Dr Andrew Michael Hutton

Personal Details

Dr Andrew Michael Hutton MRCP LRCP FFARCS DA

Known as: Michael

11.04/1916 to  17/11/1980

Place of birth:  Finchley, Barnet, London

Nationality: British

CRN: 715085

Education and qualifications

Professional life and career

Postgraduate career

Following graduation Hutton completed his house appointments in medicine and surgery at Guy’s Hospital. He is recorded as a “medical officer” at Guy’s Hospital in the pre war 1939 Census Register. He then was appointed to the Emergency Medical Service for a short period before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant to the RAMC in September 1941. His war service was mostly undertaken in the Far East theatres specialising in anaesthesia and achieving the rank of Major. Apparently he was mentioned in dispatches for distinguished service in Java.

Following the cessation of hostilities he  returned to Guy’s Hospital early in 1946 as a resident anaesthetist. By October he was appointed to one of the first research fellowships awarded by the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, working alongside his fellowship colleague Philip J. Helliwell through 1947. Then he completed his training at Guy’s Hospital and the Evelina Hospital for Sick Children. With the advent of the National Health Service Dr Hutton was appointed a  Consultant Anaesthetist to Guy’s Hospital, a post in which he remained for the rest of his career until his retirement in 1980 at the age of 64, earning  the title of “emeritus consultant”.

Professional interests and activities

Dr Hutton’s research fellowship (with Dr Helliwell) funded studies on the use of the volatile anaesthetic trichloroethylene as an obstetric analgesic. Part of the studies included experiments studying the placental transfer of trichloroethylene between the maternal and fetal circulation in sheep and goats. During this period of his career, whilst still at Guy’s, Dr Hutton additionally contributed to the provision of anaesthesia for the the pioneering cardiac surgery service at the hospital under the guidance of Dr EH Rink. He also  jointly published a further research paper about the introduction and use of the recently available volatile anaesthetic agent halothane for cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass. Dr Hutton continued with his involvement with cardiac surgery and was apparently held in high esteem by the surgeons. During his career he published several more papers.

In 1963 he was appointed director of the anaesthetic department at the hospital, a post which he held for 12 years. During this period he built up the department to provide an efficient service to the hospital and additionally developed an academic unit.
In his published obituary Dr Hutton was described as essentially a clinical anaesthetist who planned and meticulously prepared for each case with options to cover all eventualities. He was described as a kind and gentle person with a genuine sympathetic approach to all the patients; these qualities also made him an excellent tutor of anaesthetics.

He was a fellow of the Association of Anaesthetists, and the Royal Society of Medicine.

Other biographical information

The only son of a captain in the merchant navy, he remained living  in London for nearly all his life. He married Enid Maureen Clarke in 1947, and their first daughter Sally was born in 1949; next came a son Peter and second daughter Susan. Peter followed in  his father’s footsteps to Guy’s Medical School, but chose a career in orthopaedics.  Michael was devoted to his family and extremely proud of the achievements of his children. He had a natural talent for music and enjoyed an active social life. Unfortunately circumstances meant that he was unable to enjoy retirement as he passed away at home just six weeks after the day that he planned to retire. His wife and chidren survived him.

Author and sources

Author:

Dr Innes Simon Chadwick

Sources and comments:

PJH. Obituary (with photograph). British Medical Journal 10 January 1981; 282: 160.
Bibliographic and family information accessed on line at Ancestry.com.
1959 Medical Register accessed on line via Ancestry.com
1933 UK Medical and Dental Students Register accessed on line via Ancestry.com
1942 Medical Directory accessed on line via Ancestry.com. 1955 and 1980 editions accessed by Dr McKenzie at Edinburgh University.
Helliwell PJ, Hutton AM. Analgesia in Obstetrics. Anaesthesia 1949; 4: 18-21.
Helliwell PJ, Hutton AM. Analgesia in Obstetrics. Postgrad Med J. 1948 Oct; 24(276): 527-537.
Helliwell PJ, Hutton AM . Trichloroethylene anaesthesia. Anaesthesia 1950; 5: 4-13.  
Hutton AM, Vale RJ. Halothane for Open Heart Surgery. Anaesthesia 1964; 19: 239-249.
Helliwell PJ, Hutton AM. Twenty Years Ago. Anaesthesia 1968; 23: 686-689