Publish date: 11 March 2021

We’re mourning the loss of our friend, colleague and medical director, Dr Jose Romero-Urcelay, who died peacefully on Tuesday 9 March.

This is a devastating loss for the organisation and beyond.

Anyone who knew and worked with Jose will recognise the enormous loss we all feel at his death. He was a kind, compassionate, talented man and we will all miss him enormously – as a respected clinician and medical director, but above all, as a friend and colleague, for his rigour, good sense, humour and enjoyment of life.

Jose was that rarest of people – a serious, honourable man, with a strong sense of duty, fairness and moral purpose, but with a light touch and dry sense of humour.

There will be time to think about how to honour his life in the right way, but in the meantime, our thoughts are with his family at these saddest of times.

We are producing a book of memories about Jose, who played such a big part in so many people’s lives across the Trust, the NHS and beyond. Anyone who wants to leave a message – to be included in this book – can do so here.

His family has asked that anyone thinking of sending flowers considers making a donation instead to the Sobell House Hospice, who cared for Jose and supported his family.