Lauren Philips worked her foundation years in Truro. She moved to Southmead Hospital in Bristol and worked in intensive care and accident and emergency medicine when she died. She took her own life in north Devon, an area she loved to visit. A caring and compassionate doctor, Lauren was a talented musician and a valued and loved member of the Haffner Orchestra in Lancaster as a student. We, her family, appreciate the contributions made by her friends to her life, and here in her memory. We miss her terribly.
“Lauren was talented, wise, deeply intelligent, and far too humble. Like many of us at university, she fine-tuned her skill of procrastination and was often found reading, taking long naps, or watching Silent Witness and Black Mirror, when she should have been studying. She had an infectious smile and wickedly dry sense of humour; entertaining us by dropping into her Telford accent or with her insistent pride that, while being one of the shortest people in the year, she was still half an inch taller than her friend Heather. Lauren hated clothes shopping and every outing to expand her wardrobe resulted in additions to her library or the fridge as, in her mind, this was money better spent. She was generous and once baked an incredible birthday cake for a friend (although it was so good that she had to sample two slices before presenting it). Lauren had a phenomenal knowledge of wines, and Jemma credits her for discovering New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (as well as the ability to wash her jumpers without them turning grey). Wise beyond her years, Lauren was also not inclined to shy away from serious conversations. Many evenings of deep discussions about important political and ethical topics were had, usually after she had thrashed Zoë and Andora at Scrabble with a glass of red wine in her hand. At Lauren’s heart there was a powerful desire to do good, particularly for those who were less advantaged. With her impatience for social injustices, it was unsurprising that she chose to do an intercalated degree in medical ethics in Manchester. We feel privileged to have been a part of her life.” (Zoë, Andora, Jemma, Heather)
“Lauren was the most self-effacing yet inordinately talented person I have ever met. Despite our nine years of friendship, many of them living in each other’s pockets, I suspect I never knew how talented she truly was. Lauren approached life with cynicism and dark humour, and a fierce love for those close to her. I asked Lauren to play Clair de lune at my wedding, part of me wondering if it would be too challenging. Lauren dismissed me with a laugh and played the most beautiful rendition as I walked down the aisle that I almost forgot what I was walking towards!” (Frances)
“Lauren and I met as children when we were learning the violin. We played in concerts together, attended group lessons, and went on residential courses. I have extremely fond memories of Lauren as a teenager. She had the best sense of humour, was always kind, and was an amazing violinist. We goofed around a lot at Dunfield House in our free time (and sometimes in rehearsals!), but she was always serious when it came to performances, and I was always in awe of her talent and hard work as a musician. She was just an all-round awesome person who I feel very grateful to have grown up together with.” (Krystal)
Clinical fellow North Bristol NHS Trust (b 1990; q Lancaster, 2014), died by suicide on 27 February 2017