Robert was born in 1942 in London, the son of refugee parents from Germany. He went to the Hall Prep school and then Highgate. He studied medicine at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School. After qualification he did his house jobs in London. After a year at the Radcliffe Infirmary Oxford working for Sir George Pickering he returned to London as registrar to the endocrine Unit at the. Hammersmith Hospital. Thereafter he went to the medical in Unit in Cardiff as a Medical Research Council Fellow and lecturer in medicine. In 1974 he was appointed consultant physician at Northwick Hospital and Clinical Research Centre in Harrow. In 1978 he moved to St Mary's Hospital in London as consultant in General Medicine and Diabetes. He carried out research into the causes of arterial disease in Diabetes and its early detection. He campaigned against the shortages in health care in London in the early 80's and then against so the called internal market introduced by the Thatcher government, He is an enthusiastic, rather than proficient, cellist having started aged 59 and plays in local groups. He is a keen cyclist. In retirement he has been involved in hospice care and chairs a local hospital charity. He has been happily married Arran since 1971 and they have two children Daniel and Jenny.
