opportunities for early- and mid-career researchers with kindness and genuine care.
Tim established the academic Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at North Bristol, now recognised as a world-leading centre for intrapartum and patient safety research. The advances he led have improved outcomes for mothers and babies not only in Bristol, but across the world.
Beyond clinical practice and research, Tim played a vital role at NHS Resolution as Senior Clinical Advisor for Maternity, bringing his expertise and passion for safety to national strategy and initiatives. He was a strong advocate for reducing avoidable harm, co-authoring influential articles and leading discussions on improving safety to address the rising costs of clinical negligence. He also served as Vice-President for Clinical Quality at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and was a founding director of the Tommy’s Maternity Improvement Centre.
Tim’s contributions were widely recognised. He was named an NHS Hero, awarded Hospital Doctor of the Year, and received the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Excellence in Education. Yet those who knew him best will remember him not only for his achievements, but for his warmth, humility, generosity, and humanity.
Tim was father to three children, Ben, Honour and Olivia. Outside of work, he loved his cooking (particularly fermenting in recent years!), travelling, sports and family – and as with everything in life, was a fountain of knowledge in all of the above.
Tim was deeply respected, admired, and loved. The world is a truly a darker place without him. He will be profoundly missed by the many people whose lives he touched. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Tim’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time. While he will be greatly missed, his legacy will continue to inspire and guide us in our work to improve patient safety for generations to come.
Further information
Supporting the Tim Draycott Scholarship Fund
The Tim Draycott Scholarship Fund is a fitting tribute to his legacy and lifelong commitment to evidence-based improvement and collaborative care. It ensures that Tim’s extraordinary contribution to patient safety will continue to inspire future generations. The Scholarship Fund was announced on 11 December 2025 at THIS Institute, University of Cambridge.
