Katalin Eva Schopflin
Authors: N. Marks
Journal: BMJ (2003)

A pioneer in family planning

When Hungarian-born Katalin Eva Schopflin received her certificate to practise in the United Kingdom it was after more than 20 frustrating years trying to get a toehold in her chosen profession. Events in European history and personal setbacks seemed to conspire to thwart her entry into medicine.

Despite a late start, she went on to make a mark in general practice. She was active in establishing the Royal College of General Practitioners and received an OBE for her pioneering family planning work.

Katalin's eventful route into medicine began in 1934 when she left Budapest and enrolled at the medical faculty of Prague University. Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia, however, forced her to return to Hungary. Here, first the German and then the Russian occupations prevented her from resuming her medical studies.

In 1945, now married to writer Gyula, Katalin finally took up medicine again at Budapest University, qualifying in 1947. She entered the field of neurology. Two years later she again had her career put on hold, this time to accompany Gyula, appointed a Hungarian envoy, to Stockholm.

Life as a diplomat's wife neither suited her nor lasted long. Less than a year after moving, the couple found themselves at odds with the Hungarian government. Now political exiles, they settled in the UK where Katalin initially became the chief breadwinner.


Hard years followed, but Katalin remained determined to practise medicine. She worked for pharmaceutical company Ward Blenkinsop while studying in Glasgow and Edinburgh to requalify, which she achieved in 1955. 




She was a junior doctor at the Royal Bath and Dulwich hospitals before taking up an anaesthetist post at Ayr General Hospital in 1957. But in 1959 she fell ill with hepatitis and was forced to forgo any hopes of developing this specialism. Instead, on recovery, she became a junior partner in a Glasgow general practice.

Three unhappy years followed, working with partners with whom Katalin failed to see eye to eye, before she moved to take over a singlehanded practice in Stepney, London. It changed her fortunes completely. Gyula still refers to 1964 as her “annus mirabilis” and the period until 1979 when she was awarded her OBE as her “golden years.”

First she discovered a talent for administration as she set about reorganising the 3,000-patient practice. Then, shocked by the poverty of the Indian and Pakistani populations of the East End, she set up postnatal classes and other meetings for the women of the immigrant communities, teaching them family planning practices.

Two further practice moves were followed by a move to Diss, Norfolk, in 1979 for retirement—a somewhat short-lived experience as she soon took up the post of clinical medical officer in family planning for Norfolk Health Authority. Locum work, membership of the Attendance Allowance Board and part time GP work in Diss followed before her final retirement in 1995.

She leaves Gyula, two children, and five grandchildren.

Katalin Eva Schopflin (nee Balazs), former general practitioner London (b 1916; q Budapest 1947; FRCGP, OBE), d 2 January 2003.