Alumni Remembered - Dr Colin Barnes

1 September 2026

Colin Barnes entered The London Hospital Medical College as an undergraduate in 1961 and spent much of his career as Consultant Rheumatologist at The London. He met his wife Marian as an undergraduate and they had two children, one of whom, Peter, sadly died very young in 2020. Colin and Marian retired to Chagford in Devon, where they were leading supporters of their local church. Marian died in 2022.

Colin was an excellent general rheumatologist but had many interests within the discipline, especially in his work with Brian Colvin in the Haemophilia Centre, where they ran joint clinics to manage haemophilic arthropathy for many years. He had an international reputation in the field of Behçet’s Disease and was an Honorary Life President of The International Society for that condition.

He was Staff President of The London Hospital Rugby Club from 1987-1990 when Peter, who had a distinguished rugby career of his own, was playing for the 1^st XV.

Colin was a true son of The London and left a strong legacy of outstanding clinical care, research excellence and administrative skill in the discipline.

Professor Brian Colvin and Professor Ali Jawad