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Rumina Onac

Success for Greener Practice members at the RCGP Inspire Awards

Last month at a glittering ceremony at 30 Euston Square, two of our members were celebrated at national level for their commitment and achievements in the field of sustainable healthcare.

Every two years, the RCGP Inspire Awards are given out to members who volunteer their time and have had a significant impact on their peers and or general practice more widely. RCGP members are given the chance to nominate colleagues, to “celebrate the unsung heroes who don’t always get recognised”. This year, there were a record number of over 300 nominations, plus 11 new categories. The shortlist of 28 dedicated primary care clinicians was announced on social media on the 26th of March; you can read all about their individual projects and areas of interest here on the RCGP website.

And with a UK network nearing a thousand, it was no surprise that Greener Practice members stole the show with double-success in the category of ‘Inspiring Champions’ for the Sustainability & Equity award. Two of our members were shortlisted: Dr Emma Radcliffe, GP in East London, and Dr Nadja van Ginneken, GP in Liverpool.

The shortlist was subsequently judged by a panel of RCGP members, Officers, committee leads and representatives, RCGP Executive Management, and previous award winners.

I was delighted to be a finalist in the RCGP Inspire Awards. We need to embed environmental sustainability in everyday clinical practice and so it’s good to demonstrate the work that is being done to all our colleagues.

As with all things green, I work as part of a team and so I am pleased to represent the whole Greener Practice family and beyond!

– Dr Emma Radcliffe

Emma was nominated for her work combining climate action, health equity, and system transformation. She demonstrated that environmental sustainability is essential to a just and equitable general practice, through her clinical leadership, academic writing, community engagement, and advocacy on a national scale. If you’ve read her article in BJGP Life: The Inverse Climate Law: A Call for Health Equity and Climate Justice, you’ll have seen her highlight the disproportionate climate-related harm suffered by deprived communities, calling for a shift in the conversation from carbon reduction alone, to a broader focus on climate justice.

You can read Emma’s article here.

And Nadja went on to win! For more details on her many achievements, head over to our recent article. As a taster, these include: 

Well done to Nadja and Emma! We hope their success inspires other GPs to pursue positive sustainability goals in the workplace and beyond. 

We’re also grateful to all our members who took the time to nominate their peers. And don’t worry if you missed out – there are plenty of other ways to celebrate success:

And remember, if you’ve been involved in a project locally, then we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch via the Contact page or message us on social media to let us know what’s happening in your area.

Photo credits: Top = Dr Nadja van Ginneken with her award.
Middle = Dr Selvaseelan Selvarajah (GP, Tower Hamlets and RCGP council member) and Dr Emma Radcliffe at the RCGP Inspire Awards Ceremony.
Bottom = Dr Nadja van Ginneken planting bulbs at Vauxhall Health Centre, Liverpool