British Association of Physical Medicine

The British Association of Physical Medicine was founded in 1943 by a mix of civilian and armed forces personnel when the practice of physical medicine and the idea of rehabilitation started to develop between the two world wars. The Association was founded as the professional body to promote and firmly establish the specialty of Physical Medicine amongst physicians.
In 1943 a meeting was held at the Medical Society of London's office in Chandos Street and the Association was formed. Brigadier Howitt had gathered together for this meeting a representative group of all those practising Physical Medicine both in the Armed Forces and in civilian life. It was unanimously decided to form an Association, with Lord Horder as President, and Philippe Bauwens as Secretary. The Association membership was for physicians only and this branch of medicine remained separate from physiotherapy.
The Association continued until 1970 when it changed its name to include Rheumatology and was known as the British Association for Physical Medicine and Rheumatology. It changed its name again and finally became the British Association for Rheumatology and Rehabilitation or BARR. BARR was registered as a charity in 1972 and was removed from the Charity Register in September 1992. BARR merged with the Heberden Society in June 1983 to become the British Society for Rheumatology.