An inspirational Portsmouth GP Business Manager has been nominated for a prestigious national award for staff who work in GP surgeries.
Christina Cleworth has been short-listed for the “Practice Manager of the Year” category in the General Practice Awards for 2019.
Christina is Group Business Manager for the Portsdown Group Practice, which consists of six surgeries looking after the needs of around 44,000 patients in the Portsmouth area, most of whom live in the city.
She said she was “extremely flattered and honoured” to have been nominated for the award “on behalf of Team Portsdown.”
The colleague who nominated her said that she was “without question, the most inspirational professional with whom I have had the privilege of working.”
He highlighted Christina’s “continuous quest for improvement in all areas”, her “transformation of the management team to significantly reduce the administrative burden of clinicians” and her work to “reward staff who consistently deliver” and other measures which have boosted staff morale.
Christina’s achievements for the practice include:
• A review of cervical screening services, resulting in a 143% increase in uptake from November 2017 to March 2019
• A huge increase in immunisation uptake
• Introducing staff long service awards and spot prizes (vouchers) for staff achieving ‘above and beyond’ their normal work remit
• Changes to the work of the management team to enable clinicians to focus on patient care rather than administrative processes
• Introducing facilities and estates leads to ensure that the practice premises are fit for purpose to deliver the best patient care possible
• Introducing clinical performance statistics – to ensure that patients receive appropriate care when they visit the practice.
The changes she introduced to the way Portsdown patients receive flu jabs resulted in a significant increase in uptake of the vaccine in 2018/19 – whilst many other practices nationally experienced a reduction. This work was further recognised with a “National Flu Champion” Award.
Christina has also championed Portsdown becoming ‘Learning Disability Friendly,’ ‘Dementia Friendly’ and ‘Veteran Friendly.’ The group is also working towards the gold standards framework in end-of-life care – a particular passion for her.
Dr Karen Kyd, a GP Partner at the practice said: “We are thrilled that Christina has been shortlisted for this prestigious award which represents national recognition of her many talents and attributes.
“The fact that she has been shortlisted is richly deserved and an extraordinary achievement which recognises not only her efforts on behalf of the practice and its staff, but more especially for the improvements in care that we have been able to give our patients.”
