Sir Denis Pereira Gray worked as a general practitioner for 38 years in the St Leonard’s Medical Practice Exeter, following his father and grandfather. He has been awarded the gold medal of the Hunterian Society, London, the gold medal of the Royal Institute of Public Health, and honorary doctorates by three British universities.

He established the first postgraduate university department of general practice in Europe at the University of Exeter and was later appointed Professor and Director of the Exeter University Postgraduate Medical School, serving for ten years. He was a twice elected by the registered medical practitioners in England to the General Medical Council. He has written/edited four books and has had over 200 articles published in scientific medical journals.

Sir Denis has been a member of several Government Committees including the Review of the Abortion Act. He was elected Chairman of Council and later President of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Chairman of the JCPTPGP, a medical regulatory body, and was Chairman of the Trustees of the Nuffield Trust, a national health policy charity. He was knighted for services to quality assurance in general practice.

Sir Denis was Vice-Chairman and then Chairman of the Academy of all the Medical Royal Colleges. He is one of 30 British doctors who have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, Washington USA.

He is currently undertaking research at the St Leonard’s Research Practice, Exeter, is an Assessor for the Queen’s Award for Higher and Further Education, Patron of the National Association for Patient Participation, and President of the children’s charity, What About the Children?