Professor Dame Clare Gerada has been recommended for appointment as a crossbench peer, joining the House of Lords as an independent member unaligned with any political party.
A practising NHS GP since 1983, Dame Clare has dedicated her career to improving mental health, addiction treatment, and primary care. As Senior Partner at the Hurley Group, she has helped develop one of London’s largest GP and urgent care networks, serving many of the city’s most deprived communities.
Her leadership roles include serving as Chair (2010–2013) and later President (2021–2023) of the Royal College of General Practitioners, where she oversaw major organisational reforms. She also founded the NHS Practitioner Health Service, which provides confidential mental health and addiction support for doctors and other healthcare professionals, and went on to establish the National Primary Care Gambling Service.
Beyond her clinical and leadership work, Dame Clare co-chaired the NHS Assembly (2019–2025), advising NHS England on the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan. She currently chairs Doctors in Distress, a charity dedicated to preventing suicide among healthcare workers.
Her appointment to the House of Lords recognises a lifelong commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of both patients and medical professionals. Addiction Professionals are delighted to hear about this well-deserved appointment. She will be speaking at The Addiction Professionals/RCGP 30th Annual Conference Managing Addictions in Primary Care conference.
Conference InformationOther News & Events