BWPCA
In Berkshire West there is a strong history of practices working collaboratively together, which has developed in scale over time from individual locality alliances to a BW-sized entity. Our primary aim has always and continues to be to support and sustain the practice ownership model using scale. We have used this scale to effectively represent and leverage influence with other stakeholders in the NHS. Last year we decided to formalise our Memorandum Of Understanding working together to a legal entity, to best prepare us for the changes that were occurring with ICBs at scale (BOB) which included GP leadership groups. Our primary reasons for the change were a) to increase our influence further b) for good governance c) to allow employment of staff without risk for individual practices d) to tender for potential services at scale. It functions alongside the GP Leadership Group (GPLG), the synergy of which produces results which are more effective than could be achieved if they were working in isolation.
Meet The Team
Dr Amit Sharma
Director
Amit works as the partner lead for strategy and partnerships at Brookside Group Practice. The practice is a large four site, single practice PCN in the Wokingham borough. He is passionate about enabling patients holistically and supporting colleagues to achieve their potential. He has an interest in organisational development and has supported change management in practice locally, regionally, and nationally. He has helped develop numerous new services including segmented digital triage and health and wellbeing services. His main clinical interests include mental health and paediatrics.
Dr Andy Ciecierski
Director
Andy qualified in 1991 from CXWMS and following GP training in Reading became a GP Partner at Emmer Green Surgery in 1999. He ran a GPSI ENT Clinic for 19 years. Andy was involved in the inception of NWR CCG in 2011, acted as Deputy Chair, then Chair from 2015-18. He was actively involved in Urgent Care across Berkshire West until the CCG merged into the BOB ICB. Andy is the Clinical Director of Caversham PCN, Deputy Chair for the BW GPLG and a Director of BW PCA.
Dr Jim Kennedy
Director
Originally from Ireland, James is a GP principal at Wargrave Practice and has for some time been an LMC representative for Berkshire West.
Dr Ellora Evans
Director
Ellora has worked in West Berkshire since 2012 and is the Senior GP partner at Hungerford Surgery in West Berkshire and the Clinical Director for West Berks Rural PCN. She also represents the Newbury locality for the LMC. She has past experience of setting up the Newbury GP Alliance prior to the advent of PCNs. Working in her different roles she has gained extensive experience and insight and understanding of the needs, issues and opportunities that face GP surgeries; her ambition is to develop the BWPCA as a key asset for primary care helping to maintain the resilience of GP surgeries and enabling them to continue to deliver the highest standards of primary care. Outside of work she is kept busy with 3 teenage children, a Great Dane and 2 cats!
Dr Jagdip Nijran
Director
Jag is currently a GP partner at Parkside Family Practice and a co clinical director of Wokingham North PCN. He has worked within BBOLMC and wants to help the Alliance with new ideas and strategies.
Dr Elizabeth Mottram
Health Inequalities Clinical Lead
Lizzie has been a GP Partner at Thatcham Medical Practice for over 8 years, a GP trainer and has a special interest in group consultations and de- prescribing. She has joined us as the Clinical Lead for the health inequalities outreach programme.
Dr Faisal Siddiqui
UCC Clinical Lead
Faisal is the current Clinical Lead of the Same Day Access Service. He was born, raised and trained in Reading and now divides his time between roles in Dermatology, General Practice and Urgent Care. With roles spanning both primary and secondary care, he is particularly keen to ensure collaborative working for the benefit of the local patient population and healthcare staff alike.
Dr Shilpa McQuillan
Women's Health Clinical Lead
Shilpa currently works as the Women’s health lead for Burdwood Surgery, within Kennet PCN and has previously developed and run a weekly LARC women’s health clinic. She is an accredited Menopause specialist, Berkshire West GP, community Gynaecologist, and the founder and clinical lead of Berkshire Menopause Clinic. Shilpa is in a unique position having trained in both O&G and GP and Shilpa says she is “driven and passionate about providing the highest standard of women’s healthcare, and loves being part of a team”.
Adrian Chamberlain
Operations Director
Adrian was the previous Head of Primary Care for Buckinghamshire, his diverse background has included the CBI, community outreach, humanitarian aid, and several years working across a number of primary healthcare settings, including a spell managing a practice in East London. Adrian had a MSc in Social Policy Analysis from Bath and from time to time, works alongside their Department of Life Sciences.
Andrew Price
Programme Manager
Andrew has worked in the Berkshire West system since 2000, first joining Wokingham Borough Council before moving to the NHS in 2008. Prior to this he worked in local government in London. Andrew has a degree in Economic History as well as general, project and programme management qualifications.
Ram Jhattu
Service Delivery Officer
Ramandeep (Ram) is our new service delivery. Ram has had several roles both in GP federations and general practice, with his most recent role as Chief Operating Officer in Barnet. Ram will be supporting BWPCA with the same day access workstream and other future projects.
Joseph Bavington-Allen
Service Manager
Joe has joined our team as our new service manager and will be working on projects such as the Same Day Access service and Women’s Health Hubs. Joe has worked in the NHS since 2016, mainly in primary care, starting in general practice and moving into a GP federation in Barnet in 2019, where he led several borough-wide services during the pandemic. Joe also has a strong interest in data analysis, recently working as Senior Data Analyst at the Health Innovation Network South London.
Dan Haines
Digital Lead
Dan is the digital transformation lead for Kennet PCN and works as a paramedic practitioner at Burdwood Surgery in Thatcham. He has a special interest in diabetes and is particularly passionate about anticipatory care planning. Prior to his paramedic career he was a technical consultant in London. Dan is keen to ensure the use of digital and innovative practices are beneficial to all users and that we can continue to share new and exciting ways of working. His spare time is split between cycling and caring for his house plant collection
Natasha Roxborough
HR Manager
Natasha Roxborough is a Group Business Manager within our constituent practice, Milman and Kennet Surgery (and Reading Holybrook PCN). She joins us, with the support of her Partners, to assist the management team with HR and business functions. She is excited to contribute to the delivery and development of BWPCA.
Sophie Stephenson
Project Officer
Sophie started her career in the sports sector as an Operations Junior Manager before attending Oxford Brookes to complete her Bachelor of Laws. Whilst at university, after working with law firms she went onto work in care homes and hospitals in Sussex.
Maia Gehrmann
Administrator
Maia recently graduated in English Literature and Education Studies from Oxford Brookes. Prior to joining us she worked in a team management and support role in the retail sector.
John Clack
Finance Manager
John is originally from SW London before moving to Wokingham/ Earley 40 years ago. John qualified in finance via Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and subsequently worked for NatWest, BG Group, Mace Macro, Tarmac and the NHS.