We fondly remember Linda Cardozo OBE, one of the UK’s most respected gynaecologists, Professor of Urogynaecology, and Consultant Gynaecologist at King’s College Hospital, London, UK.
Cardozo trained at Liverpool University Medical School, UK, and qualified with an MBChB in 1974. She developed her special interest in urinary incontinence at St George’s Hospital, London, UK, where she achieved her MD in 1979. She was appointed as a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at King’s College Hospital in 1985, where she continued to develop her interest in all aspects of urogynaecology, focusing on surgical treatment of stress incontinence, pharmacological treatment of detrusor overactivity, recurrent urinary tract infections, and the management of urogenital prolapse.
At King’s College, she headed a pioneering multidisciplinary tertiary referral urogynaecology department, dealing with complex clinical problems, teaching medical students, and training junior doctors.
In addition to her clinical and teaching roles, Cardozo has served as President of the International Urogynecological Association (IUGA), the European Urogynaecological Association (EUGA), the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Women’s Health (ACPWH), and the Section of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM). She was a founding member of the British Society of Urogynaecology (BSUG) and previously acted as Chairman for the British Menopause Society (BMS).
Demonstrating her leadership within the community, in 2015 Cardozo received a lifetime achievement award from the IUGA. She was then awarded an OBE in 2014 for services to urogynaecology and women’s health. King’s College Hospital this week paid tribute to Cardozo as a ‘true pioneer’.
Linda Cardozo died peacefully on the 21st of September 2023. She will be sorely missed by the urogynaecology community, and our thoughts are with her family and colleagues.