Thank you for visiting my JustGiving Page in memory of Dr Robert PaulGrayson. 

Dissection of the thoracic aorta is an uncommon but potentiallycatastrophic event which requires early diagnosis and prompt treatment if thepatient is to survive and escape complications (during the early hours ofdissection, the hourly mortality is more than 1%). .If you’d like to make adonation to The British Hypertension Society I’d be very grateful, as it willhelp them continue their amazing work. Thank you.

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Our Story 

A family and two communities have been left in shock after the sudden death ofa popular and well-known GP.

Dr RobertGrayson (45) was a principal partner at Great Harwood Medical Group and was oneof four GPs in the practice, responsible for the care of around 8,000 patients.He lived in Chatburn with his wife Kirsty, son Dominic (12), stepson Dermot(13) and stepdaughter Kiera (11). He was also father to Matthew (9) and Georgina (14). 

Dr Grayson was taken ill in the early hours of Thursday 10th September 2015,suffering with chest pains, and drove himself to hospital leaving his wife athome in Chatburn caring for their respective children. After undergoingovernight tests, Dr Grayson died suddenly the following morning, with his wifeby his side.

A post-mortem has revealed the cause of death to be thoracic aortic dissection– a tear in the wall of the major artery carrying blood out of the heart.

Mrs Kirsty Grayson said “I have lost my soulmate and confidante and I amabsolutely devastated. Rob always put his family first, but he was also marriedto his patients and looked after many people through to the end of their lives.He specialised in palliative care and went above and beyond to care for people,often working weekends and evenings to make sure that patients did not have tocontact an out of hours GP that they didn’t know. We, as his family,accepted that the care he gave to his ‘other’ family was just as important tohim as we were and that was ok because that was what made Rob Rob. Healways said he wanted to see the world with me and we visited so many places,both as a couple and as a family, including Barcelona, Venice, Budapest,Prague, Rome, Moscow and Bucharest. He just wanted us all to have as good atime as possible. At home, Rob was great at DIY and he really loved hisgarden – no-one ever left our house without armfuls of fruit and vegetables,whatever his latest harvest was.”

Rob gained his medical degree from the Queen Mary University of London in 1997,alongside working at the Medical College of St Bartholomew’s Hospital.

Also a specialist in chronic disease, he had worked at Great Harwood MedicalCentre since August 2005 and, in 2014, oversaw the centre’s merger with RishtonHigh Street Surgery. The practice recently moved into a new purpose-built homein Water Street.

Practice Manager Sarah Lord said: “Rob was committed to the health andwellbeing of his patients and the local community he lived in and served. Hewas very highly thought of among his colleagues and patients, and his loss willbe felt greatly throughout the community. Not only was Rob a highlyexperienced and hardworking doctor, his dedication to his patients was renownedand he will be sadly missed by everyone who met him or was treated by him. Ourthoughts and condolences go to Rob’s family whom he loved very much.”

Facebook tributes flooded in from shocked patients and friends. One messagefrom a patient read: “Rob you will be greatly missed by all who knew you. Mythoughts and love are with family, friends, colleagues and other patients. Aman who gave his all for others and cared beyond his vocation as a doctor. Hemade a difference. RIP xxx”