Dr Peter Swinyard comes in at number 37 in the 2013 Pulse Power 50. He has fallen eight places from last year’s list.
As long-time chair of the Family Doctor Association, Dr Swinyard wields power and influence at odds with his relaxed demeanour. He has quarterly catch-ups at the Department of Health and an insight into policy planning to which few GPs have access.
In the past 12 months he has criticised the criticised the Government’s out-of-hours plans and ‘boorish’ contract imposition – even calling for the return of Andrew Lansley as health secretary.
But he has also proposed positive solutions, with his plan for cash incentives linked to continuity of care being received favourably in Richmond House.
The latter idea – paying practices for what patients supposedly value the most – is in fact his main goal for the year to come. ‘I’d like to achieve a recognition among GP practices that continuity of care is of value for patients,’ he says. ‘And that it really isn’t difficult for practices to organise.’
