-- St Mark's Medical Centre, a large primary care facility serving over 18,500 patients in Southport, has been honoured with the Royal College of General Practitioners Practice Team of the Year 2025 award. The accolade recognises the practice's outstanding leadership, innovation, and sustained contribution to improving community health outcomes across the region.
From Left to Right Bottom Row - Dr Charlotte Handbury, Dr Tatsiana Parry, Dr Eric Balki Dr Navaid Alam, Top Row - Dr Mark Wigglesworth, Paul Cheston, Dr Louise O’Donnel, Dr Farida Alam, Saadia Abbassi, Natalie Cheston) Photo Courtesy of: RCGP Awards
Under the transformative leadership of Dr. Eric Balki, St Mark's has become one of the best-performing large practices in the country, combining operational scale with a deeply personal, community-centred approach to care. Over the past five years, Dr. Balki has spearheaded a strategic programme addressing complex challenges of diseases related to aging, resulting in measurable improvements in population health and significantly reduced pressure on local healthcare services.
The RCGP judging panel praised St Mark's for its commitment to leadership, teamwork, and innovation in primary care, highlighting measurable improvements in both patient outcomes and service quality. Key achievements include reduced appointment waiting times, improved continuity of care, and a 4.1-star Google rating with over 900 reviews.
Dr. Balki, who maintains a close academic relationship with Lancaster University's Faculty of Health and Medicine, has contributed research into aging, longevity, and population health that directly shapes the practice's clinical strategy.
The practice's multidisciplinary leadership team, including Dr. Mark Wigglesworth, Dr. Farida Alam, Dr. Navaid Alam, Paul Cheston (Chief Pharmacist), Natalie Cheston (Lead Nurse), Dr. Louise O'Donnell, and Senior Manager Saadia Abbassi, have each played pivotal roles in the centre's success. A standout initiative founded by Dr. Balki and led by Dr. O'Donnell provides ongoing healthcare and mental health support for homeless individuals in partnership with Light for Life.
Dr Balki giving his acceptance speech reminded the audience of the importance of how providing excellent patient care to all, regardless of their backgrounds or socio-economic status is what gives teams like his the motivation and resilience to overcome major challenges of the healthcare systems.
Accepting the award, Dr. Balki said: "This recognition belongs to our entire team. Over the past five years, we've reimagined what community healthcare can achieve, improving outcomes and extending care to those who are often forgotten."
About St Mark's Medical Centre
St Mark's Medical Centre is a leading primary care facility at 42 Derby Road, Southport, serving over 18,500 registered patients across Merseyside. St Mark's is regarded as one of the best-performing large practices in the United Kingdom. The centre specialises in reducing health inequities, preventative medicine, chronic disease management, and community outreach programmes including support for vulnerable populations. Led by Managing Partner Dr. Eric Balki, an Honorary Research Fellow at Lancaster University’s Faculty of Health and Medicine, St Mark's integrates cutting-edge research with practical healthcare solutions, addressing some of the most pressing health challenges facing modern communities.
Contact Info:
Name: Mrs Saadia Abbassi (Practice Lead and Staff Development Manager)
Email: Send Email
Organization: St Mark's Medical Centre
Address: 42 Derby Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 0TZ
Website: https://www.stmarksmc.nhs.uk/
Release ID: 89176682
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