PCDS Committee election candidate biographies (2022)

Hannah Beba**

Hannah Beba is a Consultant Pharmacist at Leeds Health & Care Partnership, part of the wider West Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership. Hannah is passionate about integrated models of care and how we work as a wider collaborative in the field of cardio–renal–metabolic medicine to tackle the most impactful clusters of comorbidities in people living with diabetes. 

Hannah is co-Chair of the United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy Association’s Diabetes and Endocrine Committee, and sits on the Diabetes UK Committee of Healthcare Professionals. She was a 2018 Diabetes UK Clinical Champion and is an Associate Lecturer at Newcastle University. 

Hannah is still very clinically active, running type 1, complex type 2 and mentorship clinics across the healthcare system. As one of only two consultant pharmacists to be predominately based in primary care, Hannah hopes to bring to the PCDS Committee a fresh set of eyes, to highlight the importance of the growing pharmacy workforce in primary care, and to be an exemplary representative of her profession and the wider multidisciplinary team.

Heather Bell*

Heather Bell is a GP Principal working in Carrickfergus. She graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 2004.

She has a special interest in diabetes and joined the PCDS as a committee member in 2019. She has spoken at numerous national conferences and has an interest in diabetes research.

Besides her interest in diabetes, she is passionate about teaching and works as a GP Trainer in her practice. She has an interest in women’s health, working as a Faculty Registered Trainer in family planning.

Kevin Fernando*

Kevin Fernando is a part-time GP Partner working at North Berwick Health Centre, near Edinburgh. He has a specialist interest in CVRM and medical education, is Scottish Lead of the Primary Care Diabetes Society, Content Advisor for WebMD Medscape Global & UK and a co-founder of GoggleDocs.

Kevin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2000, holds both MRCGP and MRCP(UK) qualifications, and has completed a Master’s degree in diabetes, which he passed with distinction.

Kevin has been elected to Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Academy of Medical Educators for his work in diabetes and medical education.

Clare Hambling*

Clare Hambling is a GP with an interest in diabetes and is the current Chair of the PCDS. Although interested in all things diabetes, her particular interests include diabetes in the older person and exploring how we can use data to drive excellence in care, reduce unwarranted variation and address health inequalities. She is the Clinical Lead for the National Diabetes Audit (Core Primary Care Data) and a member of the Advisory Group for the National Diabetes in Pregnancy Audit. In Norfolk & Waveney, she is the GP Clinical Lead for diabetes and co-Clinical Lead for Population Health and Care, including for the multi-award-winning Protect NoW programme. She has recently supported an educational collaboration between the PCDS and EDEN to promote education in diabetes technology for primary care clinicians.

Away from work, Clare keeps fit by running, and recently participated in the Great North Run, fundraising for good causes, and relaxes by enjoying music, singing in the Ely Consort chamber choir and playing violin with Ely Sinfonia (when time allows!).

Rahul Mohan 

Rahul Mohan is a GP in Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire, who works as the GP Lead for the Community Diabetes Service alongside DSNs, with the aim of providing diabetes care closer to home. As a GP educator and trainer for the past 12 years, he has helped GPs, DSNs, pharmacists and practice nurses to gain further confidence and skills in delivering improved diabetes care. 

Rahul regularly delivers training sessions on Eden diabetes courses locally. He is currently Chair of the Diabetes and Technology Task and Finish group on glucose monitoring for NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB, where his focus is on reducing postcode variation whilst lobbying for measures that would improve access for hard-to-reach populations. He is liaising with various professional groups to fight the corner for primary care to have a seat at the decision-making table.

Rahul has always worked by the principle that diabetes care is best delivered by a team and that supporting each other is the way forward in this challenging climate. He has worked with several PCDS members on the sidelines for a number of years, and would now like to have the opportunity to work in the Committee team.

Sam Seidu*

Sam Seidu is Professor in Primary Care Diabetes and Cardio-metabolic Medicine at the University of Leicester. He is currently the vice-Chair for Research for Primary Care Diabetes Europe. 

He is a current member of the PCDS Committee, and is also a Clinical Lead and mentor for diabetes in the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB. In 2021, he was named the most outstanding early career researcher by the Royal College of General Practitioners. 

Sam is a practising GP within NHS Leicester City CCG, and a Partner, lead undergraduate tutor and GP trainer at the Hockley Farm Medical Practice. He is an Associate Editor of the Primary Care Diabetes journal. 

His research aims include: medication safety in diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases in the elderly population; quality improvement in diabetes care in primary care settings; and addressing health inequalities in diabetes care. He is also working in the area of therapeutic inertia in people with diabetes, in order to understand the causes, outcomes and possible solutions.

Waqas Tahir

Waqas Tahir is a GP Partner in Affinity Care and is System Lead for Diabetes across Bradford. He is leading the redesign of an integrated community diabetes service, developing clinical protocols, supporting education, and focusing on improving patient pathways and outcomes. His roles as Diabetes Lead for West Yorkshire ICB and Primary Care Diabetes Lead for Yorkshire and the Humber Clinical Networks have enabled him to develop and implement good practices across the region.

His passion for diabetes and cardiometabolic disease, combined with the need to reduce clinical variation, led to the development of one of the earliest cardiometabolic pathways to be adopted regionally (West Yorkshire and Harrogate Healthy Hearts). He has recently been appointed as a GP Advisor to the Council of Healthcare Professionals of Diabetes UK.

Waqas is committed to ensuring that primary care is at the forefront of delivering sustainable care for patients with diabetes, using innovative solutions and technology. His aim is that best practice becomes the norm, and he welcomes the opportunity to bring his passion, strategic insights, expertise and “positivity” to the PCDS Committee in striving for our common goals of improving patient outcomes and care.