A Frome GP, Dr Helen Kingston, has been shortlisted for a Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Inspiring Champion Award in the category of Sustainability Champion.

Dr Kingston, who is the Senior Partner at Frome Medical Practice, will join colleagues from around the country at an award ceremony in London later in June. 

The Sustainability Champion category aims to spotlight someone who leads by example, inspires positive change and contributes significantly to building a sustainable and resilient future for GPs and general practice more widely. 

Managing partner at Frome Medical Practice, Karen Creffield, nominated Dr Kingston for the award

She said: "Helen is regarded by many to be an exceptional leader with a remarkable dedication to sustainable healthcare practices.

"Over the last 30 years, she has spearheaded initiatives that have transformed the work at Frome Medical Practice and has set benchmarks for others to follow. Helen has led successful projects which have a significant impact on sustainability, including the switch to dry powder inhalers and deprescribing.

"Under her leadership, we were the first GP practice to declare a climate emergency and the practice has consistently excelled in the RCGP Green Impact for Health Toolkit, most recently achieving the highest standard of Platinum status." 

The work led by Dr Kingston has attracted global attention, with articles appearing in the New York Times for example and visits to Frome from colleagues from around the world.

She has shared her expertise and experience through numerous podcasts, blogs and as a speaker at various conferences and she received the Point Of Light Award from the Prime Minister in 2019. 

Karen added: "More recently, Helen played a key role in securing significant funding from the National Lottery Climate Fund to deliver a project to work towards achieving net carbon zero for Frome, as part of our partnership with Frome Town Council and Edventure: Frome.

"Her drive and passion inspires both our team within the practice and the wider community we work in and we all wish her the very best of luck at the upcoming awards ceremony."