The heroes of general practice met for a night of recognition for their amazing efforts after another testing year for the profession. We are pleased to announce the deserving winners of three GP categories at the General Practice Awards, who stood out amongst their competitors on the night.
General Practitioner of the Year
Dr Mohammed Jiva MBE, General Practitioner, CEO Rochdale and Bury Local Medical Committee, CEO Rochdale Health Alliance, GP Federation, Clinical Director, Middleton Primary Care Network
Dr Mohamed Jiva’s role as a GP extends further than the demands of the job, working with the Local Medical Committee and supporting around 50 GP practices across the borough. He also works with the GP Federation, supporting the work in six neighbouring PCNs and is CEO of his own PCN.
Within the PCN, he has mentored and supported his deputy Clinical Director Dr Shahid Salim and more to be appointed to his new role within the Borough as the Associate Medical Director for Greater Manchester ICB (HMR Locality).
His innovative efforts to combat running out of space in practices set him apart in the tough round of judging, as his PCN is now the first to provide convenient face-to-face care in local shopping centres for their patients.
He said: ‘The next project for us is to expand the neighbourhood model. We have started working on our 2030 vision for Middleton PCN. We’re not just looking at health, but also housing, policing and digital awareness.’
‘We want to make it a better place for people to live and work, and putting people in the community first. For this to be achieved, all factors that contribute to a healthy life need to be looked at’- he added.
GP Trainee of the Year/Rising Star Award
Dr Ratan Singh Randhawa, GP Trainee, East Twickenham PCN, Committee Member, Hounslow Healthwatch
As a now fully qualified GP, Dr Ratan Singh Randhawa has shown excellent initiative to change the way things are done to go further for the patient population in his practice list.
His nomination specifies he has carried out work covering medication compliance, statin de-prescribing and appropriate use of FIT tests in under 50s to name a few.
Outside of the workplace, Dr Randhawa sits as a committee member for Hounslow Healthwatch; pushing for healthcare improvements and research which are important to patients. He maintains a strong attachments to his roots, lending his skills to a medical camp in Punjab, India earlier this year. He goes the extra mile for his patients and colleagues who speak generously of his spirit and commitment, with one saying ‘All GP practices need a GP like him.’
After winning he said: ‘It is lovely to get the recognition for this award. Everyone works so hard so it feels like a great achievement.’
He went on to say: ‘I have never had a bad day at work in the past five years of doing medicine. I really enjoy the job and I like helping people. A big part of this award is the practice I am in, who really pushed me as a trainee with the ideas I had to improve. If you have the drive, then you are in the right place to help people.’
The GP Team of the Year
The team at Urban Village Medical Practice
As a GP team that pride themselves on their specialist homeless care, they stood out for their important work and innovative ways of helping people get the care they need.
The homelessness programme provides specialist care to a thousand people in the city of Manchester, with outreach workers helping to discharge patients safely, substance misuse workers and a visiting team to help those with Hepatitis C.
Their work aims to ‘deliver a seamless offer to the whole population’, which in 2020 included the purchase of a van converted into a mobile consulting room. This has allowed for the delivery of primary care services where homeless patients might feel more comfortable.
Looking ahead to next year, they are launching a volunteer recruitment programme, collaborating with the community to ensure further inclusion and improve the quality of the services they provide. They also want to develop the training material and information for other practices looking to welcome more homeless patients into their surgery rooms.
The General Practice Awards
The event, run by Pulse’s publisher Cogora, has been going for over 15 years. There were 21 winners on the night, with other awards such as Nursing Team of the Year and Pharmacist of the Year.
Events director at Cogora, Rebecca Joliffe, commented: ‘The General Practice Awards have highlighted the very best examples of success from across primary and community care, recognising projects, individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond to improve healthcare provision in their area.
‘From those delivering frontline clinical care to administrative and support staff, commissioners and suppliers, we are constantly impressed by the commitment and innovation seen across the UK.’
To see a full list of the winners and photos from the night, click here.
