York locum GP Dr Metcalfe had been voted overall winner of the GP Enterprise Awards 2013 by readers of GP magazine and GPonline.com for his work in the first five years since qualifying.
GP organises the awards in collaboration with the RCGP, and with sponsorship from the MDU, to discover and promote ideas from general practice that can be replicated by surgeries across the UK.
The six category winners receive £1,000 each and are then rated by GP readers. The overall winner receives the MDU Entperprise Award and a further £4,000.
Dr Metcalfe won the RCGP First5 category for his overall contribution to the NHS in his first five years.
He worked in a rural practice, a homeless shelter and spent time as a police surgeon. He is also a clinical research fellow in medical education and general practice and has published more than 20 articles on a range of subjects, including advice on diabetes pen injection techniques which was published in the BMJ. His work on chaperone policy has been nationally recognised.
Dr Sharmala Moodley, deputy head of claims at the MDU, was on stage at the RCGP for the presentation. She said: 'It has been very inspiring to be involved in the GP Enterprise Awards and to see the innovative ways practices are improving patient care.
'I want to add my warmest congratulations to Dr Metcalfe. Among his many achievements, his research on the use of chaperones in acute trusts includes many lessons for general practice. By highlighting this often overlooked area, we hope many more practices will draw up and review their chaperone policies.'
Read more about Dr Metcalfe's winning entry:
GP Enterprise Awards 2013: RCGP First5 Award
At the same ceremony more than 100 GPs from across the UK and overseas were made fellows of the RCGP.
The fellows received their accolade from RCGP president Professor Mike Pringle, who said: 'I have been incredibly proud and humbled to recognise the achievements of these dedicated GPs. It really is a celebration of the diversity of modern general practice.'
This year, the college’s prestigious James Mackenzie lecture was delivered by RCGP honorary secretary Professor Nigel Mathers, a GP in Sheffield.
His talk, entitled ‘The Tao of Family Medicine’ united two of his key interests: treating patients with long-term conditions in general practice and China.
Professor Mathers argued that we need a ‘cultural revolution’ in our approach to general practice and allow GPs to use their professional artistry and compassion to address these 21st century challenges.
