Nominate someone for this year’s awards by 31 October
Award-winning pharmacy team delivering innovative care across Hammersmith & Fulham.
L or R: Dr Nick Woodier, Senior Safety Investigator, Health Services Safety Investigations Body presents John Adams, Head Of Pharmacy, Robert Mclaren, GP Managing Partner and Rory Donnelly, Site Lead Pharmacist with the Safety award.
The Hammersmith and Fulham Partnership Pharmacy Team has seen remarkable growth and recognition, now comprising 20 pharmacists working across five GP sites and serving a population of 75,000 patients. Their dedication to patient safety and innovation was recently honoured with the Practice Safety Award at the London General Practice Awards, held on 6 February 2025.
“We are proud to have been recognised by Londonwide LMCs for our work. We believe our success is underpinned by several transferable factors,” said John Adams, Head of Pharmacy.
The team’s success is rooted in a strong, clinically focused culture that empowers pharmacists with autonomy, trust, and support. This environment has enabled them to break free from traditional hierarchies and explore new areas of practice. The team is made up of dynamic, passionate professionals whose shared energy drives continuous improvements in patient care.
At the heart of the team is a leadership group with nearly 50 years of combined GP practice experience. Their mentorship has fostered a culture of clinical development and challenge, encouraging pharmacists to grow into highly skilled specialists. Rather than being defined by their training backgrounds, team members are united by a mindset of curiosity, continuous learning, and a drive to improve.
The team has worked to create roles that offer variety, growth, and meaningful impact, with the leaders saying they are mindful of how the healthcare system can often be burdened by burnout and bureaucracy. Pharmacists have developed expertise in key clinical areas such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), respiratory conditions, frailty, and mental health. Working closely with GPs, they provide proactive, tailored care that complements the skills of expert generalists.
Examples of their innovative work include the CVD faculty lead’s exploration of Lp(a) testing in community settings, and the lead respiratory pharmacist’s management of a local diagnostic hublet. The team’s approach goes beyond checklists, focusing on clinical context—such as re-evaluating COPD diagnoses that don’t match symptom patterns or identifying latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) in patients misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
The team talk about firmly believing that pharmacy professionals should be active clinical contributors, not limited to administrative roles. “We are here to treat disease, improve lives, and raise the standard of care. That’s why we love what we do,” Adams added.