Promni Health is delighted to have been shortlisted for two awards at the 2026 General Practice Awards, recognising the outstanding work of our clinicians to improve prevention, earlier diagnosis and patient outcomes within primary care.
Claire Southey has been shortlisted for Extended Practice Team Member of the Year, while Promni Health’s First Contact Physiotherapy teams serving Hyndburn Central PCN, Wansbeck PCN and Valleys PCN have been shortlisted for the Clinical Improvement Award: Public Health and Prevention.
The General Practice Awards celebrate the people and teams making an exceptional contribution to general practice and primary care across the UK.
Claire Southey shortlisted for Extended Practice Team Member of the Year
Claire Southey, First Contact Physiotherapist at Promni Health, has been shortlisted for Extended Practice Team Member of the Year following her work to improve the identification and management of osteoporosis and frailty within primary care.
Claire identified an important gap in the way patients at risk of osteoporosis and fragility fractures were being identified and followed up.
Rather than simply highlighting the issue, she led a detailed audit which identified more than 700 patients – around 8% of the practice population – potentially at risk, including patients without appropriate scans, recalls or follow-up.
Claire then helped turn that insight into action.
She personally reviewed patient records and prioritised those at greatest risk, developed a phased DEXA referral programme aligned with GP capacity, and introduced improved coding and recall processes to create a more proactive and sustainable approach to osteoporosis management.
Her work has also extended beyond the practice, engaging with A&E and orthopaedic teams to improve communication and follow-up following fragility fractures.
The approach is already attracting interest from other practices across the PCN, demonstrating the potential for the model to be replicated more widely.
At its heart, Claire’s work is about identifying risk earlier and intervening before patients experience potentially avoidable fractures, loss of mobility and reduced independence.
FCP teams recognised for tackling delays in axial spondyloarthritis diagnosis
Promni Health’s FCP teams delivering services across Hyndburn Central PCN, Wansbeck PCN and Valleys PCN have also been shortlisted for the Clinical Improvement Award: Public Health and Prevention.
The nomination particularly recognises the work of Promni Health FCPs Gill Lawrence, Harriet Goodison and Laura Clark, who have led work to improve the recognition and earlier diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (Ax SpA).
Historically, people with Ax SpA can experience significant delays between the onset of symptoms and receiving a diagnosis. Through the Act on Axial SpA campaign, delivered in partnership with the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS), our clinicians have worked to help change that.
Their approach has extended well beyond the consulting room.
The team has delivered education across primary care and the wider healthcare workforce, introduced inflammatory back pain tools within general practice and supported awareness campaigns in community settings including gyms, opticians and other organisations.
This work has helped clinicians recognise the signs and symptoms of Ax SpA earlier and improve the quality and timeliness of referrals into specialist services.
The programme has also been embedded more widely within Promni Health. Learning and training developed through the initiative has been incorporated into our wider FCP workforce, helping to spread knowledge and good practice across our services nationally.
It is an example of the wider role First Contact Physiotherapists can play within primary care: not simply managing musculoskeletal presentations, but identifying potentially serious or long-term conditions earlier, supporting prevention and connecting patients with the right specialist care.
“A fantastic example of what our clinicians can achieve”
Paula Coates-Renwick, Director of Clinical Performance at Promni Health, said:
“To have our clinicians recognised in two categories at this year’s General Practice Awards is something we are incredibly proud of.
“What stands out about both nominations is that they demonstrate what can happen when clinicians look beyond the immediate consultation and ask whether we can do something differently to improve outcomes for patients.
“Claire identified a group of patients at risk of osteoporosis and fragility fractures who could potentially have remained unidentified until they experienced harm. She didn’t simply identify the problem – she developed a practical and sustainable way for primary care to address it.
“Gill, Harriet and Laura have shown that same determination through their work on axial spondyloarthritis. By improving awareness among clinicians and communities, strengthening pathways and sharing that learning across our wider workforce, they are helping patients get the right diagnosis and treatment earlier.
“These are fantastic examples of the contribution FCPs can make to prevention and population health when they are fully integrated into primary care. We’re incredibly proud of everyone involved and delighted to see their work recognised nationally.”
Celebrating innovation in primary care
Promni Health works exclusively with the NHS, delivering fully managed clinical services within primary care across the UK.
These two nominations reflect an important part of our approach: empowering our clinicians not only to deliver high-quality patient care, but to identify opportunities to improve pathways, prevent avoidable harm and create changes that can be shared across the wider NHS.
The winners of the 2026 General Practice Awards will be announced at the awards ceremony in London on Friday 4 December 2026.
Everyone at Promni Health wishes Claire, Gill, Harriet, Laura and all of the colleagues involved in these services the very best of luck.
