49. Dr Naresh Rati

As executive director of Modality, one of the largest and longest- established super practices, with a 100,000 list across 24 sites, Dr Rati says his biggest achievement this year is seeing the organisation expand across three West Midlands areas.

It is also working with three practices in west London who expressed an interest in joining the organisation.

The organisation, that counts the chief inspector of general practice Professor Steve Field among its partners, is one of NHS England’s ‘new models of care’ and was awarded investment from the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund.

Dr Rati is one of its founders and the Birmingham GP is undoubtedly passionate about the model which he stresses is attractive to struggling practices and enables GPs to ‘be themselves again’.

The Birmingham GP has big plans for his organisation with his sights on building on NHS England’s Vanguard programme which is currently serving 160,000 patients, to focus on delivering ’more responsive’ care to patients, he says. 

He adds: ’We are aiming to integrate community, mental health and general practice into practice based MDTs teams. With a focus on delivering more responsive and proactive care to our patients from their GP practices. Offering patients more specialist community care, closer to home.  

What one thing would you change about general practice? ’Collectively, the strength of general practice has enormous potential to effect real change for the benefit of our patients. I would like to see that change occurring more widely across the profession. Building a strong and resilient infrastructure that serves the core values of local general practice and ultimately our patients.’

He is a member of the British Medical Laser Association as well as being an associate member of the British Association of Dermatologists and British College of Aesthetic Medicine.

Why influential: Pioneer of large-scale GP practice 

Surprising fact: Volunteers at his local temple on Sunday mornings