Hakim BenYounes was born in Tripoli, Libya on 6 October 1959, a sibling to two brothers and three sisters. He studied medicine at the Medical School of Al-Fateh University, Tripoli from where he graduated in May 1983. Â He worked in Abusittah, Central and El Khadra General Hospitals in Tripoli before travelling to Scotland in 1987, with a plan to sit the FRCS examinations and take this qualification back home to Libya along with his experience of working in the UK.
Hakim first worked in the surgical department at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow before taking the opportunity to work as a clinical attachment in surgery at Law Hospital, Carluke in August 1988. The appointment was to change the direction of Hakim’s life.  Here, he was promptly appointed as registrar in general surgery and also when he met a registrar in medicine, Susan, who was later to become his wife. His plans to return home to Libya soon changed and he chose to stay on at Law Hospital in a region that he came to love and which ultimately would become his home.
Hakim was appointed as a visiting registrar in the West of Scotland and joined the higher surgical training rotation from August 1991. During the rotation, he worked in Ayr Hospital, Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow and Monklands District General Hospital in Airdrie.
In February 1994, Hakim took the post of research fellow in the department of surgery of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where his research, carried out in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen, focussed on the use of positron emission tomography in patients with pancreatic and locally advanced breast cancer. The lack of a salary and maintaining a long-distance relationship showed his commitment to the post, which in time would be rewarded. His work and publications impressed to the point that he was offered a higher surgical training number in Oxford, England. This prompted a similar offer of a training number in Aberdeen which Hakim happily accepted, preferring to remain in Scotland, and took up the post in July 1996.
Throughout these years, Hakim and Susan’s close relationship grew stronger and they married in January 1996. The wedding was a modest occasion that ended with a three-day honeymoon in Dunkeld, where they received an unexpected gift of a bottle of champagne sent as a surprise from Hakim’s very first research participant, ‘Patient 001’.
Hakim’s further training sent him on his final specialist registrar posts in Aberdeen and Inverness, before returning to Lanarkshire in September 1998 to take up a substantive appointment in Law Hospital as a consultant surgeon. Here, Hakim once again found himself working alongside Susan – now a consultant in diagnostic radiology – until she made the decision to retire in October 2019.
Over the following 22 years, Hakim established a successful surgical practice specialising in upper gastrointestinal (UGI) surgery. He made the move from Law Hospital to the newly-built Wishaw General Hospital in May 2001 with ease and worked tirelessly to build a respected oesophago-gastric resectional practice that still stands today. Â He was innovative and adaptive and took purpose in ensuring Lanarkshire had a voice in national developments in UGI surgery.
Hakim took the position of specialty cancer lead for UGI in March 2006 while already in the post of clinical director of surgery, which he held until he was appointed as an associate medical director for NHS Lanarkshire in June 2011. Despite this prominent position, his passion lay in his clinical work and in delivering cancer care therefore he accepted the post of chief of medical services at Wishaw General Hospital – later renamed University Hospital Wishaw – during his tenure.
Throughout his time in this role, Hakim promoted and advanced quality improvement, leading innovation and change. He was passionate about medical education and was determined to lead without the barriers of hierarchy. His vision and passion brought an invitation to meet Prince William at an evening to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the NHS in 2018. His tireless promotion of good quality medical care won him the William Cullen Award in 2019, rightly acknowledging his passion for improving care and recognising his exceptional leadership qualities.
While he was industrious at work, he was known as industrial at home. Some may have acknowledged his interest in model planes and helicopters, but few will have known the extent of his abilities. Quietly – and modesty – he spent his time single-handedly building an eco-friendly house. From re-wiring the electrics, installing kitchens and building a solid wood pergola, he did it all. He was a plumber, an electrician, a joiner, a carpenter and a stone cutter. While most would go to bed with the latest novel to read, Hakim would sit up with the latest Screwfix catalogue. There were no disasters. He was well researched on his ventures and possibly his greatest triumph was building a garden shed the size of a small house, fully fitted with electrics, plumbing, insulated and with a living roof to top it off.
Whatever was thought of his many remarkable achievements, the way in which he carried himself and undertook his duties was inspirational. Hakim took the time to know everyone and was a true gentleman who exuded warmth and compassion that spread through the entire hospital community. He was generous with his time, had a smile for everyone and always respected and praised the hard work of others. He treated every person with the same importance regardless of their position. His influence was recognised throughout the hospital and, as a result, his loss has been felt by all. While he was a talented surgeon, an inspirational leader, a devoted husband and a compassionate mentor, he was above all else a friend. It is possible in an obituary to overstate the truth, however, with Hakim this can never be the case. He was ‘simply marvellous’.
Hakim BenYounes, consultant surgeon and chief of medical services, University Hospital Wishaw (born 1959; qualified 1983; FRCS (Edinburgh) 1990, general surgery FRCS (UK) 1998), died from complications relating to major cardiac surgery on 3 November 2020.
