50 dr bennett richards phillip power50 2017 50
Dr Bennett-Richards has shown how primary care providers can win big contracts locally while retaining the support of local GPs.
As chair of the 37-practice Tower Hamlets GP Care Group CIC federation he has seen annual income rise from £300k in 2014 to £23m in 2017. This is in part due to contract wins that have put GPs at the heart of Tower Hamlets, such as an £11m contract to develop new models of care and whole population health improvement, in partnership with the Barts Health Trust and East London Foundation Trust.
He also led a successful bid for the Health Visiting service in Tower Hamlets, bringing health visiting back into primary care and empowering local health visitors to lead their own service
Outside the CCG Dr Bennett Richards is a longstanding LMC member and also helps cook at a local homeless hostel, is a governor at Bow School and is the go-to Santa Claus at Mile End Hospital. The GP nominating him praised his ‘calm, steady empathetic’ nature, his ‘honesty and integrity’, and his sense of duty, which had earned him huge respect and support from GPs across Tower Hamlets.
They added: ‘He is an outstanding leader who leads from the front, while being consultative and inclusive, building consensus and broad support. Colleagues often turn to him if conflicts or difficulties arise, as he has the gentle wisdom and diplomatic skills to reconcile and heal differences.’
He says: ’I’m incredibly fortunate to work with some inspirational colleagues in every aspect of my roles so it is difficult to single out one person [to thank], but aside from my life and work partners our CEO Chris Banks has been a constant source of support in a way that inspires confidence however dark the clouds might seem.’
Why influential
Local leader showing how GPs can shape the health service
What others say
‘Leads from the front, while building consensus’
Random fact
Helps to cook at a local homeless hostel
