Renowned Maltese doctor Prof Dame Clare Gerada has been nominated as a crossbencher of the UK’s House of Lords.

The independent House of Lords Appointments Commission announced today that it was recommending Dame Gerada, as well as social policy expert Polly Neate, as two new non-party-political peers.

As a result, Dame Gerada could become the first ever Maltese woman to form part of the House of Lords.

She has lived in the UK for most of her life and has been working as a medical practitioner in the NHS since 1983, with training in psychiatry and general practice.

She is the senior GP Partner at the Hurley Group, which has expanded from a single practice into a network offering general practice and urgent care services across London, specifically targeting areas of inner-city deprivation.

Over her career, she has developed and led services for disadvantaged patients, including those with drug and alcohol addiction, with her career focused on primary care mental health.

Her leadership roles include serving as Chair (2010-2013) and later President (2021-2023) of the Royal College of General Practitioners, where she guided the organisation during significant reforms in the healthcare system.

She established and led the NHS Practitioner Health (2008-2022), a confidential mental health service for health professionals with mental health or addiction problems.

She also set up (2019-) and leads the National Primary Care Gambling Service, enhancing support for healthcare patients with gambling-related harms.

She cochaired the NHS Assembly (2019-2025), a national forum that provides independent advice to NHS England and NHS Improvement Boards on how to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan.

Dame Gerada has also been involved in charitable initiatives, most notably as the Chair and now Patron of the Charity Doctors in Distress, which aims to reduce the rate of suicide amongst health professionals.

She has received multiple awards for her contributions to healthcare policy and practice.

Photo: Clare Gerada