Bernard Ribeiro, Baron Ribeiro

Bernard Francisco Ribeiro, Baron Ribeiro, CBE, FRCS (born 20 January 1944) is a British surgeon who served as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England from 2005 to 2008. He was created a life peer in 2010 and sits in the House of Lords on the Conservative benches.[1][2][3]

The Right Honourable The Lord Ribeiro CBE FRCS
Born	Bernard Francisco Ribeiro 20 January 1944 Achimota, Gold Coast
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Dean Close School, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire; Middlesex Hospital Medical School
Known for	President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 2005–08
Awards	CBE 2004 FRCS Knight Bachelor 2009

Biography

Born in 1944 in Achimota in the Gold Coast (now Ghana), Bernard Ribeiro was educated at Dean Close School, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and at Middlesex Hospital Medical School.

Ribeiro qualified as a doctor at Middlesex Medical School in 1967 and then specialised in surgery, five years later being awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS). From 1979 until his retirement in April 2008, he was consultant general surgeon at Basildon Hospital with a special interest in urology and colorectal surgery, pioneering the use of invasive keyhole surgery,[3] and helping to establish the Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's advanced laparoscopic unit. He was elected to the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1998. In 2008 he was awarded the Honorary degree of Doctor of Science by Anglia Ruskin University.[4] Also in 2008 he received an Honorary Fellowship from the American College of Surgeons.[5]

In the 2004 New Year Honours he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to medicine,[6] and was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 2009 New Year Honours.[7][8] He was created a life peer on 20 December 2010, as Baron Ribeiro, of Achimota in the Republic of Ghana and of Ovington in the County of Hampshire.[9]

In 2012, Lord Ribeiro was confirmed as Chair of the Department of Health's Independent Reconfiguration Panel, advising the Secretary of State for Health on changes to local health services in England.[10] He serves as Master of the Worshipful Company of Barbers for 2013–14. He is President of the Council of Dean Close School.

Lord Ribeiro is an active Freemason and currently serves the United Grand Lodge of England as the Right Worshipful Senior Grand Warden.[11][12] He was previously the Senior Grand Deacon in 2005, and Junior Grand Warden in 2018.[12]

In November 2020 he was appointed to the board of the Equality and Human Rights Commission,[13] and was appointed Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University on January 1, 2021.[14]

References

1. "New Members of the Lords announced", www.parliament.uk.
2. "Sir Bernard Ribeiro appointed as a Life Peer", RCS, 19 November 2010.
3. Emma Palmer, "Pioneering surgeon is given seat in Lords", Basildon News, Brentford Weekly News, 23 November 2010.
4. "Anglia Ruskin University website". Archived from the original on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
5. "Sir Bernard Ribeiro appointed to UK's House of Lords". Archived 23 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine
6. "No. 57155". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2003. p. 8.
7. "No. 58929". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2008. p. 1.
8. "No. 59160". The London Gazette. 18 August 2009. p. 14246.
9. "No. 59642". The London Gazette. 23 December 2010. p. 24598.
10. Department of Health press release
11. "RW Bro the Rt Hon Lord Ribeiro, CBE, PJGW has been appointed Senior Grand Warden", @UGLE_GrandLodge, Twitter, 25 April 2018.
12. https://issuu.com/freemasonrytoday/docs/myb_2019
13. "Four new commissioners appointed to board of Equality and Human Rights Commission". Scottish Legal News. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
14. "Lord Ashcroft steps down as ARU's Chancellor". Retrieved 4 January 2021.

External links

• "Mr Bernard Ribeiro’s GDDA Inaugural Speech", 9 September 2006.