Primary care clinical leader joins NHS Confederation
This role will support the effective development of primary care as part of the wider health and care system in England, which can improve the health and care of local populations and reduce health inequalities.
Dr Atkinson’s appointment also comes as the national stocktake, led by Professor Claire Fuller, continues on how local systems can work with primary care to improve the integration of patient care.
Dr Atkinson is a highly experienced GP and local leader. She is the GP Partner at Eastwood Primary Care Centre in Nottingham and a clinical lead in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICS. She has been chair of a CCG and a PCN clinical director.
Dr Nicole Atkinson, GP and medical adviser for primary care at the NHS Confederation, said:
“I am delighted to have been appointed as NHS Confederation’s primary care medical adviser.
“I have lived, breathed and been supporting primary care for over 20 years, and so with the sector seeking to have an even more influential role in local healthcare planning and delivery, I can’t wait to get started. The current landscape of integration and system change brings with it uncertainty, but also untapped potential to do things differently for our workforce, our patients and our populations.
“This is an exciting time to step into this national role and through the NHS Confederation’s new network for primary care, I am looking forward to ensuring we support and empower primary care leaders to have a strong voice in the development of integrated care systems.”
Ruth Rankine, director of primary care at the NHS Confederation, said:
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr Nicole Atkinson to the NHS Confederation and she will be a great asset in enhancing our support for primary care providers across the country at a such a crucial time for the sector.
“Nicole will play a vital part in voicing the experiences, ideas and concerns of our members across all parts of the system and at the highest levels of influence.
“Throughout the pandemic, we have seen what primary care can deliver and Nicole’s championing of the sector will support leaders to build on this and go further.”
About us
We are the membership organisation that brings together, supports and speaks for the whole healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The members we represent employ 1.5 million staff, care for more than 1 million patients a day and control £150 billion of public expenditure. We promote collaboration and partnership working as the key to improving population health, delivering high-quality care and reducing health inequalities.
