Top award for local GP

The Royal College of GPs Northern Ireland held its 11th Gala Awards, at the Dunadry Hotel, Antrim.

The most prestigious award presented on the evening was for General Practitioner of the Year, nominated by GPs’ patients.

It was presented to Dr Martin Wilson from Lisburn Health Centre in recognition of his outstanding care and compassion.

The Chair of RCGP NI, Professor Scott Brown, said that it was incredibly gratifying to read patient testimonials about their GPs from across the region, adding that it testified to the quality of care which GPs delivered for their patients.

Speaking on the night, the nominating patient said Dr Wilson supported both her and her children during serious illnesses, one of whom is now receiving palliative care.

She said, “He is always going over and above the call of duty as a GP.

“Dr Wilson attended our home giving medical, and more importantly emotional, support to us all.”

She described him as a “true rock to my family”.

Commenting on the award, Dr Wilson said “I am overcome. I see myself doing the same job as hundreds of my colleagues throughout Northern Ireland. I plan on retiring next year and this has been the highlight of my career as a GP.”

Over 150 people attended the event, including the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Edwin Poots, representatives from the governmental and statutory sector, GPs and practice staff, and all shared in the successes and achievements within general practice.

The awards are designed to recognise both GPs and practice staff who go that ‘extra mile’ to ensure that their patients receive the highest standards of care possible, and as in previous years the awards were highly competitive, with numerous nominations being received from around Northern Ireland.

A number of other distinguished awards were also presented, which included: Practice Administration Team of the Year Award, won by Crawford Practice Bangor; Practice Manager of the Year awarded to Mrs Roberta Walsh, Mount Oriel Medical Centre Belfast and the Caring About Carer’s Award 2012, won by Dr Paula Coyle and her team at The Surgery, Kennedy Centre, Belfast.

The Royal College of General Practitioners encourages the public to become involved in the nomination process. It is advertised annually through GP practices and local libraries and the College is already looking forward to welcoming nominations and applications for next year’s awards.