It is with great sadness that we learnt of Dr Elizabeth Rushworth’s passing earlier this month and we would like to say a few words in tribute to her wonderful work over the years in supporting those affected by brain injury.
As can be seen in Elizabeth’s obituary (see links below), she was a remarkable and determined women, who (at a time when it was not easy to take such strides in society as a women) utilised her intelligence and drive to achieve her doctorate in 1948 and started a long and highly effective medical career that spanned a variety of areas of clinical expertise.
Since her appointment as a registrar at the Rivermead Rehabilitation Centre in Oxford, Elizabeth focussed her attention on those affected by acquired brain injury, working with stroke and traumatic brain injury. After 16 highly committed years at the Rivermead, she retired only to continue to use her expertise and experience to support those affected by brain injury through the setting up of Headway Oxford (now Oxford Head Injury Services). With the help of other carers and interested individuals, Elizabeth steered the organisation from strength to strength and laid the foundations for the highly professional and effective support service that Oxford Head Injury Services has become today.
CEO of Oxford Head Injury Services, Jamie Miller gave his thoughts, “The like of Dr Elizabeth Rushworth are rarely seen, she was an inspiration and worked throughout her entire life in the support of others. Although I only knew Elizabeth in her latter years (since 2009) I hugely valued her knowledge and experience as a professional but even more so, found her to be a person of great compassion and fun. She will be greatly missed by everyone at Oxford Head Injury Services and we pass our sincere condolences to her family and friends.”
