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GP of the Year 2018 – The finalists

The finalists for this year’s General Practice Awards have been announced, including the shortlist for the ‘GP of the Year’ category.

The awards, in their tenth year, celebrate the hard work, dedication and ingenuity of teams working right across primary care.

Here are the eight GPs vying for this year’s gong. The winner will be announced at a ceremony at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in London on 30 November.

 

Dr Hergeven Doshanjh - GP of the Year 2018 Shortlister

Dr Hergeven Dosanjh, Jubilee Health Centre

Since Dr Hergeven Dosanjh took the lead at Jubilee Health Centre in 2003, the practice has achieved all round ‘good’ ratings from the CQC, introduced new technology to improve patient access, such as a ‘doctor first’ telephone triage system, and is currently working on providing web-based video consultations.

Dr Dosanjh has developed alternative care for patients, such as an allotment in the practice gardens for patients with dementia and a walking club to improve the health of the local community in Coventry.

Colleagues say he has ‘boundless energy and enthusiasm’ and is always pushing boundaries.

 

Dr Jason Fitchett - GP of the Year 2018 Shortlister

Dr Jason Fitchett, The Banks Surgery

Thanks to Dr Jason Fitchett, the Banks Surgery has teamed up with a local primary school to help improve the health of young people in the community. The Sileby Nurture Advancement Project was spearheaded by Dr Fitchett, helping to inform teachers about medical issues that can affect students’ academic progress.

The GP has also reduced workload at his surgery by undertaking weekly ward rounds at the local care home, reducing their phone calls to the surgery from 15 a day to just a few each week.

His ‘innovation, leadership and attention to detail’ also increased the number of thyroid patients attending their annual review by almost 50%.

 

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Dr Angela Goyal, One Medical Group

Passionate about helping fellow GPs, Dr Angela Goyal created Inspiring Medics courses in 2017 to help GPs suffering with burnout, isolation and feeling underwhelmed in their careers.

She hopes the courses build a sense of community among GPs and challenge competition and bullying within the profession, so they can take better care of each other and their patients.

Having studied Lifestyle Medicine, she is passionate about passing on this knowledge to other GPs to improve patients’ wellbeing. She is also running the first national Lifestyle Medicine conference aimed at GPs.

Attendees have described the events as inspiring and giving a renewed sense of enthusiasm for general practice, leaving them feeling motivated, buzzing and having had their wellbeing attended to. GPs previously tempted to quit have resolved to stay in general practice after completing the course.

 

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Dr Gabriel Thomas Hendow, Bransholme Health Centre

This award-winning doctor’s surgery was the only single-handed practice in Britain to be rated ‘overall outstanding’ by the CQC in 2016.

Working in a health centre in a deprived area of Hull, on the largest council estate in Europe, Dr Gabriel Hendow attends to patients who face issues including high unemployment, obesity, teenage pregnancies and chronic illnesses.

Dr Hendow has established a family-run practice with ‘strong values’ and ‘innovative’ methods of care, according to his colleagues. These include running exercise classes, food clinics and teenage health check clinics.

In May 2018, he was also one of 30 people to appear on the Alternative Rich List in the Sunday Times Magazine, which recognised him as a ‘hero in his community’.

 

Dr David J Johnston - GP of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Dr David J Johnston, Maine Medical Practice

This GP has grown his practice extensively, from just one and a half partners to seven as of July 2018, while the patient list has expanded from 2,400 to over 10,000.

Dr David Johnston is passionate about serving his community and developing the practice, according to colleagues.He recently undertook a major project to restore a redundant listed church building at the centre of the village and use it as a new location for the practice. The ‘innovative and imaginative’ vision meant there were less environmental and financial costs than building a totally new site.

 

Dr Kamilla Kamaruddin - GP of the Year 2018 Shortlister

Dr Kamilla Kamaruddin, East One Health and Cable Street Surgery

As a champion of transgender issues within her community and the NHS, Dr Kamilla Kamaruddin has been labelled ‘brilliant and inspirational’ by her colleagues.

The GP has introduced sexual health screenings for transgender patients in the borough of Tower Hamlets. She is also collaborating with Public Health England and the local CCG to offer HPV immunisations, HepC screening and funding for fertility preservation for trans people. As a transgender woman, Dr Kamilla Kamaruddin transitioned from male to female and has since been ‘loud and proud’ and shown ‘true courage’ in advocating for transgender access to tailored medical services.

 

Dr Elvis Martinez

Dr Elvis Martinez, Shotfield Medical Practice

In the practice, palliative care lead Dr Elvis Martinez has worked to improve the wellbeing of his staff and patients. He mentors colleagues, engages with challenging patients and has increased the success rate of end-of-life wishes – over 60% of patents achieved their preferred place of death in 2017, compared with 27% in the previous year.

He has also improved services within the practice, such as standardising medication charts, which has improved accuracy and consistency of reporting within the surgery.

Outside the practice, Dr Martinez has also worked to improve palliative care. This year, he completed the Tough Mudder 5K challenge and helped raise £1,400 for St Raphael’s Hospice.

 

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 Dr Gopal Mehta, Richmond Road Medical Centre

From pioneering a patient access system, to organising the first City and Hackney Mental Health Awareness event, this GP Partner’s dedication to primary care is ‘truly inspirational’ according to colleagues.

Dr Mehta’s efforts have seen a 21% reduction in A&E attendances following the patient access system, which is subsequently being implemented across the borough.

Waiting times have also decreased across practices within the City and Hackney area, including at Sandringham Practice where Dr Mehta took on the role of clinical and operational lead at the previously under-achieving practice. He took the practice from three week waiting times down to 72 hours, increased patient satisfaction and promoted list growth.

If you would like to join our finalists at the General Practice Awards ceremony on 30th November please contact jessicacornish@cogora.com to purchase tickets.