Pennine GP Alliance (PGPA) is pleased to announce a leadership transition within the organisation set to pave the direction for 2025 and position PGPA for opportunities that will arise from changes in the NHS landscape.
The current Chair of the Board, Dr Asif Yaseen, will be taking on the new role of Medical Director, allowing him to focus on his commitment to clinical excellence and quality improvement. Meanwhile, to ensure continuity and stability, John Somers, an experienced and existing board member will step up as Chair of the Board, bringing a deep knowledge of the organisation and commitment to the “left shift approach” – a strategy aimed at priorotising prevention, early intervention and care closer to home.
PGPA’s new Chair of the Board, John Somers
John Somers is an experienced leader who has more than 22 years’ board level experience in public and private sector organisations – not to mention a clear passion for the NHS.
His most recent position until retirement in July 2022, was as Chief Executive Officer of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, which he joined in 2014. Prior to that he has worked in various senior NHS roles across commissioning, community services and acute hospital care.
John held a regional leadership role in an Integrated Care System and a local leadership role in a Place-based Accountable Care Partnership, with a track record of successfully delivering transformational change by partnership working. He has also worked as an executive reviewer for the CQC as part of their well led inspection reviews and alongside his role with PGPA, currently sits as a board member for two acute hospital trusts.
John moves into the role of Chair of the Board after sitting as a PGPA board member for over 2 years, during which time the organisation has rapidly grown both in peoplepower and investments.
John Somers said: “I’m honored to take on the role of Chair of the Board at Pennine GP Alliance. Advocacy for our member practices and the patients we serve is at the heart of everything we do and together with my fellow board members, I look forward to pushing through a shared vision of innovation, collaboration and excellence for the future.”
Discussing what the future looks like, John goes on to explain: “I absolutely stand behind the importance of empowering our GPs, community healthcare providers and social care systems to deliver integrated and proactive care. This includes investing in technology, workforce and infrastructure to enable more services to be delivered locally and in a timely manner, ultimately working better for our local neighbourhoods, reducing pressures on secondary care and bringing care closer to home.”
PGPA’s new Medical Director Dr Asif Yaseen
After completing his undergraduate medical degree at the University of Dundee, Dr Asif Yaseen pursued his GP Vocational Training Scheme locally in Bradford. In 2004, he became a partner at what was then Heath House Surgery, now known as The Boulevard Medical Practice.
A passionate advocate for medical education, Dr Yaseen became a GP trainer in 2011, supporting the next generation of primary care physicians. His dedication to advancing primary care led to him being appointed to the PGPA Board at its inception in 2014, where he has served as Chair for over a decade, driving key initiatives and growth that makes it the strong organisation it is today.
In 2023, Dr Yaseen was elected Vice Chair of the Primary Care Strategy Board, further contributing to shaping the future of primary care at a strategic level. His extensive experience as a clinician, educator, and leader underscores his commitment to delivering high-quality, patient centered healthcare.
Dr Yaseen said: “During my tenure, we’ve made incredible strides together, with success in various projects including NHS Health Checks, Extended Access, the Aging Well service, and Acute Respiratory Infection Hubs. I am especially proud of the support we provided to Calderdale during COVID, particularly for the vaccination programme. We have also worked to maximise the Primary Care Network Direct Enhanced Service (DES) for practices and supported the many additional healthcare roles across these networks, as well as creating Career Plus support for new GPs—all of which have strengthened primary care across Calderdale over the last decade.
“As Medical Director I will now focus on bringing my clinical expertise to PGPA. My dedication to PGPA’s vision and to our practice PCNs and patients remains as strong as ever. Here’s to the next chapter and looking forward to the work ahead!”
PGPA Board
Pennine GP Alliance is made up of 10 voting board members, all who play a critical role in representing the alliance externally, championing the interests of GP practices, and ensuring the voice of Primary Care is heard across the local, regional and national health system.
Will Menzies, PGPA Chief Executive Officer said: “I am delighted that we will continue to benefit from Dr Yaseen’s expertise, knowledge and experience in his new role as Medical Director. I am also pleased that John has agreed to serve as chair during this critical period, bringing valuable experience with other parts of the NHS family – relationships we have cultivated and aim to strengthen further in the years ahead.”
To find out more about PGPA and its senior leaders visit the ‘About Us’ page on the PGPA website.
