A hospital doctor retires this week after a 35-year career in the NHS.
Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital will say goodbye to Dr Lorraine de Gray, who retires on Tuesday after spending the last 18 years at the hospital.
Dr de Gray has made an extraordinary contribution to the trust, the region, and the wider field of pain medicine, a hospital spokesperson said.
Since joining the QEH, she has been instrumental in establishing and developing the hospital’s multidisciplinary pain management service.
Known for her clinical excellence, unwavering compassion, and collaborative leadership, Dr de Gray has earned the respect and admiration of both her patients and colleagues. She has dedicated her career to improving the lives of those living with chronic pain, delivering patient-centred care with empathy and dedication, the spokesperson added.
Dr de Gray began her medical career after graduating as a Medicine Doctor (MD) from the University of Malta in 1989. She began her anaesthetic training in the UK in 1991, working across East Anglia, before joining the QEH as a consultant in anaesthesia and pain medicine. Between 2007 and 2019, she served as lead clinician for the pain service at the trust.
A dedicated educator and national leader in her field, Dr de Gray has held numerous prestigious roles, including being Dean of the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anaesthetists – a position she has held since September 2022.
“While I have always loved my time as an anaesthetist, my heart lies with pain management,” said Dr de Gray. “You build such a wonderful rapport with your patients, and I take great pleasure in watching them grow and develop.”
Reflecting on her time at QEH, she added: “I have been blessed with such beautiful colleagues during my time at the trust, and I will miss everyone very much – not least my patients.”
Dr de Gray also holds a Master’s in Medical Law and maintains a special interest in medicolegal issues, contributing to the profession’s understanding and leadership in this complex area.
Her decision to focus on pain medicine was shaped by personal experience after the death of her father from cancer.
Outside of medicine, she is wife to Rupert Calleja, a consultant urological surgeon at the QEH, and a mother of three grown-up children.
In retirement, she plans to travel and indulge her passion for books and classical music – although she admits she’s “not quite ready to put her feet up just yet!”
Rebecca Martin, medical director at the QEH, said: “Lorraine’s dedication, empathy, and clinical leadership have had a profound impact on both patients and colleagues over the years.
“Her work has helped shape a service that puts people first and continues to make a real difference in our community. We are deeply grateful for her many contributions and wish her every happiness in her well-deserved retirement.”
