The highly anticipated PMA Annual Awards 2026 took place on 7 October at the Best Practice Show in Birmingham, bringing together the primary care community to celebrate the achievements of individuals and teams working across general practice and healthcare management.
Held at the NEC Birmingham as part of the Best Practice Show, the awards formed part of a wider event dedicated to supporting healthcare professionals through expert insights, professional development and opportunities to share knowledge and experience.
The awards took centre stage in the PMA Theatre, recognising excellence in management across the healthcare sector. The ceremony celebrated the dedication, leadership and innovation of the people who help practices and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) operate effectively, support their colleagues and deliver services to their communities.
Celebrating the people behind primary care
The successful delivery of primary care relies on a wide range of skills and expertise. Alongside clinical teams, practice managers, PCN managers and non-clinical staff play a vital role in supporting patients, developing teams, managing resources and ensuring services run effectively.
The PMA Annual Awards provide an opportunity to recognise these contributions and highlight the achievements taking place across the sector.
This year’s categories celebrated excellence in practice and PCN management, professional development, reception services, sustainability, innovation and outstanding contributions to general practice. They also recognised organisations investing in the development of their non-clinical workforce and supporting staff to build their skills and careers.
By shining a light on these achievements, the PMA continues to champion the primary care management workforce and celebrate the people whose commitment makes a difference every day.
A key part of the Best Practice Show
The Best Practice Show brings together healthcare professionals, practice teams and organisations to explore the challenges and opportunities facing primary care. With a programme spanning professional learning, practical guidance and developments in general practice, the event provides an opportunity for delegates to exchange ideas and learn from others across the sector.
Against this backdrop, the PMA Annual Awards offered a chance to celebrate success and recognise the people behind the services and teams that keep primary care running.
The awards also reinforced the importance of recognising the non-clinical workforce, whose contribution is essential to the effective management and ongoing development of general practice.
Thank you to our sponsors
The PMA would like to extend its sincere thanks to the organisations that supported the 2026 Annual Awards. Their contribution helps make it possible to recognise and celebrate the achievements of professionals working across primary care.
Bespoke Clinical Services (BCS) was our Headline Sponsor, with General Practice Solutions as Gold Sponsor and Hillcroft as Gift Bag Sponsor.
We would also like to thank our individual award sponsors, Pure Unity Health, healthtech-1 and GP-Surveyors, for their support in recognising excellence across the different award categories.
The PMA greatly values the contribution of all its sponsors and their commitment to supporting the primary care sector. Their involvement helps ensure that the achievements of individuals, teams and organisations receive the recognition they deserve.
Celebrating success across primary care
The PMA Annual Awards are about more than recognising individual winners. They provide an opportunity to celebrate the dedication, innovation and professionalism of people working across primary care, while sharing examples of the positive work taking place in practices, PCNs and wider healthcare organisations.
Ian Jones, PMA Director, commented on this years awards “The quality of the nominations continues to demonstrate the commitment, innovation and dedication of people working across primary care. It is important that we recognise the achievements of those who make such a difference to their practices, PCNs and the wider healthcare sector, and continue to celebrate success across primary care.”
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Congratulations to our 2026 award winners
The PMA congratulates all the winners and highly commended nominees recognised at this year’s awards. We would also like to thank everyone who submitted a nomination and took the time to celebrate the achievements of colleagues across primary care.
The full list of winners and highly commended nominees is below.
PCN Manager of the Year 2026
Winner: Lauren Donkin – Deben Health Group PCN
Highly commended:
· Pam Wilson – Conway Road Medical Practice
· Pavithra Menon – Mid Dorset PCN
Award Sponsor: Pure Unity Health
PMA Organisation Award for Supporting Professional Development in the Non-Clinical Workforce 2026
Winners: Caroline Brown and Kim Richards – Shrewsbury PCN, comprising 11 practices covering 105,000 patients.
Highly commended:
· Sarah Stapleton – Devon Training Hub
Practice Manager of the Year 2026
Winner: Franca Jeavons – Bromleag Care Practice
Highly commended:
· Karen Fox – Central Medical Centre Peterborough
· Kate Mansi – Wokingham Medical Centre
Award Sponsor: healthtech-1
Receptionist Team of the Year 2026
Winner: TeamCastle – Castle Partnership
Highly commended:
· Reception and Admin Team – Peterloo Medical Centre
· Jayne E Henderson – Prospect Surgery, Middlesbrough
Award Sponsor: Pure Unity Health
Sustainability in General Practice 2026
Winner: Health Inequalities Barking & Dagenham GP Federation Team – Together First CIC, Barking & Dagenham GP Federation
Highly commended:
· Havergal Surgery
· Crumpsall Medical Practice
Practice Business Manager of the Year 2026
Winner: James Perrin – The Simpson Centre & Penn Surgery
Highly commended:
· Jenna Johnstone – Peterloo Medical Centre
· Sarah Rhodes-Bickerdyke – The Avicenna Medical Practice
Award Sponsor: GP-Surveyors
Lifetime Achievement 2026
Winner: Zulf Ali – York Medical Group York and Nimbuscare CIC
Highly commended:
· Maureen Aitken – Regency Medical Practice
· Sarah Rhodes-Bickerdyke – The Avicenna Medical Practice
Outstanding Contribution to General Practice 2026
Winner: Dr Cristina Ramos – South Warwickshire GP Federation and Rother House Medical Centre
Highly commended:
· Professor Vinay Gupta and Dr Richard Wong – Willows Health
· Dom Barnes – Sutton Coldfield Group Practice
· Dr Elango Vijaykumar – Modality Partnership
· Dr Naresh Rati – Modality Partnership
Administration / Reception Manager of the Year 2026
Winner: Mason Jones – Crumpsall Medical Practice
Highly commended:
· Naomi Haigger – The New Surgery
· Margaret McAleer – Hatfield Health Practice Ash Hill Doncaster
Award Sponsor: Hillcroft
Innovation in General Practice 2026
Winner: Dr Aamena Salar – Modality Partnership
Highly commended:
· Maureen Aitken – Regency Medical Practice
Award Sponsor: General Practice Solutions
Celebrating the achievements of primary care
Congratulations once again to all our winners and highly commended nominees. Their achievements reflect the dedication, expertise and commitment of the people working across primary care every day.
Thank you to our sponsors, everyone who submitted a nomination and all those who continue to support the PMA and its work championing the primary care management workforce.
