Obituary - Professor Jimmy Steele CBE

It is with deep sadness that the British Society of Periodontology records the death of Professor Jimmy Steele, CBE. The former Head of Newcastle University’s School of Dental Sciences passed away peacefully at the age of 55. He had been diagnosed with glioblastoma 22 months earlier.

Professor Steele began working at Newcastle University in 1989 as a clinical lecturer and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1999 and Professor of Oral Health Services in 2003. He was Head of the School of Dental Sciences for seven years until 2016.

In 2009, he led the Independent Review of NHS Dentistry – also known as the Steele Review – which aimed to ensure patients receive the best and most effective care possible. His research focused on primary care dentistry, clinical trials, health economics and quality of life assessments. He was the author of a large number of papers and books in areas of restorative and preventative dentistry.

Professor Steele was one of the leading experts who worked on the Children’s Dental Health Surveys in 2003 and 2013, as well as the 1998 and 2009 Adult Dental Health Surveys. He was a passionate and enthusiastic advocate for dentistry and was hugely respected both nationally and internationally. Professor Steele was awarded a CBE in 2012 for services to dentistry and oral health. He was also national oral and dental research lead for the UK National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network. His funeral took place on 24 November 2018 at Newcastle Crematorium, and was a wonderfully positive celebration of his life. He will be very much missed.

Professor Philip Preshaw