A family doctor is retiring following 38 years in the NHS, after dedicating his working life to improving the health and wellbeing of the people of Salford.
Dr Hamish Stedman, who has worked to improve healthcare for up to 247,000 people in city, is stepping down from his role as chairman of NHS Salford Clinical Commissioning Group.
He will be perhaps best known to his patients at the Lakes Medical Centre in Swinton and also through his work as a medical officer at St Ann’s Hospice in Little Hulton.
Dr Stedman’s proudest achievement has been to lead the CCG in becoming one of only 10 nationally in being rated “outstanding” by NHS England, the first in Greater Manchester.
He has overseen pioneering initiatives including investing more than £7m in primary care though the launch of the Salford Standard, a set of standards that patients should expect from the city’s 46 GP practices, and he played a crucial role in the development of the Salford Intergrated Care Organisation, a partnership between the CCG, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford Council and Greater Manchester West Mental Health to create a single body to oversee all adult health and social care.
Dr Stedman, who qualified as a doctor in 1978, has fought to ensure that the voice of the people of Salford is heard at the CCG and he has been a familiar face at patient panel events, where he has answered questions and listened to people’s concerns.
Anthony Hassall, chief accountable officer for Salford CCG, said: “His commitment to health and well-being and addressing the wider determinants of health has been unwavering, challenging us all to think beyond illness into the domains of education, housing, justice and employment to really create opportunities for the people of Salford to fulfil their potential.”
His successor is Dr Tom Tasker, who has been a GP in Salford for the last 18 years.
Dr Tasker said: “The NHS is going through a lot of change, especially with Greater Manchester devolution, so it is a real honour to have been appointed as Hamish’s successor and lead Salford CCG through the next stage of our development.
