37. Dr David Wrigley

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Described as a ‘stubborn defender of the NHS’, Dr David Wrigley says Jeremy Hunt is his biggest motivation. ‘Every day I think of how he is trying to destroy general practice and the NHS. It spurs me to continue to campaign to say how fantastic it is.’

In fact, if he hadn’t been a GP he reckons he would have been the health secretary and would have ‘made a better job of it than the last two we have had,’ he argues.

As one of the profession’s most passionate and strident critics of ‘the ongoing privatisation of the NHS’, this year has seen the Lancashire GP elected to BMA UK council and contribute to the book NHS SOS that outlines the ‘betrayal’ of the health service by politicians, the media and NHS leaders and what needs to be done to save the country’s ‘most valued institution’.

In addition, the past year has been – as for many GPs – a fight to try to ‘continue providing a first class general practice service to our patients in Carnforth despite the coalition government reducing our funding year on year,’ he says.

His key message to young medics who may be starting off disillusioned about the profession: ‘Don’t believe all the politician and media lies about how bad the NHS is or how bad general practice is – they are wrong.

‘It is still a fantastic job and a fantastic service despite their efforts to do as much damage as possible to it.’

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