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Clare Gerada

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The Right Honourable
The Baroness Gerada
DBE FRCP FRCPsych FRCGP
Gerada in 2011
Born
Clare Mary Louise Francis Gerada

November 1959 (age 65–66)
Nigeria
CitizenshipBritish and Maltese
EducationMB BS, 1983, UCL Medical School
OccupationGeneral practitioner
Known forChairperson of RCGP
SpouseSimon Wessely
Children2
Medical career
ProfessionMedical doctor
Sub-specialtiesMental health (especially of health care workers), substance misuse, and problem gambling
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 November 2025
Life peerage
Personal details
Political partyCrossbench

Clare Mary Louise Francis Gerada, Baroness Gerada (born November 1959) is a London-based general practitioner who is a former President of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and a former chairperson of the RCGP Council (2010–2013). She has professional interests in mental health, substance misuse, and gambling problems.

Early life

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Gerada was born in Nigeria in 1959, although her parents came from Malta; the family moved to the United Kingdom in 1963.[1] Her father, Anthony Gerada, was a general practitioner. He opened a single-handed practice in Peterborough.[2][3] Clare talks a lot about being inspired by her father, who would take her on home visits - demonstrating the social determinants of illness, lessons which she would never forget.

Medical career

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Gerada qualified in medicine at UCL Medical School in 1983.[4] She then trained in psychiatry and worked at the Maudsley Hospital in south London.[1][5] She qualified as a GP in 1992[5] and started work in general practice in Lambeth, London, the same year.[6] She cites her main areas of work as being around mental health and substance misuse. She has spent her professional career leading the development of primary care substance (alcohol, drugs) services in England. In 2000, she established the Substance Misuse Unit at the RCGP.[1]

She has been Director of Primary Care for the National Clinical Governance Team and Senior Medical Advisor to the Department of Health,[6] .

She is one of the partners in the Hurley Group, which runs many GP practices and walk-in centres across London.[7] The practice has a track record of caring for some of the most deprived members of the community - those who have unstable housing, those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and those with serious mental illness.

In November 2010, she became chairperson of the Council of the Royal College of General Practitioners for a three-year term.[6] She was the college's first female chairperson for 50 years, the previous female chairperson having been Dr Annis Gillie.[8]

In September 2013, she was appointed as the chairperson of the Clinical Board, Primary Care Transformation, NHS England (London Region), to take up the position the following month.[9] She resigned from this position in April 2015 so she could speak out against what she calls the Conservatives' "desperate quest for privatisation".[10]

In April 2016, she was elected to the council of the Council of the British Medical Association (BMA).[11]

She established the Practitioner Health Programme to support general practitioners, dentists and other health professionals with mental health and associated issues. In March 2019 The Care Quality Commission rated the service outstanding.[12]

In September 2016, she was named as one of the Liberal Democrats' "new Beveridge group" of advisers.[13] She had been a lifelong supporter of the Labour Party until the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.[14]

In March 2019 she was appointed co-chair, with Sir Chris Ham, of the forum to implement the NHS's long-term strategy.[15][16][non-primary source needed] In 2019, she established the Primary Care Gambling Service, whose aims are to provide treatment to people with gambling problems.[17][non-primary source needed]

Since 2020 she has been chair of the charity Doctors in Distress,[18][19] which aims to reduce suicides amongst doctors and other health care workers. It was set up after the suicide of cardiologist Dr Jagdip Sidhu, in 2018.[20][21] It exists with the goal of zero suicides amongst doctors by 2025. "DiD have many laudable ways of reaching this target but we have a most urgent priority which is to create a network of facilitated therapeutic spaces where doctors can talk about the emotional impact of their work, gaining support from each other, in a safe, non-stigmatising environment."[22][23]

She was a non executive director of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust until March 2021.[24][non-primary source needed]

Gerada was appointed in April 2021 as an Independent Advisor to address Governance and Clinical Quality to her first role within the private hospital sector with Cygnet Healthcare,[25][non-primary source needed] an independent provider of mental health services that had acquired Whorlton Hall shortly before an undercover investigation by BBC Panorama in 2019 filmed vulnerable patients being abused.[26] In August 2021, she was elected as RCGP president, succeeding Amanda Howe, and taking up the role on 20 November 2021 for a two-year term.[27] Again only the second woman in the College's history to have been both its Chair and President.

In 2023, she was appointed independent non-executive director to Jersey's Health and Community Services Advisory Board.[28][29]

She was appointed to the board of UK Biobank on 1 April 2024.[30][31][non-primary source needed]

Gerada was a convenor of the cross-party political movement More United,[32][non-primary source needed] and is a patron of Humanists UK.[33][non-primary source needed]

In 2019, Clare Gerada established the NHS Primary Care Gambling Service - a service delivering care to those affected by gambling related harms. The service works closely with a number of third sector (charitable) providers as well as general practitioners.

In October 2025, Gerada was nominated for a life peerage by the House of Lords Appointments Commission to sit as a crossbench peer in the House of Lords.[34] She was created as Baroness Gerada, of Kennington in the London Borough of Lambeth on 24 November 2025.

Media appearances

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Personal life

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Gerada is married to Sir Simon Wessely, a professor of psychiatry. He was knighted in 2013.[43]

She was one of the first people in the UK to publicly self-isolate when she contracted Coronavirus during a trip to New York in March 2020. She described it as the 'worst illness I've ever had'.[44] She gave an interview from home to Good Morning Britain, which entertained viewers when she was interrupted by her phone and her dog.[45]

Awards and honours

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  • Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners
  • Member and Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
  • Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.[46]
  • 2012, Honorary member of Malta's National Order of Merit.[47]
  • 2015, Honorary Fellowship University of London[48]
  • 2017, William Pickles Medal, Royal College of General Practitioners[49]
  • 2018, Doubleday Award: contribution to patient involvement.[50]
  • 2019, Royal Society of Medicine Wall of Honour[51][52]
  • 2020, DBE Queens Birthday Honours, Services to Medicine and Mental Illness.
  • 2020, Association of Anaesthetists Award[53]
  • 2021, Medical Professional Liability Association Humanitarian Award
  • 2022, Life Fellow of the Institute of Group Analysis
  • 2022, British International Doctors Association (BIDA) Special Award
  • 2023, Hon Doctorate, Royal College Surgeons of Ireland
  • 2023, Hon Fellowship, Royal College Public Health
  • 2024, Visiting Professor Institute of Medicine, University of Bolton
  • 2024, Medal for Moral Impact. Institute of Medical Ethics

Gerada was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2000 Birthday Honours for service to medicine and to drug misusers [54] and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to general practice.[55]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Campbell, Adam (1 April 2011). "Profile: Clare Gerada". Summons (Spring 2011). MDDUS: 12–13. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  2. ^ Gerada, C. (16 October 2013). "Clare Gerada: best move was "getting into drugs"". BMJ. 347 (7929) f6192. doi:10.1136/bmj.f6192. PMID 24133128. S2CID 22913084.
  3. ^ Elmhirst, Sophie (14 November 2011). "The NS Interview: Clare Gerada, physician". New Statesman. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  4. ^ "List of Registered Medical Practitioners (The online Register)". General Medical Council. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Professor Clare Gerada: How does she do it?". Pulse. 13 January 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Clare Gerada Biography". RCGP. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  7. ^ "About us: GP partners". Hurley Group. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  8. ^ "College elects first female chairperson for half a century". Royal College of General Practitioners. 29 March 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2012. [dead link]
  9. ^ Price, Caroline (5 September 2013). "Gerada set for NHS England role to 'transform' primary care in London". Pulse. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  10. ^ Lind, Sofia (30 April 2015). "Gerada quits NHS England to be able to speak out on NHS privatisation". Pulse. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  11. ^ Roberts, Neil (15 April 2016). "Former RCGP chairperson Dr Clare Gerada among doctors elected to BMA council". GP Online. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  12. ^ "NHS GP burnout service rated 'outstanding' by CQC | GPonline". www.gponline.com. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  13. ^ Campbell, Denis (16 September 2016). "Lib Dems poised to back dedicated tax to help rescue NHS". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  14. ^ Staunton, Denis (24 April 2017). "Lib Dems energised by sound of Brexit opportunity knocking". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  15. ^ "NHS England » New leaders announced to help deliver the NHS Long Term Plan". www.england.nhs.uk. March 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  16. ^ "UCLH appoints new non-executive directors". www.uclh.nhs.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  17. ^ "Primary Care Gambling Service". www.primarycaregamblingservice.co.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Charity overview". apps.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  19. ^ "Contact and trustees". apps.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  20. ^ "British Cardiovascular Society". www.bcs.com. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  21. ^ Louie, Smith (14 December 2018). "Boss delivers post van gift thief to cops". Retrieved 11 August 2024 – via PressReader.
  22. ^ "Doctors in Distress". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  23. ^ Sidhu, Amandip (6 June 2020). "Amandip Sidhu talks about Doctors in Distress and the need for psychological PPE". You Tube.
  24. ^ "Meet the directors". www.uclh.nhs.uk. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  25. ^ "Cygnet Health Care announces appointment of Dame Clare Gerada to Advisory Board". Cygnet Health Care. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  26. ^ "Whorlton Hall: Hospital 'abused' vulnerable adults". BBC News. 22 May 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  27. ^ Haynes, Luke (2 August 2021). "Professor Dame Clare Gerada elected RCGP president". GP Online. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  28. ^ "Three non-executive directors appointed to HCS board". gov.je. Government of Jersey. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  29. ^ Team, Bailiwick Express News (2 October 2023). "Who are the three experts newly appointed to oversee health services in Jersey?". Bailiwick Express News Jersey. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  30. ^ Report and Financial Statements 30 September 2023 (PDF). UK Biobank. p. 9. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  31. ^ "Our Board". www.ukbiobank.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  32. ^ "Our Team". Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  33. ^ "Humanists UK Patron: Clare Gerada". Humanists UK. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  34. ^ "Two new non-party-political peers" (PDF). House of Lords Appointments Commission. 22 October 2025. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  35. ^ "Vera Brittain". BBC Great Lives. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  36. ^ BBC Radio 4, Woman's Hour Power list
  37. ^ "BBC RADIO 4s Any Questions? to broadcast from Medway". Medway Council. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  38. ^ "Politics Show on NHS reforms". BBC News. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  39. ^ "Debrett's 500: Healthcare: Prof Clare Gerada MBE". Debrett's. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  40. ^ "In full: The Sunday Times' list of 500 most influential Britons in healthcare". Pulse. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  41. ^ "Phil Hammond and Dame Clare Gerada: Fifty Minutes to Save the NHS". Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  42. ^ Harris, Siobhan (1 July 2024). "Doctor Duo Joke Their Way to Saving the NHS". Medscape UK. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  43. ^ "New Year honours 2013: the full list". The Guardian. 30 December 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  44. ^ "'Worst illness I've ever had' says former RCGP chair recovering from COVID-19". GP Online. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  45. ^ "Coronavirus survivor becomes Good Morning Britain hero as phone keeps ringing and dog interrupts interview". Metro. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  46. ^ "Dr Clare Gerada". Nuffield Trust. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  47. ^ "Republic Day honours and awards". Malta Independent. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  48. ^ UCL (22 September 2022). "List of Honorary Fellows". Governance and compliance. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  49. ^ Gerada, Clare. "William Pickles Lecture".
  50. ^ "The Doubleday/Manchester Award". www.doubledayfund.org.uk. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  51. ^ "Royal College of Psychiatrists". www.rcpsych.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  52. ^ Gerada, Clare. › archives-roll-of-honor "Wall of honour". rcpsych.ac.uk. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  53. ^ "Association Award recipients | Association of Anaesthetists". anaesthetists.org. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  54. ^ "Full list of honours". The Independent. London. 17 June 2000. Archived from the original on 23 December 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  55. ^ "No. 63135". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 2020. p. B8.
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