A HEREFORD GP has scooped an award for his outstanding partnership work to improve efficiency in the NHS at the inaugural West Midlands Leadership Awards.

Dr Andy Watts, from Sarum House surgery, has been driving forward significant changes in Herefordshire so that more patients can be treated by their own GP or community-based staff, making it easier for them to access services and reducing hospital admissions.

NHS Herefordshire works in partnership with local GPs and maximises their clinical expertise to develop new services and to trial schemes which, after evaluation, are rolled out to the wider community.

Dr Watts has been a driving force in this approach, leading the way for other GPs in the county.

He has led a GP practices’ executive forum to harness a range of clinicians’ views and interests, while influencing and helping to develop a range of services so that patients can be provided with the care they need closer to home.

He has also been involved in pilot schemes to redesign services for people with diabetes, musculoskeletal problems and those in need of physiotherapy.

Jo Newton, chair of NHS Herefordshire, said: “The Partnership Award recognises individuals who make an outstanding contribution to enhancing partnership working across different agencies or parts of the service. Andy has delivered this, pulling together resources, inciting support and bringing GPs and service providers together to make life easier for patients and save the local health and social care services much needed resources.”