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46. Dr Hamed Khan

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Praised for his ‘dedication to undergraduate medical education’ and his ‘promotion of general practice in the media’, Dr Khan has made a good impression this year on colleagues and carved out a name for himself over the past 12 months.

Confident and down-to-earth in front of the cameras, he has regularly stepped up to the mic for Sky News, Channel 4 and the BBC.

He was particularly good in the hours after health secretary announced his ‘new deal’, explaining clearly why GPs were so disappointed by it in a way that eluded those at the BMA and the RCGP. And he recently took NICE to task on national television over its suggestion that GPs should be reported to the GMC for persistent ‘inappropriate’ antibiotic prescribing.

He has also had stirring and well-read articles features in The Guardian and on Channel 4’s website.

Dr Khan says: ‘Like most other GPs, I feel that as a profession we are often misrepresented by the media, and portrayed in a negative manner, with the challenges, difficulties and pressures that we are facing not receiving the exposure that they warrant.

‘I feel that the time and effort I have expended in articulating our viewpoint, publicising the challenges we face and debating against other policymakers has given us a stronger voice.’

He has become an official spokesperson for NHS Survival, the National Health Action Party and the RCGP, although he stresses that the views he promotes are from the grassroots, and sometimes differ from the college’s standpoint.

He also represented GPs at a NICE webinar, putting the institute on the spot about the disconnect that GPs perceive between guidelines and real practice.

Dr Khan continues to lecture on clinical topics at St George’s, University of London, and was recently nominated by his students for the ‘clinician that has made the biggest educational impact on my career’ award.

His book OSCEs for Medical Finals became a ‘Top 100 Bestseller’ during the past 12 months and he writes regularly for the Pulse Journal Club blog, to summarise the main points of recent medical papers.

As if he wasn’t busy enough, Dr Khan had also spent part of the year setting up a GP-led redirection service in A&E to take the pressure off emergency medics.

His aims for the coming year include to progress and expand his media work and medical education work, and at some point to publish a second edition of the OSCE book. Look out, Dr Christian Jessen…

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