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London Journal of Primary Care is a web-based journal for, and by, all those medical and non-medical professionals that make primary care in London so challenging, innovative, vibrant and exciting, and an example to other urban communities throughout the world. Twice a year, the most pertinent articles will be edited, updated and published in print, indexed and accessible by the international search engines.

Print ISSN: 1757-1472
Online ISSN: 1757-1480

Editorial Team

Editor in Chief

Paul Thomas, FRCGP
Paul Thomas is a general practitioner, clinical director in Ealing Primary Care Trust and professor of primary care at Thames Valley University. He has twenty years experience of developing multidisciplinary primary care, including leading whole system service development and participatory action research. His book 'Integrating Primary Care - Leading, Managing, Facilitating' - describes what he has learned about leading ongoing sustainable change.

Read Paul's editorial that describes his vision for the journal click here

Theme Editors

Dennis Ougrin, MB BS, MRCPsych
Mental Health Editor
Dennis Ougrin graduated from a medical school in Ukraine in 1998 and came to England to undertake his post-graduate training. He completed his basic psychiatric training at Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ training scheme in London and undertook his higher training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Ougrin is currently a Kraupl-Taylor Research Fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry. He has been working as a research and audit assistant and, since 2004, as a research and audit consultant for Brent PCT and West London Research Network. Dr Ougrin leads a programme of information exchange between the UK and Ukraine and organises annual conferences on psychiatric services’ development in Ukraine. His main professional interests include prevention of Borderline Personality Disorder and effective interventions for self-harm. Dr Ougrin is an author of Therapeutic Assessment - a novel model of assessment for the young people presenting with self harm in emergency. He is the chief investigator of a randomised controlled trial of Therapeutic Assessment. Dr Ougrin is also interested in the delivery of mental health services in primary care. He is a mental health theme editor of London Journal of Primary Care. Dr Ougrin is married and has a 5 year-old daughter Anastasia.

Read Dennis editorial that describes his vision for the journal click here

Gerry McGivern
Systems & Organisations Editor
Gerry McGivern is a Lecturer in the Department of Management, King’s College London. His research focuses on the organisation of healthcare, including projects on networks in healthcare, clinical-managerial roles and identities, evidence-based knowledge and practice, and professional regulation. Gerry has a PhD in organisational behaviour from Imperial College London and has worked at the University of Warwick, Royal Holloway, University of London, and as a HR consultant.

Read Gerry’s editorial that describes his vision for the journal click here

Alison While
Non-medical Perspectives Editor
Alison While is a health visitor and Professor of Community Nursing at King’s College London. She has over 30 years experience of working in the field of community nursing both as a practitioner, researcher and teacher and has published widely. She has a particular interest in long-term care issues and the contribution of nurses within healthcare within the context of interdisciplinary working.

Read Alison’s editorial that describes her vision for the journal click here

Cyprian Okoro
Epidemiology, Public Health & Environment Editor
Cyprian Okoro is a Consultant in Public Health Medicine at Ealing Primary Care Trust and Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Department of Primary Care and Social Medicine at Imperial College. He is also a Board Member of the South London Faculty of the Royal College of General Practitioners. Prior to joining Ealing PCT he was an Epidemiologist at the South East Regional Epidemiology Office of the Health Protection Agency. He studied International Health Policy at the London school of Economics (LSE) where he won the Titmus Price in Social Policy before proceeding to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine where he studied Public Health. His international health experience includes working as a Health Adviser at the Department of International Development (DFID) where he worked on HIV prevention, maternal mortality and child health, as well as working as an external Technical Consultant on evidence based medicine and guidelines development in Nigeria on behalf of the Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health (LATH). Cyprian trained in Obstetrics & Gynaecology and General Practice before pursuing his career in public health and health policy. He has undertaken several epidemiological studies and published in peer review journals.

Read Cyprian’s editorial that describes her vision for the journal click here

Shamini Gnani
Clinical Editor
Shamini Gnani combines her role as a general practitioner in Camden with her role as a public health consultant at Imperial College London. She has been a public health consultant involved in health promotion and disease prevention, health inequalities, and commissioning of health services at various London Primary Care Trusts. She is research active in clinical epidemiology using primary care information management systems.

Read Shamini’s editorial that describes her vision for the journal click here

Andrew Papanikitas
Ethics Editor
Andrew Papanikitas is a portfolio GP in London and Buckinghamshire. In addition to his medical qualifications he has a BSc (Hons) in the history of medicine, an MA in medical law and ethics and is currently completing a PhD in the Sociology of Biomedical Ethics at King’s College London (KCL). His PhD Project looks at how bioethics is applied in UK General Practice.

Currently he is also involved in writing the 2nd edition of Crash Course in Ethics and Human Sciences for Elsevier and has contributed an ethics e-learning for the Royal College of General Practice Department of Health’s E-learning for Health project. He has written two books with the RSM press (for undergraduate finals and for the diploma in child health clinical examinations) as well as a number of peer-reviewed papers, and is a peer reviewer for The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine and The Journal of Medical Ethics. He has been running undergraduate and postgraduate education events at the Royal Society of Medicine Since 2000.

He also teaches ethics and professionalism on the KCL MSc in primary healthcare and facilitates interprofessional education and ethics as well as communication skills for undergraduates at KCL. Since 2010 he has also been involved in facilitating ethics education for the RCGP NWL Faculty as well for GP trainees and trainers in the London region.

His academic website may be found at www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/sspp/interdisciplinary/cbas/phd/ap.html

Deen Mirza
International Editor
Deen Mirza is a locum GP and GP appraiser in South London. He was a course tutor on the highly successful London Faculties MRCGP courses, and previously worked at St George's University of London, teaching undergraduates. He is currently working for 2 years as a Lecturer in Family Medicine in a new Medical College at the University of Sharjah, UAE. His interests are in postgraduate GP assessment, and in how communication skills and ethics are taught internationally.

Read Deen's editorial for the international section of the LJPC here. click here

Hina Taylor
London Landscape Editor
Hina Taylor is a Clinical lecturer at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry where she is the course organiser of the BMedSci Health Sciences degree, an intercalated degree for 4th year students. She qualified from Liverpool Medical School and came to London in 2001 to pursue an MSc in Primary Care and complete an academic training scheme.

She has been a GP for seven years; having originally trained in the peace and tranquillity of the Yorkshire Dales she now practises in the urban jungle of Kilburn. She has a special interest in Diabetes and writing skills among undergraduate students. She is on the editorial board of the Foundation Years Journal.

Read Hina’s editorial for the London landscape section of the LJPC click here

Laura Nasir MSN, RN, FNP-BC
Leadership Editor
Laura Nasir is a family nurse practitioner and clinical assistant professor from the U.S. where she teaches graduate courses in health promotion in primary care, behaviour change, professionalism, interviewing techniques and physical examination skills. For the last ten years, she has managed patients in general practice in an underserved community in North Carolina. She has 15 years experience facilitating interdisciplinary teamwork and collaboration efforts in diverse settings, including academia, private business, and health care. She is currently in the UK as a researcher with King’s College London and the National Nursing Research Unit examining the integration of primary care services

Dr Hamed Khan MBBS MRCP
Education Editor and South London Representative
Hamed Khan is a GP Registrar in South London and Chairman of the London Deanery GP Training Committee. He is also a Board Member of the South London Faculty of the Royal College of General Practitioners.

After training at St Bartholomews and The Royal London Hospital Medical School, he completed a Medical Education Academic Foundation Programme. Subsequently he has taught students at a number of medical schools, and has also organised OSCE’s and lectures on a voluntary basis. He was also a course tutor for junior doctors preparing for the GPVTS entrance exam, and works with GP trainee’s to help organise educational events and resolve training issues through the training committee.

Hamed has published in various journals, and continues to write for ‘GP’ newspaper on a regular basis. He has also recently written a textbook on the GPVTS entrance exams.

Besides this, he was a doctor on the Flora London Marathon’s official medical team in 2009, and received the ‘Best Trainee Project’ prize at the London Deanery’s Annual Trainee Conference in 2010.

Associate Editors

Mike Carmi,
Associate Editor and North East London Liaison
Michael Carmi is Provost of the North East London Faculty and their Fellowship Lead. He was a GP at White Lodge Medical Practice for 37 years and Associate Director London Deanery for 18 years. His primary interest is Education and he was a Past Hon. Senior Lecturer University College and Royal Free Medical School. He helped to found the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education and developed an interest in Cot Deaths. He is the College Representative and a Trustee of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death. He is also GP Appraiser at Enfield PCT. and an Educational Facilitator at Barndoc.

Ricky Banarsee
West London Primary Care Liaison
After an early career in the armed forces (overseas), Ricky (Reetoo) Banarsee graduated in Psychology before embarking a career in healthcare. He was appointed Senior Tutor (nursing) at Shenley Hospital/NWLHT in 1986 and later entered general management as Head of Mental Health Community Services in Brent. In the early 1990’s he worked on a DH project with Westminster Social Services setting up the Joint Homeless Team in West London before being appointed as Head of Mental Health Education for North West London College. In 2000 he was appointed as the Director of the Applied Research Unit (NHS Brent) and the West London Primary Care Research Network (WeLReN) based Imperial College. Ricky is also Senior Research Fellow at Imperial and a Visiting Professor at the University of Mauritius. He has been involved in many of the major innovations which have shaped West London Primary Care Research over the last 15 years including the setting up of the WeLReN, CLRN, PCRN_GL, CLARHC and West London Primary Care Consortium (WLPCC). He has an active overseas portfolio which includes advisory consultancy to the Child Mental Health Services in Kiev. He is presently advising the Govt of Mauritius and University of Mauritius in setting up a Masters in Public Health. He is also a member of the WHO Collaborating Centre based at Imperial College.

Greta Rait MRCGP MD
UCL Liaison
Greta Rait trained in general practice and then worked as a research fellow at the Department of Psychiatry in Manchester. She joined the Dept of Primary Care (UCL) in 1998 as a clinical lecturer. After completing a MRC training fellowship in Health Services Research, she started a new post between UCL and the MRC General Practice Research Framework. She is a part-time GP at Clerkenwell Medical Practice, in Islington, London. Her research interest areas include mental health, complex interventions in primary care and chronic disease.

Francesco Carelli
International Liaison
Francesco Carelli is a general Practitioner and professor of family medicine at the University in Milan. He is also a Council member of the European Academy of Teachers in General Practice and Director of Communications, Chair BME Committee. He has a Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Care & General Practice from Belfast University.

He is a member of the Italian Journalist Council, and on the Editorial Boards of several general practice journals.

His wife is a neurologist, and he has two children, one certificated in Arts. He likes to take care of the garden and to travel a lot meeting colleagues and friends.

Marini Edwards,
North & West London Representative
Marini Edwards is a general practitioner in North West London with 15 years in practice. She is a member of the North and West London RCGP Faculty Board and LMC. She qualified at Cambridge University and was an editor of Cambridge Medicine, the Clinical School Journal. Her special interests are diabetes, occupational medicine, medical education and the history of medicine.

Gouri Dhillon
North & West London Liaison

Terry Bamford
Social Services Adviser

Beverley Russell
RCGP London Manager

Debbie Board
North & West London Faculty Administrator

Editorial Board

Paul Thomas, Editor in Chief

Editorial Team, as above

Gabby Ivbijaro,
North East London Board Representative
Gabby Ivbijaro graduated from the University of Benin in Nigeria, became a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners UK in 1998 and a Fellow in 2004. He is the chair of the WONCA Working Party on Mental Health. He is on the editorial board of a number of journals and is Clinical Governance and Educational Lead for Waltham Forest Primary Care Trust. He has made a significant contribution to the development of mental health in primary care internationally and has presented extensively at a variety of national and international conferences. He has written extensively on the role of General Practitioners in the management of mental health in primary care. Recent publications include the WONCA Culturally Sensitive Depression Guideline; Mental Health in Primary Care: Ways of Working – The Impact of Culture; Look, Listen & Test: Mental Health Assessment and a Study of the Governance Arrangement and Structure of Waltham Forest PCT Using a Federalist Lens.

Anwar Khan,
North East London Board Representative
Anwar Khan is a part-time GP and Associate Director of the London Deanery. He is a member of the RCGP North East London Faculty RCGP, Chair of its Education Sub-Committee and past Chair of the Board. He is an RCGP International Development Advisor (Oman and South Asia) and Deputy Medical Director of Assessment. His Special interest is assessment and medical education and he has edited a book on this topic in 2007