Our Fellowships
Dr Robert Varnam
FAMS (hon)
Dr Robert Varnam PhD MSc MRCGP is the Head of General Practice Development at NHS England and a GP in a large inner city practice in Rusholme, Manchester.
His research work at the University of Manchester covered both epidemiological and sociological approaches to understanding quality and patient safety in primary care. He was involved in introducing new research governance procedures at the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre.
At the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, Robert was involved in the establishment of novel development programmes for primary care staff, to build practices’ ability to improve safety, quality and productivity.
Robert joined NHS England in 2013, with responsibility for developing policies and programmes to promote, support and sustain innovation and improvement in general practice. His aim is to make it easier for practices to make care more proactive and coordinated, holistic and person-centred, with fast and responsive access, effective health promotion and consistently high quality.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul CBE
FAMS (hon)
Dr Chaand Nagpaul has for over three decades worked as a GP in his group practice in North London, serving a large multi-ethnic community.
He is the first BAME chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) Council, representing the medical profession across the UK to government and policy makers.
As BMA council chair, he has championed race equality in the NHS. He has been a visible figure calling for action to address the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BAME healthcare workers and
communities and gave evidence on this issue to Parliamentary committees and contributed to Baroness Lawrence’s review “An Avoidable Crisis”.
He is listed in Health Service Journal’s 50 most influential BAME people in health (2020) .
He is past chair of the BMA GPs committee (GPC) and a Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Chaand was awarded a CBE in 2015 for his services to primary care.
Dr James Kingsland OBE
FAMS (hon)
James is the Senior Partner in a nationally renowned, award winning General Practice in the North West of England. He devotes his professional time between clinical practice, national advisory roles and for company boards. James has a wealth of experience in General Practice, medical education and medical politics. He is the co-creator of the new care model, The Primary Care Home, which is being implemented nationally as part of the NHS Five Year Forward View.
Mrs Pauline Webdale
FAMS (hon)
Dip PM, Dip NLP, LIPD, Cert T&D, NVQ Assessor
Pauline has worked in General Practice since 1979 working her way from Receptionist to Practice Manager taking her AMSPAR Diploma in Practice Management in 1990.
Joining AMSPAR in 1980, starting up a local branch, firstly in Norfolk and progressing to include Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex, Pauline became National Chairman in 1994. She was instrumental in moving the Association forward over the following four years using a strategic approach. Stepping down at the end of 1999 (in order to nurse her chronically sick mother) she was awarded a Fellowship in recognition of her work.
Continuing to promote Education and Training, Pauline also represented AMSPAR and general practice as an expert witness at the Shipman Inquiry, looking at whistle-blowing and the new Patients Complaints system in January 2004.
Pauline enjoys the challenges of working in the NHS and accustomed to change she always welcomes any that will enable it to evolve into a modern service to meet the needs of the 21st Century.
Mrs Jane Burchill
FAMS (hon)
Jane Burchill began lecturing to Medical Secretaries in 1981. Her interest in developing the qualification led to a as AMSPAR Communication Adviser then as Chief Examiner.
Professor Sir Michael Drury
FAMS (hon)
Professor Sir Michael Drury was a GP in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire for 38 years, the first professor of general practice at the University of Birmingham and President of the Royal College of General Practitioners from 1985–1988. He was a towering figure in general practice; unassuming, approachable, patient, a superb listener, unflappable, and interested, all combined with a wonderful wit and sense of humour. He graduated in 1949 with Honours from the University of Birmingham. After National Service he returned to Bromsgrove, his home town, in 1953 and started in general practice.
He developed an interest in how general practice could be better managed and in particular the role of colleagues in the then emerging primary health care team. He wrote The medical secretary’s handbook, etc (London, Baillière, Tindall & Cassell, 1965), which went into six editions, followed by The new practice manager (Oxford, Radcliffe Medical, 1990), which went into three editions. He was elected chairman of the practice organisation committee of the Royal College of General Practitioners, which facilitated a whole raft of new ideas.
Mr Laurence Dopson
FAMS (hon)
Laurence Dopson spent over 65 years in nursing and medical journalism, reporting and writing on the ever-changing medical world for The Independent, the BMA, The Lancet and Nursing Standard. He was also the first man to be a member of the editorial staff of a nursing journal in Britain, Nursing Times. He worked for the Royal College of Nursing and in July 1948 he wrote about the birth of the National Health Service and the "cradle to the grave" social insurance scheme, hailing it as "one of the most outstanding dates in British social history". He was still writing on the NHS well into his eighties.
Air Marshall Sir John Baird
FAMS (hon)
KBE, CStJ, DL, FRAeS, FRCPE, Surgeon-General
He was a British physician and a retired Royal Air Force medical officer who served as Surgeon-General of the British Armed Forces from 1997 to 2000. A Surgeon-General who pushed for change in military medicine. After specialising in aviation medicine he was later hailed as ‘the most able and distinguished Surgeon General of the late 20th century’. He was AMSPAR Vice-President.
Mrs Sylvia Cox
FAMS (hon)
Sylvia Cox is a founder member of the Association and served as Chair of Council on two separate occasions.
Mrs Mary Bird
FAMS (hon)
Former Chief Examiner, author of AMSPAR Medical Terminology and Certificate for General Practice Receptionists programmes; author of Medical Terminology and Clinical Procedures.
Mrs Barbara Barker
FAMS (hon)
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