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GPs
Dr Kirsty Baldwin
General Practice Experience
Previously I have been an inner-city GP partner for nearly a decade, then switched into salaried roles, locum work, and other roles as I got more involved in primary care education. I am also the Clinical Lead for Leeds in the Medical Chambers locum group and a GP NHS Appraiser. In short, I have a very portfolio career and have experienced the good and the bad along the way.
Mentoring Experience
I have been lucky to have many excellent informal and formal mentors in my career. I think it is essential for wellbeing that we have dedicated time with a mentor. In all the times I have experienced coaching/ mentoring I have been amazed at the personal outcomes that taking the time to reflect on my situation has achieved. My hope is to replicate this to those that choose to meet with me. I am delighted to have joined GPM plus as a platform to deliver mentoring and a coaching formally as I have supported colleagues and been supported by others throughout my career.
Dr John Bibby
General Practice Experience
I was a GP Partner in a large practice in North Bradford for 31 years. Currently I am a GP Appraiser & Appraisal Lead for NHSE and Wellbeing lead for YORLMC. I am Clinical Lead for the GPMplus service. I have been involved in education throughout my career, both undergraduate and postgraduate, having been a GP Tutor, GP trainer, and VTS course organiser. Over the years I have been a board member of various organisations including PCT, CCG, and CSU and the National Association of Primary Care Educators.
Mentoring Experience
I have a passion for personal development and quality improvement, having been involved in both coaching and quality improvement at Regional, National and International levels. I have had a coach/mentor throughout my career and have experienced the benefits one to one support can provide.
About Me
Away from work I enjoy time with my grandkids and long distance cycle touring on my Brompton folding bike!
Dr Ross Brown
General Practice Experience
Having worked as a GP Partner for 11 years in Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven, I have now made the transition to a portfolio career working as a salaried GP and GPwER in Dermatology which allows me to offer flexibility through the week.
Mentoring Experience
I have an empathic supportive approach and personal experience of managing transitions between roles, the importance of work-life balance and managing a period of illness. I have a long experience of supporting personal and professional development – I been a GP trainer since 2008 and I am an experienced appraiser and mentor.
About Me
In my spare time I enjoy time with my family, the outdoors and photography. I have been a long-term contributor to the John Muir Trust Wild Nature publications.
Dr Clare Connolly
General Practice Experience
I am a happily retired GP. I worked in inner city practice for 30 plus years and was a trainer and programme director as well as having roles in medical politics /commissioning and appraisal.
Mentoring Experience
I’ve always been interested in medicine and the Arts and how each has a relevance to us all and can bring this experience into mentoring.
About Me
I enjoy lots of outdoor stuff – cycling, rowing and walking.
Dr Hannah Coysh
General Practice Experience
I have been an NHS GP for 12 years, working as a salaried GP initially and then as a locum. Over the past 8 years I have developed a portfolio career, working as a tutor at Hull York Medical School and a Macmillan GP. In December 2020 I completed my Lifestyle Medicine Diploma for the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine and use the knowledge gained from this to support my work in all of my roles, including my most recent appointment as a GP with Extended Role in Frailty.
Mentoring Experience
I have worked as part of the Student Wellbeing team at Hull York Medical school for over 5 years, mentoring medical students across all years. Coaching started for me by being coached at GPM+. I enjoyed learning about myself during these sessions and very quickly recognised that I was looking for more than my clinical roles could offer me. So, in March 2023 I completed the Transformational Coaching Diploma for Doctors and in June 2023 I joined GPM+ as a coach/mentor. Since then, I have absolutely loved ‘working’ (although it’s far from a job!) with many doctors, encouraging them to find and follow their own individual paths both inside and outside of their clinical lives.
I am passionate about continuously developing my coaching skills and I am currently studying for the Advanced Transformational Coaching Diploma for Doctors, to gain Coaching Accreditation with the Association for Coaching in the near future. As a coach, I am passionate about understanding what makes us tick, learning from our past experiences, using them to shape our future and live our lives to the fullest. When we identify what is most important to us, it seems to make the, often foggy, path ahead of us much clearer. It tends to make life a lot more fulfilling too!
In 2023, I lost a close family member, which made me stop and really look at what I was doing with my life. I tried to keep working, thinking that’s what doctors ‘should’ do, but soon realised that this was an impossible task. So, I did what had previously been unthinkable and took 3 months off.
Over these very dark days I allowed myself to grieve, spending as much time as possible in nature. I coached myself, and other family members, through this ongoing process and I recognised a desire to offer coaching support to those who are bereaved. This is something I am keen to offer as part of my GPM+ coaching, so let me know if this resonates with you.
About Me
I have two priorities: being a great mum, first and foremost, and being out in nature. Committing to my second priority gives me a better chance of succeeding at my first! I have a full homelife, with 4 school-aged children. Life is often chaotic, with constant juggling to make things work and often I fail. I have struggled in the past with my work-life balance, leading to some feelings of guilt and overwhelm. But to be the best mum I can be, I am learning – after much trial and error – the need to really look after myself. For me, that means getting outdoors, as much as I can. I am a wild swimmer and love dipping in lakes, rivers and waterfalls all year round. I love hiking, walking the dog and gardening, where I find the time and space needed to recharge my batteries. I’ve learned that even grabbing a quick 5 minutes outside during an on-call shift, can be the difference between a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ day.
Currently, my coaching for GPM+ is predominantly delivered online, but if you are keen for face-to-face outdoor sessions, please let me know and we’ll find a way.
Dr Felicity Day
General Practice Experience
I work as a GP partner in a semi-rural practice where over the past 10 years I have had lead roles in safeguarding, CQC, finance, clinical governance and PCN. Prior to this I have worked as salaried GP and locum in the Yorkshire area. I have been a GP trainer for five years which is a role I very much enjoy. I am currently the LMC officer for Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale which has helped me to better understand the challenges faced by GPs and practices and the boundaries that can be established to improve our working lives.
Mentoring Experience
I have been a mentor for the new to practice fellowship scheme for three years and have enjoyed supporting newly qualified GPs through the ups and downs of their early career. We have worked through challenges including confidence issues, time management, unrealistic workplace expectations, changes to job plans, disillusion with the role and complaints. I have also worked as a facilitator on the GPMPlus Healthy Practice Programme supporting a practice through a time of change. One aspect of training that I particularly enjoy is supporting trainees through challenging situations. I am working towards my ILM-5 Mentoring and Coaching qualification and am keen to improve my mentoring skills with regular updates and training sessions.
About Me
I have a personal and professional interest in neurodiversity which spills into my work as a GP, trainer and also mentor. I have two children and two dogs and love doing very long walks, swimming in the sea, baking and crocheting when there is time!
Dr Sally Franks
General Practice Experience
I have been a partner in a busy, split site practice in East Leeds for 15 years and prior to that worked as a salaried GP. I have a special interest in diabetes and a passion for education. I enjoy my roles as GP trainer and educational supervisor which continually refresh my perspectives on primary care. I also run ‘The Green Practice’ workshop as part of the GPMplus Healthy Practice programme and co-chair the Leeds branch of Greener Practice – the UKs primary care sustainability network, engaging general practice for the health of people and planet.
Mentoring Experience
I have mentored for several years, having participated in the initial pilot scheme. I saw this as a valuable thing to do as such support had been lacking for too long. I myself have benefitted from informal mentoring relationships throughout my career, and am delighted to see the need being more formally recognised. I also provide mentoring and coaching on the West Yorkshire new to practice fellowship scheme. I hold the ILM qualification in coaching and mentoring.
About Me
Beyond my own family, I have some experience of working with prospective adoptive parents. Outside of medicine you will find me in my unruly garden, listening to music or writing fiction.
Dr Abigail Gabel
General Practice Experience
Hello, I’m Abi I have been working as a GP for 14 years and have welcomed the flexibility to work both full and part time as my own needs and those of my family have changed over the years. I have worked as salaried GP and locum. I have enjoyed practicing in different communities from Goring-on-Thames to Scunthorpe. I am now a salaried GP in Scunthorpe. I have valued the opportunity to learn from and support colleagues in my role as appraiser and am at tutor for the Hull and York Medical School.
Mentoring Experience
The need for a mentoring service is very apparent and I have hugely valued the informal mentoring relationships I have had with colleagues in the past as both mentor and mentee. I have valued the opportunity to develop these skills through a previous mentoring organisation and now through GPMplus.
About Me
I have two school aged children and enjoy spending time with family ideally outdoors (where they make less mess!). I enjoy music with enthusiasm but little aptitude.
Dr Surajit Ghosh
General Practice Experience
I have been a GP for the last 17 years, after working 7 years in the hospital sector. I have seen many changes in the NHS, both in Primary and in Secondary care. The recent Covid19 pandemic has enforced new ways of working for all of us. Increasing workload, bureaucracy and changes in patient expectations are some of the challenges in working in modern general practice. In my role as LMC chair, I have been involved in negotiations (with CCGs and Secondary care) and mediations (in practice disputes).
Mentoring Experience
Working in a busy semi-urban practice in Heckmondwike, North Kirklees, I have seen my experienced colleagues retiring early and several young GPs resigning and moving on. In my practice, I have now made policies to make salaried and newly qualified doctors feel welcome. My open door policy has made a difference for long-term retention of doctors in the practice. For the last 3 years I have reduced my clinical work from 9 to 6 sessions to maintain my work-life balance. I have been an appraiser for the last 11 years and participated in the Mentorship Pilot for Kirklees. During these meetings, I felt privileged to stimulate my fellow GPs to find new ideas and ways of choosing their own personal development plans to overcome their challenges and boost their resilience. Recently, I have been selected as a mentor for the West Yorkshire Fellowship programme and am working towards completion of ILM5 qualification.
About Me
I enjoy walking, photography and watching cricket.
Dr Bryony Mathew
General Practice Experience
I have been a GP for 18 years and have lived through the highs and lows! I am a portfolio GP, currently working 2 days a week as a salaried GP in Leeds and 2 days a week in the University of Leeds as a clinical teaching fellow on the MBChB. I also work as a placement tutor for medical students within my practice and I am a GP appraiser for NHSE. I have previously worked as a paediatrician and in community minor surgery. I have also previously worked as a locum GP in many practices around Yorkshire. In my clinical role, I continue to deliver joint injections and minor surgery.
Mentoring Experience
I have 18 years of general practice experience and have lived through the highs and lows! I have been mentoring on the scheme since its inception in 2018 and have had the privilege of supporting many people through their professional and personal goals in that time. I have also completed the ILM level 5 qualification (International Leadership and Management).
About Me
When I am not working, I am kept very busy as a mum to 2 boys ( 3 if you count my husband!). I love open water swimming ( the colder the better!) and traveling. I also enjoy walking, running, cycling and eating!
Dr Vinod Menon
General Practice Experience
I am a GP Partner working in East Yorkshire for the past 21 years , prior to which I spent 10 years pursuing a career in hospital medicine. In addition to my Primary Care ‘coal-face’ role I am also a GP Appraiser, Mentor and Facilitator on GPM Plus Courses, and Clinical Tutor at the Hull York Medical School.
Mentoring Experience
Leading a large team in a single Practice PCN, my interests include managing team dynamics, Interpersonal Relationships, Compassionate Leadership, managing and reducing the risk of burnout.
I like to see the Mentorship journey as one where both of us are on a boat sailing down a river with your hand on the rudder, sometimes not knowing where it will take us but eventually resulting in your empowerment on different levels.
About Me
I believe that effectively managing one’s energy is the key to improved performance and resilience.
What keeps me outside my comfort zone and regenerates me is my passion for running ultramarathons in different parts of the world, gardening and dabbling in a little weekly baking.
Dr Shaun O’Connell
General Practice Experience
This profile is a way down a long list. Are you still not sure who to go for?
Forgive me…I’ve been released! Well, out of working as a GP that is but I am a Non-Executive Director of the Harrogate based GP Federation, Yorkshire Health Network, and of course, a mentor and coach. I did my time (35 years) working as a locum, partner and salaried GP in Leeds, Tadcaster and Selby. You do get less for murder but less travel and pension too! For the last decade or so I worked mainly as a GP commissioner for Vale of York CCG, working at the interface with York Hospital on elective care and prescribing.
Like many, I ticked those “getting involved boxes” starting years ago when I co-founded the National Association of Non-Principals, as sessional GPs were then called. I was also twice elected as a member of the RCGP Council, (but long ago resigned my membership). I’ve been a trainer, an appraiser, an LMC member and a Medical Examiner. So, I think I know how the NHS works (or doesn’t) and have some idea of where it’s heading. I have a good head for business / money and I’m enthusiastic about Lean methodology which can sometimes help.
Mentoring Experience
Coaching got me through some tricky times in the past and that spurred me to attain the Institute of Leadership and Management (Level 5) as a coach and mentor. Over recent years I’ve worked with salaried GPs, partners, retainers and practice managers. Common scenarios are workload and burnout, career development, changes in role, complex practice situations and doctors in specific difficulty. I’m told I am a good listener but also good at challenging and helping with some good practical suggestions. There are some testimonials here.
About Me
After years of bearing the ups and downs of life in the NHS I hope I can help you. I’ve been married, divorced and now live with my partner and her two boys. I like cycling, skiing, dogs, Private Eye, Channel 4 news, box sets, IT, investing, hard rock…. Try me. You can always switch!
Dr Helen Wilkinson
General Practice Experience
I have a wide range of general practice experience spanning over 30 years, both in London and West Yorkshire. I’ve been in my current role as a salaried GP at Chevin Medical Practice since 2014.
Mentoring Experience
In 2022, I completed the Transformational Coaching Diploma for Doctors and began working with GPMplus as a mentor, primarily supporting doctors on the Fellowship Scheme. I have truly loved helping newly qualified GPs navigate the early stages of their careers – building confidence, gaining clarity, and identifying the path that feels right for them.
Active listening is central to my work as a coach and mentor, and I believe that being heard without interruption is both rare and deeply valuable. Having protected time for mentoring or coaching offers people – at any stage of life or career – a meaningful space to pause, reflect, think and develop new ideas. It is, in many ways, an opportunity to grow.
My own coaching journey has been transformative, and it continues to shape both my personal and professional life.
About Me
I am married to a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, and we have two adult children who are both junior doctors. Through these experiences, I have genuine understanding of how career in medicine shapes work-life balance at every stage-from the excitement and pressure of starting out to the reflections that come as retirement approaches, all while balancing the demands of family life. I also bring insight into a ranger of cultural backgrounds, which helps me connect with and support people from diverse experiences.
Dr Helen Wilkinson
General Practice Experience
I was a GP partner in a practice in Skipton for 29 years latterly I worked as a salaried GP. Education has been a long standing interest. I thoroughly enjoyed my role as a GP trainer, and worked as the TPD for the local scheme. I was involved in teaching medical students and was an F2 supervisor. These roles improved my own knowledge and repeatedly led me to reflect on my perspective of medicine and primary care.
Mentoring Experience
The educational contact with students and doctors in training supporting them and watching them develop led me into coaching.
I benefited from informal mentoring through my career. My own experience of being mentoring showed me how effective it can be. I have been coaching for Yorkshire and Humber HEE for some years and have been a mentor for GP+ for 3 years. I have worked with practice managers, GPs and trainees from a number of specialities and allied medical professionals.
About Me
Away from medicine I like being outside, walking, cycling, pottering in the garden and walking my dog. I am flexible in the times and the days that I can arrange mentoring sessions.
PRACTICE MANAGERS
Dr Chris Brennan
General Practice Experience
I worked as a full-time Business Partner for a practice in a deprived area of Bradford for over 22 years before retiring in 2025, having joined as a Business Manager in 2003. Prior to joining the practice I worked for 18 years in the energy industry covering various commercially focused roles. In addition to my day job, I also Chair a federation of practices in Bradford and I’m the Practice Manager resource for the LMC in Bradford.
Mentoring Experience
I’m passionate about supporting Practice Managers, GPs and practice staff in their development, and I see coaching and mentoring as a ‘tool’ to facilitate open discussions about the challenges being faced to help support your personal growth. I receive great pleasure supporting people through maybe difficult times they are dealing with, to assist them on their chosen journey.
Throughout my career I have shared my knowledge and experience as a way to support others, having lectured at Leeds University and I was part of an organisation that delivered a successful City & Guilds accredited Practice Management Diploma to aspiring Practice Managers.
Having gained an MBA in 2004 and being part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small business programme in 2015 has enhanced my belief that everything we do is delivered through ‘good people’. Studying for a formal coaching and mentoring qualification though the ILM level 5 programme provides me with the additional skills to support General Practice health professionals in the challenging times we currently face.
About Me
Away from the practice and busy day job, I’m a keen runner having completed numerous marathons and half marathons. I enjoy most sports including rugby, skiing and football and there is nothing better than walking the hills of Yorkshire.
I feel very lucky living in the beautiful city of York and I enjoy nothing more than relaxing by the river watching the world go by.
Dr Richard Ellis
General Practice Experience
I have 27 years of experience in management roles, both in industry and health care. Along the way I’ve had some successes and experienced some personal and professional challenges. I began working in General Practice in 2010, taking a post as Operations Manager of a busy walk-in centre. As my first role in the NHS, this was a steep learning curve and not as easy a transition I’d predicted it to be. Over time, with experience and support, I grew in confidence. In 2015, I took the post of Practice Manager of a two-site operation in Grimsby with a combined list size of 11,500 patients and approximately 50 staff. In 2022 we closed the smaller second site and we now remain a single site practice. Alongside my role as Practice Manager, I jointly support the management of our Primary Care Network, with specific responsibility for financial management. For a short time, I worked as a CQC practice manager advisor.
Prior to working in healthcare, I spent 13 years as a Manager and Director of a family run haulage company where I gained a solid foundation in small business management and gained good commercial awareness, as well as an HGV driving licence. In 2009 I steered the organisation to become the UK Skills National Training Awards winner in the small business category. We also featured in a national fuel efficiency program alongside companies such as Sainsbury’s. Before working in haulage, I started my career in accountancy after qualifying as an accounting technician. Of my other qualifications, I obtained a post graduate executive diploma in management through the Chartered Management Institute in 2006. In 2016 I trained in quality improvement (Quality and Service Improvement and Redesign). In 2020 I completed the Rosalind Franklin programme through the NHS Leadership Academy. In 2023 I obtained the ILM5 Certificate in Mentoring and Coaching and am now studying for the ILM7 Diploma in Executive Coaching and Mentoring.
Mentoring Experience
I am registered as an Associate Member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and work within their code of ethics. I take part in NHS coaching café’s, supervision and masterclass training. The ILM Level 5 Certificate helped broaden my understanding of what coaching and mentoring is. I developed the foundations of effective listening and questioning, understood the purpose and importance of ethics, and started to explore the use of models and frameworks. The ILM 7 Diploma is deepening my knowledge and skills, by exploring a wider range of tools, theories and core coaching and mentoring competencies. I would describe my style as being orientated towards reflective inquiry, sharing observations and being curious to support reflection. I aim to create a supportive relationship with some challenge. I have really enjoyed the experience of coaching and mentoring and found it to be personally very rewarding, hence the decision to continue with gaining higher level accreditation. The experience has helped me develop as an individual and leader, increasing my self-awareness. It’s my goal to continue to develop as a highly effective coach and mentor.
About Me
I’m married and am a very proud father of two. Currently my daughter is studying at university and my son is in his final year at secondary school. Outside of work I like to be active, playing tennis socially a couple of times a week and walk around 25 miles a week with a very energetic spaniel. I have experience of living with a chronic health condition and support associated charities.
Lynn Irwin
General Practice Experience
I started out as a Practice Manager in 2009 in Catterick Garrison (managing a Practice within a Military Garrison). I moved to the Central Dales Practice (deeply rural dispensing practice) at the end of 2013, becoming Managing Partner in April 2016. I have been a Director (currently Clinical Operations Director) with Heartbeat Primary Care CIC since 2017. During the Covid19 pandemic I helped design and set up a Covid Assessment Centre at the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton to serve all Practices in Hambleton and Richmondshire as well as helping design, set up and manage a Local Vaccination Site at Tennants in Leyburn.
Mentoring Experience
In the last few years since finishing my MSc in Healthcare Leadership I have trained as a PM Appraiser and undertaken the ILM Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring. I have also completed the NHSE Quality Improvement Facilitators Course. These qualifications have enabled me to help support a variety of PMs and other Healthcare Professionals through a combination of coaching and mentoring. This is a part of my role that I thoroughly enjoy – helping people to unlock their potential to be the best they can be.
About Me
Outside of work I enjoy mountain biking, reading and socialising with friends and family. I must confess to loving an odd spa day too, to truly unwind and switch off.
Andy King
General Practice Experience
Hi, I’m Andy and I have worked in a variety of settings across primary care for the last 15 years. My current role is as a Strategy and Transformation Lead for a large PCN in southeast Leeds. Previously I was a practice manager and partner, in a North Yorkshire practice, for over 14 years. During that time, I became a founding member and director of our local GP Federation, which supports all 17 practices across the locality, with a population of 164,000 and manages and supports the four Primary Care Networks in that area. Prior to this, I had a 26-year military career serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps, in a variety of roles and deployments.
My career pathway has been extremely varied, but the underpinning aspect of my roles has been managing people and organisations, often in hostile or challenging environments. Change and challenges have been a constant throughout my career and adapting to the everchanging needs that they may bring, whilst ensuring that staff remain supported, in order that the public receive the level of support and care they require.
Mentoring Experience
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate enough to be mentored by a variety of people who have supported my personal development and growth, in a variety of environments. I have tried, not always successfully, to instill this into the values of the organisations that I have worked for. I was previously involved, via the LMC, with a local Practice Manager Mentorship and Appraisal programme, and I took away a lot of learning to develop my own skills and further my knowledge in this area. I also hope to complete the ILM5 qualification in the not-too-distant future. I believe the most important part of being a mentor is to build a strong relationship with my mentees. I want them to feel comfortable coming to me with any concerns or questions and I want them to know that I am there to help them succeed. I will also be honest with them and I shall challenge them to grow and develop.
About Me
I enjoy music, walking and I am an armchair supporter of West Ham. Until recently, I played Rugby Union regularly, but too many injuries have forced me into retirement.
My other interests include being involved in providing support for Veterans, along with hopefully, shortly, becoming an awareness speaker for Prostate Cancer UK.
Our children are all grown up and have flown the nest, but we now provide a mix of long-term and short-term foster care to young people.
Vicky Matson
General Practice Experience
I joined my Practice in Scarborough in 2016. Having worked in management and business, external to the NHS for over 20years I was confident I had many transferrable skills to bring to the role. I quickly came to realise, however, that I had a very steep learning curve to climb with everything else that was required.
We are a large, rural dispensing Practice based across two sites with staff members working across both sites. The Practice is also the Lead Employer for our PCN, and I sit on the Exec Committee for this.
Last year I led the Practice through a significant restructure which has provided me some capacity to focus on other areas of development. More recently, I have begun a secondment one day a week with the ICB to work with other Practices in the area on the formation of a GP Federation Provider.
Mentoring Experience
I have been a member of the Primary Care Leaders Groups in Scarborough since I commenced in role and attend these weekly meetings with Practice Manager colleagues for support and sharing best Practice. I have found this group of colleagues to be invaluable for informal mentoring and coaching and have been an active participant in “giving something back”. I have mentored colleagues both within the Practice and external to the Practice and have previously been told I was a peers “go to person for a common sense approach”. I have benefitted from formal coaching and mentoring myself and found it a really positive and transformative experience.
About Me
Alongside the day job, I am a busy mum to a teenager and pre-teen with all the running about that that brings. They were 7 and 4 when I started in post, so I am very familiar with parent guilt. Increasingly now, I also find myself supporting the elderly members of the family a little more as they are not getting any younger…and so the juggling act continues.
I live in a lovely area of the countryside and so in the spare time I do have, you will mostly find me outside, simply just trying to take in some fresh air and enjoying the outdoors.
Karen Nicholson
General Practice Experience
I have been a Practice Manager for over 10 years in a large Leeds practice. Prior to my current role, I was Primary Care Development Manager for Leeds Primary Care Trust. This involved supporting practices with a variety of issues. I have spent the majority of my career either working with Practice Managers or running a practice. I am currently on the executive team for the Primary Care Network, which includes 7 practices.
Mentoring Experience
The role of a Practice Manager can be very difficult and lonely at times, and I believe it is vital to have a network of peer and professional support. I have been very lucky that when I first started in Practice Management, I met some really experienced Practice Managers who helped, guided and supported me. Their expertise was invaluable and has made me passionate about supporting Practice Managers. Knowing that talking to someone who has lived and breathed the role helps enormously.
I have mentored GP’s who have lost their Practice Manager and asked for help recruiting a new one, and also mentored “new to practice” Managers. I previously chaired the Practice Manager networks in Leeds.
The ILM 5 programme of coaching and mentoring enables me to support Practice Managers even further.
About Me
In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family and love walking my Labrador Hunter. I am a school governor at a local high school. I am a keen supporter of my City’s netball team and I adore musical theatre. Balancing a busy job and an even busier family can be very stressful at times. Holidays are my happy place and my family and I love to travel, especially to Florida.
Adrian Roebuck
General Practice Experience
I’ve worked in my current role as Non-Clinical Partner in General Practice for nearly 14 years now, having joined the NHS in 2010. I started working in a single practice and more recently worked to merge the practice with two other partnerships to become a large Partnership and a single PCN in Bradford. Before joining the NHS I worked for 23 years in senior leadership roles in food retail working with both small and large teams of colleagues. I feel that my time before the NHS also offers me a slightly different insight and perspective and it is amazing how much is actually transferrable between two seemingly different industries.
Mentoring Experience
For me, people are at the heart of what we do and seeing others develop and grow is so rewarding. In fact, I have been fortunate to work with many great people and experience coaching and mentoring throughout my career and realise the benefit it has had on me as a person. To this end, I wanted to ‘give something back’ so I recently joined the government’s Help To Grow scheme to be a volunteer mentor for small businesses and really value this work. I enjoy supporting people by offering help, guidance, support and empathy to help them work through their challenges and opportunities. Seeing people move forward positively in challenging times is very rewarding.
I am a member of the Association of Business Mentors and I am also developing my coaching and mentoring skills further by studying for the ILM level 5 Coaching and Mentoring qualification to support my mentees even more.
About Me
When I’m not at work or doing things with my family, I love cycling (slowly!) and where I live near Huddersfield, I am spoilt by the lovely countryside and surrounding views but it is a little hilly so does test the legs when out riding! I also, enjoy walking either in the local area or in the stunning Peak District. I enjoy landscape photography and gardening both of which keep me balanced in a hectic world. I’m a proud dad of two sons and now that they are young adults, I am also hoping that I might have more time to enjoy my hobbies instead of being ‘Dad Taxi’ (I live in hope!)
Claire Woolley
General Practice Experience
Hi I’m Claire and I have been a Practice Manager for six years in a rural practice with two sites in North Yorkshire. Prior to joining the practice I worked in Pathology for thirty years at the Friarage Hospital, James Cook University Hospital and Bradford Royal Infirmary.
My career pathway has been varied but I have always enjoyed working within different teams embracing all the changes and challenges together.
Mentoring Experience
I have been fortunate enough to experience some coaching and mentoring myself which has been both supportive and inspirational and these are the qualities that have made me passionate about supporting other health professionals. When I first made the change into practice management I found a great support network amongst the other practice managers which was invaluable.
I have mentored medical students, biomedical students and recently apprentices within the practice. I also conduct over twenty five annual appraisals within practice and monitor all staff training keeping all records up to date.
I am commencing my ILM 5 qualification in coaching and mentoring which will enable me to support you in any way I can.
About Me
As a single mother of two, now late teens early twenties children I have organised work/home life balance with all the challenges and commitments that brings. I have three dogs who give me the great excuse to spend plenty of time outside walking and exploring both the dales and coast. I also enjoy Pilates, gym classes and badminton.
I have loved the change from secondary to primary care and have a genuine passion to support others in the ever demanding healthcare world.
NURSE MENTORS
Catherine Gill
General Practice Experience
I have worked in the NHS since 1979 with a predominately General Practice career since 1990. After 7 years as a General Practice Nurse (GPN), I qualified as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) and became involved in lobbying for an alteration in UK legislation to grant prescribing privileges for specialist and advanced clinical practitioners. I was appointed the module manager of the Prescribing programme at the University of Leeds, retiring in 2021. Throughout this period, I authored and co-authored several publications on prescribing and contributed chapters to various practice books on the subject.
Along with 2 other ANPs and 2 GPs I was involved in successfully tendering for a General Practice Contract serving 9,200 patients across 3 surgeries in Halifax. Our aim to turn these 3 practices into a modern, efficient, innovative teaching practice was realised through a strong ethos of interprofessional working and a dedication to providing a caring family practice experience for patients. After successfully running the practice for 17 years I retired from partnership in 2020.
I am one of the nurse Clinical Lead with the West Yorkshire Primary Care Workforce and Training (WY PCWT) Hub with a key role in supervising the WY GPN Vocational Training Scheme (VTS). More recently I have also taken on the role as Educational Lead overseeing the educational aspects of the various training schemes offered by the WY PCWT Hub.
Mentoring Experience
In terms of mentoring, I have been involved with the GPN Fellowship Programme for Nurses new to General Practice for 3 years and also the GPN Development Fellowship for mid-career GPNs for the last year. I am currently working to complete the Institute of Leadership and Management 5 (ILM5). GMP+ have been a great support for both Mentors and Mentees. Assisting others in recognising their potential and conquering challenges is incredibly fulfilling in the mentoring/coaching role.
About Me
I enjoy dancing, mountain biking, skiing and my children and grandchildren.
Wendy Iles
General Practice Experience
I have worked within nursing for 46 years, initially specialising in Orthopaedics and Accident & Emergency. When I had three children, and hospital shifts became
difficult, I moved into primary care, where I spent over 25 years: undertaking a Degree in Practice Nursing and obtaining the specialist practitioner qualification in 1994. Continuing in academic education soon after and becoming an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in 2002 I joined a partnership and together we successfully tendered for a PMS contract. I was a general practice partner for 16 years. I am a strong advocate for the nursing profession and am involved in the development and training of the Primary Care Workforce.
Mentoring Experience
Whilst working in Accident & Emergency I undertook a counselling qualification, which has been useful throughout my career. As a senior nurse I have informally mentored nursing colleagues and so I am currently studying for a formal coaching and mentoring qualification (the ILM5) and hope to continue this in a more formal role going forward.
About Me
Heading towards retirement, I like to seek adventures – cycling across Europe, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, or rowing up the Seine, and wish I had started doing yoga forty years ago!
Alison Walker
General Practice Experience
Having worked in General Practice for over 25 years, I am convinced that General Practice is the best place to work in the NHS. I did the rounds of most of the hospitals in Leeds prior to coming into Primary Care but it has been Practice Nursing that had provided me with the variety and stimulation to learn and develop skills to
improve patient care provided by myself and my colleagues.
Mentoring Experience
I became involved with mentoring when the fellowship scheme opened for nurses. It has been a joy and privilege to share another nurses’ journey as they start out in practice nursing. I am looking forward to extending this with GPM plus with practice nurses who have been in the role for several years. I have found my teaching experiences together with gaining the ILM 5 qualification in coaching and mentoring have helped me to develop as a mentor.
About Me
Away from work, I enjoy walking, playing the piano and spending time with my family.
Susan Wallis
General Practice Experience
I have been a Practice Nurse for 20yrs and was a Nurse Manager in a Bradford Practice for 13 of those. 8 years ago I was recruited to the West Yorkshire Training Hub as their Lead Nurse and won a Leadership Award with HEE the following year. I have also had a 2yr secondment with HEE as Training Programme Director for Wider Workforce before settling into my current role as Clinical, Quality and Safety Lead for Five Parks Primary Care Network in Bradford 3 days per week. I continue to work 1 day per week as a Practice Nurse.
Mentoring Experience
I have been lucky enough to be able to Mentor, support and assess many learners in my Nursing Career so far going back to ward level many years before my career started in General Practice and will continue to champion it’s benefits. I only wish I’d had the opportunity to access GPMPlus when I first started in General Practice.
About Me
I am a proud Mum of two daughters and Nana to two grandsons who are my absolute joy. I am a keen walker and football/cricket supporter which gives me live sport to enjoy all year round. Watching overseas tours in sunny climates is the retirement goal.