Peter Paul Rickham: the Liverpool neonatal surgery unit 1953

This article highlights the evolution, birth and legacy of the world’s first neonatal surgical unit established at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Liverpool in 1953.

Peter Paul Rickham, a creative pioneering and innovative surgeon, is credited here as a major driving force that helped shape and progress the modern day development of neonatal surgery.

Rickham’s vision was realised by studying neonatal surgical disorders and the mortality rate of congenital anomalies in Mersey Region while working as a young senior registrar with Isabella Forshall.

Rickham defined the extent of the problem(s) and set to work as a newly appointed consultant a vision for improving outcomes with the creation and establishment of a preeminent world leading neonatal surgical unit.

Surgeons from all over the world travelled to work, learn and train with Rickham and the paediatric surgical staff team at Alder Hey in the subsequent years to follow.

Neonatal anaesthesia greatly advanced by Jackson Rees a colleague working in Liverpool with Rickham allowed huge success to flourish—‘the impossible became possible’.

The neonatal surgical unit in Liverpool became the benchmark and prototype for units to develop around the world immediately resulting in improvement in the survival of newborn infants undergoing surgery from 22 to 74%.

Rickham’s contributions to neonatal and paediatric surgery are truly remarkable.

Alder Hey hosts an international symposium and special dinner with Rickham family members as VIP guests in its calendar of events.

A symposium highlight is the Rickham Lecture with the PPR Gold Medal awarded to an international renowned leader in the field of paediatric surgery and the surgical sciences.