Dr Liam Loftus

Liam trained at Oxford Medical School, using his role as Clinical School President to pursue his interest in leadership. He led a fundraising initiative that generated over £200 000, and then led the subsequent clinical school building redevelopment using the proceeds. He also directed the Student First Responders Scheme, leading over 1 000 hours of volunteer responding in the local community.

He continued his leadership journey as Junior Doctor Mess President in his Foundation Years at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. He delivered a wide range of improvements in areas such as patient safety, workforce development, and peer-to-peer education, presenting his work nationally and internationally.

Since moving to Cambridge to undertake GP Training, he has held a part-time role as Leadership Fellow at Health Education East of England. In this role, he has co-led the development of “The Leadership Ladder.” This is a junior doctor-specific leadership development platform that is accessible to all 5000 trainees in the East of England, with plans make this freely available to all across the country. Through co-producing eLearning resources with trainees, senior leaders, and organisations around the UK, The Leadership Ladder now forms the core offer for junior doctor leadership development in the East of England.

Liam has also continued his clinical leadership endeavours, through projects that include increasing patient uptake of the National Diabetes Prevention Programme, and improving how fit notes are issued in secondary care, while also representing the voice of GP Trainees in his role on Cambs Local Medical Committee.

Reason for applying for the scheme

As a future GP, Liam’s desire is not only to impact upon the patient who enters his consulting room, but also to take a step back, and consider how we can improve the health and wellbeing of all patients; locally, regionally, and nationally. Given this passion, he is delighted to be joining the Primary Care Team at NHS England. Within this role, he hopes to further develop his enthusiasm for reducing health inequalities, and is particularly interested in how Primary Care Networks can be used as a powerful vehicle for change in this area.Liam also believes that strong, dynamic, and sustainable primary care is an integral component of an effective recovery from the impact that COVID-19 has had on our health system. He is particularly keen to discover how the national direction set by the Primary Care Team can promote and strengthen the delivery of care at the level of Primary Care Networks.

Given his keen interest in the theory underpinning clinical leadership, Liam is also looking forward to building on his qualifications with the Institute of Leadership and Management, the NHS Leadership Academy, and a PG Cert from the University of Cambridge, through participating in the Fellow Education Programme.