Peter Copeman

Between 1991 and 2013, he was the British Association of Dermatologists Willan Librarian.

He had an appreciation for field sports and was a co-founder of the Game Conservancy, which led him to purchase a 200-acre estate in Abshield near Morpeth, Northumberland, in the 1980s, where he arranged the regeneration of the British grey partridge. The resulting re-landscaping, wildlife corridor hedgerows and several ponds were acknowledged in the finals of the Laurent-Perrier conservation awards, which ran annually by Laurent-Perrier Champagne (UK) Ltd between 1986 and 1998, and was subsequently taken over by James Purdey & Sons.

In 1973, he married Lindsey Brims, who was 16 years younger and whom he had met at a ball at Sorn Castle, Ayrshire a year earlier. They had four children.

In the 1970s and 1980s, he helped modernise Qatar's medical services, frequently visiting Qatar as the guest of the Emir. In addition, he had a private practice in Sloane Street.

In 1965, at a time when leading surgeon Harold Ellis was at Westminster Hospital, Copeman, frequently known as "Dr Spot" by his colleagues, was appointed consultant physician. "He [Copeman] always wore a spotless white coat over a waistcoat and tie, striding the wards with a crocodile of registrars, students and nurses trailing behind."

He completed his undergraduate medical studies at the University of Cambridge before gaining admission to St Thomas' Hospital, London, and qualifying in medicine. He was awarded a gold medal for his PhD thesis on vasculitis and was awarded membership of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), in January 1962 when the pass rate was less than 6%.

Peter William Monckton Copeman FRCS (9 April 1932 – 13 July 2018) was an English dermatologist known as "Dr Spot" by his colleagues. He was consultant physician at Westminster Hospital and consulting dermatologist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. He treated many celebrities and also helped modernise Qatar’s medical services. He authored over a hundred peer-reviewed articles and pioneered research on allergic vasculitis and malignant melanoma.

Peter Copeman was born in London on 9 April 1932, the son of William Copeman CBE, a pioneering rheumatologist, and his wife Helen. His grandfather was Sydney Copeman who worked on the refinement of Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccine.