Peter Hoffman (QG 1973) has died at age 71

Written by Jonathan Hoffman (QG 1970)

Peter Hoffman: 16 March 1955 – 28 August 2026

Peter Hoffman (71) died early on 28 August 2026 in University College Hospital London. He had cancer. He bore his illness stoically and courageously.  His wife Sue had been at his bedside constantly.

Peter left Highgate in 1973 to study microbiology at Bristol University. After University he became a professional microbiologist at the Public Health Laboratory Service. The organisation has changed its name several times – now it is the UK Health Security Agency – but Peter remained there for his entire career, with his precise job changing to fit his experience and expertise.

At the outbreak of Bird Flu in 1997, Peter was sent to Hong Kong as an expert on disease transmission.

In 2017 Peter went to Liberia at tail end of the Ebola outbreak when the World Health Organisation was helping the Liberia Infection Prevention Team recover after the outbreak.

At the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry launched in 2019 into allegations of deaths from infected systems Peter was called as a Witness of Fact – You can see him giving evidence on Youtube.   His CV submitted to the Inquiry ran to 23 pages!

A tribute to Peter’s work is on the website of the Healthcare Infection Society:

https://www.his.org.uk/news/in-memoriam-peter-hoffman/

‘Peter was a retired Consultant Clinical Scientist for the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), where he built a distinguished career specialising in ventilation and decontamination. His expertise made him a sought-after voice among governmental and professional bodies, and he played a key role in formulating many of the guidelines and standards that continue to shape safe practice in these areas today.

Peter made an outstanding contribution to the field of infection prevention and control, and his expertise and commitment were held in the highest regard by colleagues and peers. In recognition of his exceptional contribution to the field and to the Society, Peter was awarded Honorary Membership of the Society. More recently, he was awarded the Gary French Lecture Award, an honour he was deeply humbled to receive.

Throughout his career, Peter was regularly called upon to investigate incidents and outbreaks, and he was passionate about using the knowledge gained from this work to educate and inform others in the field. His commitment to sharing expertise also saw him serve as a specialist editor for the Journal of Hospital Infection, where his insight helped guide published research for the benefit of the wider community.

Peter will be remembered not only for his professional achievements, but also for his generosity in sharing his knowledge, experience and expertise. Throughout his career, he was tireless in teaching, mentoring and supporting others, and in contributing to the development of expert guidance. His influence extended far beyond his own work, and he leaves a lasting legacy in the many people he inspired and supported.’

The page contains a link to a book of condolences. Some 70 professionals have written. Here is just one example, from Lisa Ridgway:

‘It seems inconceivable that Peter is no longer with us.  Peter wore his great expertise lightly and had a calm authority that cut through the clamour of the less well informed.  He was always the “go to” person for advice in a tricky situation and, reassuringly, one never had to worry that a question was too idiotic to ask. Peter would always give a well-considered answer without making you feel inadequate and it was always tempered with common sense.

Peter was awarded Honorary Membership of the Healthcare Infection Society in 2020 for his commitment to its education programme, to the Journal of Hospital Infection and to guideline development, and his outstanding contribution to IPC was recognised by the award of this year’s Gary French Award. Both were so well deserved. 

Peter was a willing and enthusiastic teacher and will be well known to everyone in IPC from conferences and courses. He was generous to a fault with his time, and I remember one notable HIS Training Day when most of the speakers failed to appear because of illness and Peter just stepped up and lectured for the entire day. The feedback from the trainees was that it was one of the best days they had ever attended because the flow was totally logical, the pace was perfect and there was no repetition!

I attended conference in Quebec with Peter and some colleagues a few years ago. He arrived a few hours earlier than the rest of us and, by the time we set out for our first evening on the town, Peter already had a series of wonderful real ale pubs lined up for us to try! I have fond memories of several days of good beer and great conversation, both enriched by Peter’s dry sense of humour.

We owe a lot to Peter; he supported us, educated us and made the healthcare environment safer for patients, and he will be greatly missed. My deepest condolences to Peter’s family and friends.”

Peter Hoffman (QG 1973)