The winners of the General Practice Awards 2018 were revealed at an awards ceremony on Friday, 30 November at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London hotel.
Now in their tenth year, the awards celebrate the hard work and innovation of general practice teams and individuals.
Lifetime Achievement Award
For the first time, the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award, now in its third year, went to a practice manager – Val Hempsey, a partner at Bridges Medical Practice in Gateshead.
Ms Hempsey – who joined Bridges as a receptionist in 1979 and has been at the practice ever since, became practice manager in 1988 and a partner in 2002.
Ms Hempsey, who was for many years the sole contract holder at the practice, was praised for her outstanding contribution to general practice and her many years of promoting the role and contribution of practice managers.
Commenting on Ms Hempsey’s win, Management in Practice editor-in-chief Gemma Collins said:
‘It was a real honour to present Val with this award. She has spent her 40-year career championing the work of practice managers so the rest of the NHS can see what a massive difference they can make to general practice. She really is an inspiration to the next generation of practice managers.’
Ms Hempsey said: ‘I have been given so many opportunities throughout my career by organisations such as Cogora, the NAPC, and the PMN. I am thankful for everything practice management has given me and my family. I am very proud to [be the winner of] this award.’
Practice Manager of the Year
The Practice Manager of the Year award went to Teresa Chapman, practice manager at Parchmore Medical Centre in Croydon.
Ms Chapman was chosen for the positive impact she has had on patients, the practice and the local area.
Commenting on her victory, Ms Chapman said: ‘I feel humbled to have been selected as Practice Manager of the Year.
‘I am grateful to have a wonderful team supporting me. We have had a really tough few years and it just shows that when you are facing threats and challenges, anything can be achieved if you pull together to drive transformation. Without the support of the whole team we would not be where we are now.’
GP Team of the Year
The multidisciplinary team at City View Medical Practice in Leeds won the General Practice Team of the Year award.
Reasons included the extent to which patients really feel heard by the practice team, as members of the PPG outlined was the case in the practice’s awards application.
Pharmacists, advanced nurse practitioners, and the mental health nurse were all praised for their contribution, which have helped save both GP and admin staff time and boost staff morale.
Commenting of her team’s victory, practice manager Victoria Keys said: ‘Winning this award is a testament to the hard work of the whole team.
‘Some of them have been with us for years and have been loyal to us through hard times and others came on board not really knowing what the job would look like – taking a huge leap of faith.’
‘Everyone quickly came together to form a really strong team with a common purpose. This award is a huge boost for everyone’s confidence and we are really proud of ourselves.’
The GP Team of the Year category also featured a ‘highly commended’ accolade, which went to the Hillview Family Practice team in Bristol.
Practice Nurse of the Year
Commended for her work in doubling the number of women attending cervical screening appointments at the practice in just three months, Helen Crowther, nurse manager at the Weardale Practice in County Durham is this year’s Practice Nurse of the Year winner.