Summary
The enthusiastic team has been putting their new skills into practice to support colleagues through primary care transformation.
Greater Manchester’s new team of peer ambassadors has launched into a busy schedule of work to transform general practice.
The peer ambassador scheme is run by Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (PCB), in partnership with NHS GM, to support general practice as they embed the Modern General Practice (MGP) model.
GPs from each locality were recruited to lead quality improvement, provide peer support, and encourage collaboration across general practice.
Since launching in the summer, the team has been involved in several areas of work, including local and national engagement on changes to services and delivering direct support to their local colleagues.
They have helped shape the Neighbourhood Health Service, contributing to the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme, worked with the wider health and care system on service improvements, and presented to local networks on neighbourhood initiatives.
They have also delivered coaching sessions to primary care network clinical directors, practice managers and digital leads, shared best practice, and provided peer support directly to practices.
The group meets each month to enhance their knowledge of quality improvement methods, how to understand and use data, and how to navigate different contexts and organisational cultures.
Each GP peer ambassador brings their own experience and areas of interest to the role, but all are passionate about working in partnership with colleagues to ensure practices embrace change and improve services for patients.
Details of how to contact them are being shared within each locality.
The Greater Manchester peer ambassadors are:
- Bolton – Dr Preeti Adma
Dr Adma is a GP partner at the Unsworth Group Practice and has more than 14 years’ experience in primary care.
- Bury – Dr Kiran Patel and Dr Cathy Fines
Dr Patel has been a GP in Bury since 1996. He is a GP partner at Tower Family Healthcare, a medical director at Bury GP Federation and at Bury Integrated Delivery Collaborative.
Dr Fines is also a GP partner, with responsibility for safeguarding.
- Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale (HMR) – Dr Zalan Alam
Dr Alam is a GP partner and trainer at Trinity Medical Centre and a director for postgraduate medical education at Rochdale Infirmary.
- Manchester – Dr Shabbir Ahmed
Dr Ahmed is a GP at Florence House Medical Practice, a clinical lead for urgent and emergency care, at NHS Greater Manchester, and board clinical lead for Clayton, Beswick and Openshaw Primary Care Network.
- Manchester – Dr Jess Bradshaw
Dr Bradshaw is a GP at Barlow Medical Centre, clinical director for Didsbury, Chorlton Park and Burnage Primary Care Network, and locality lead for the Greater Manchester Training Hub.
- Oldham – Dr Joel Chatterjee
Dr Chatterjee is a GP at Royton and Crompton Family Practice in Oldham and holds a background in software engineering with industrial experience from the University of Manchester.
- Salford – Dr Pierina Kapur
Dr Kapur is a GP partner at Chapel Group Medical Centre and a former clinical director for Eccles and Irlam Primary Care Network (PCN). She is a Local Medical Committee sub-committee representative for the Salford locality.
- Stockport – Dr Jaweeda Idoo
Dr Idoo is a GP at Alvanley Family Practice and the clinical lead for Live Well at NHS Greater Manchester. She has a proven track record of clinical leadership and transformation.
- Tameside – Dr Jane Harvey
Dr Harvey is a GP partner at Dukinfield Medical Practice, a GP trainer and clinical director at Healthy Hyde Primary Care Network.
- Trafford – Dr Caitlin Greaves
Dr Greaves is a GP at Firsway Health Centre and the Trafford clinical lead for children and young people at NHS Greater Manchester.
- Wigan – Dr Saira Zaman
Dr Zaman is a GP partner at the Grange Practice and is an experienced leader, with expertise in quality improvement, education and medicines optimisation.
The peer ambassador scheme runs until September 2026.
If you’d like to share how your practice has benefited from working with your GP peer ambassador, please get in touch!
Let us know if they have helped you with a specific issue or provided general support and guidance.
We may use your comments to demonstrate the direct impact of the programme on our frontline providers and their teams.
Email us at: gm.gpexcellence@nhs.net
