A Cheshire-based practice manager Martin Turner has won the prestigious Practice Manager of the Year Award for bringing positive change to his local area.
Martin Turner, PCN manager and practice manager and at Staveleigh Medical Centre, Cheshire, scooped the prize award at the 15th annual General Practice Awards on Friday night, which highlighted innovation, dedication and passion within the primary healthcare industry.
Mr Turner ‘set an example’ to other managers with his ‘enthusiasm and passion to improve services’, according to the judges, having set up a homelessness project, a training centre for clinical and non-clinical staff, a staff welfare programme, frailty and dementia projects and a local 111 scheme to reduce hospital admissions and practice calls.
After receiving the award, Mr Turner said he was ‘very happy’ and that it was ‘an honour to win’.
‘Our biggest achievement of the year has to be tackling important issues like homelessness and health inequalities,’ he added.
‘Next year we plan to keep expanding and improving on the important work we do and supporting our patients in the best ways we can.’
Meanwhile, the award for Reception Team of the Year went to Health Care First, West Yorkshire, for its review of patient access and subsequent implementation of a new operating model.
The judges praised the fact that average time to answer calls has gone from 50 minutes to 10 minutes and noted that patient satisfaction and staff morale has improved due to the reduced pressure of the call queues.
A spokesperson from Health Care First said: ‘It feels so good to get the recognition for what we’ve been doing during the pandemic.
‘We changed the way we managed patient load, which resulted in a more responsive and efficient service. You have to think about working differently, because the way we’ve been working hasn’t been effective. Innovation is the future.’
The event, held at the Novotel London West, was attended by more than 700 guests from across primary healthcare. In all, 18 trophies were awarded, including for GP of the Year and PCN of the Year.
Head of events marketing at Cogora, Jess Cornish, said: ‘We may say every year how truly valuable it is to have a night like tonight where we recognise those who have gone above and beyond, but I think in the current climate, these words have never been more appropriate.
‘It is as important as ever to celebrate your successes and the amazing resilience that you continue to show.’
Read the full list of winners from the awards and the shortlisted entries here.
