George Dickinson Hadley

George Dickinson Hadley FRCP (30 June 1908 – 14 August 1984) was an English gastroenterologist. He served in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the Second World War and was taken prisoner during the Dunkirk evacuation. He made several failed escape attempts during his incarceration. In 1963 he introduced the gastrocamera to Britain, thus enabling the development of endoscopy in that country.

Early life and family George Dickinson Hadley, known as "Dicken" at home, was born on 30 June 1908, the son of Laurence Hadley, editor of the Birmingham Post. He was educated at King Edward VI School, Birmingham, and then at Clare College, Cambridge, from where he earned a first class honours degree in natural sciences.

He married Jean Stewart in 1947, who was a professional viola player, and they had three daughters who all played instruments. The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams later became a patient and confidant. Hadley inherited a library of fishing books from his father which he rebound and he was a fly-fisher himself as well as having an interest in oriental rugs.

Medical career Hadley was house physician to Charles Lakin and house surgeon to Gordon Gordon-Taylor.

Later life Hadley was seriously ill in his last five years and died at his home in London on 14 August 1984. He received an obituary in the British Medical Journal and is recorded in Munk's Roll.

Selected publications "Analysis of 400 examinations using the gastrocamera", Gut, 1967, 8, pp. 83–87. (With L.M. Blendis and A.J. Cameron)