‘Nurse of the Year’ named at General Practice Awards 2025
A nurse consultant from Park View Surgery is celebrating a huge win after being named Nurse of the Year at the General Practice Awards 2025.
Dr Jennifer Loke picked up the award during a sparkling ceremony in London on Friday evening – hosted by Nursing in Practice’s publisher, Cogora.
From a shortlist of seven, Dr Loke was awarded for her work in transforming Park View Surgery in the East Riding of Yorkshire from a practice facing significant challenges to a thriving one. As nurse consultant, her innovations in service delivery and commitment to health equity have reshaped how the practice operates.
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Speaking to Nursing in Practice after her win, Dr Loke stressed the importance of practice nurses being praised for the work they do and recognised for the expertise they offer.
‘Coming from a small practice, usually we don’t get recognised. But I feel really glad that our work has finally been recognised and that what a small surgery can achieve has also been recognised.
‘The main message I want to send to people is that primary care nurses can actually do a lot more than what you think.’
She added: ‘At the moment, the work nurses achieve is not recognised and we’re not given the opportunity to excel and do innovative work because of the limited understanding of the skills and knowledge in primary care nursing.’
Her comments come as Nursing in Practice continues to champion the profession and share innovation among nurses working in primary and community care through our How Nurses Count campaign.
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One of Dr Loke’s most impactful achievements has been the introduction of joint consultations – a new model that brings staff together to deliver longer, more holistic appointments.
Recognising that poor health literacy can be a significant barrier to effective care, Dr Loke focused particularly on older patients and those from ethnic minority backgrounds, with these groups often requiring tailored support to develop self-caring behaviours and reduce reliance on pharmaceutical interventions.
Her approach has helped to improve both access and outcomes for patients. Joint consultations led to a 43% drop in patient-initiated phone calls and a 55% reduction in emergency attendances for patients aged 70 and over. The model has since been adopted elsewhere in the practices’ PCN and by Humber NHS Foundation Trust.
Under Dr Loke’s leadership, the practice has also made strides in cardiovascular disease prevention and safe antibiotic prescribing.
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Dr Loke was presented her award by host and comedian Suzi Ruffell during the award ceremony held at Novotel London West on Friday.
The event marked Cogora’s 17th annual General Practice Awards ceremony and was sponsored by Exeltis, General Practice Solutions, MDDUS, Think healthcare and X-on Health.
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