It is with great sadness that HCSA has learnt of the death of Lawrence Petterson, who was affectionally known as Larry or LEP.
Larry was a former HCSA Chairman and representative for Wales who worked for the NHS for a remarkable 50 years before retiring in 2011.
At his leaving party, the then CEO of the Health Board Jan Williams paid tribute to him and observed that his passion and commitment had not diminished one bit in those 50 years.
He received an MBE in 2003 for services to healthcare and charitable organisations.
During his time as HCSA Chairman, he helped the organisation through some of its more challenging periods and was instrumental in introducing some of the early modernisation changes.
Indeed, Larry was a great advocate for modernisation and new technology and was at the forefront of the implementation of the Oracle Integrated finance and Procurement system in 1999.
After he retired Larry was still very active in many areas of work and particularly with St Johns Ambulance with whom he spent a number of years until 2017 providing them with his advice and guidance, always with an eye to saving them money.
He also enjoyed a challenge and even won Wales Slimming World’s Man of the Year after going from 25st 8lbs to 13st 12lbs in just 10 months in preparation for his daughter’s wedding.
HCSA Chairman Mark Roscrow said: “Larry was a larger-than-life character in many ways who had a burning passion for work and the NHS in particular. He was a true family man and would always speak with great affection about his wife Wendy, the children and, in later life, his grandchildren. Larry will be greatly missed by his family and friends and the NHS procurement community as a whole.”
Date: 12 February