As part of NW London’s mission focusing on cardiovascular disease (CVD), Imperial College Health Partners (ICHP) and the NW London Integrated Care System (ICS) jointly developed the CVD Champions Programme (the Programme) to improve health outcomes for people at risk of and living with CVD across the eight NW London Boroughs.
Dedicated to improving CVD prevention, detection and treatment optimisation, the Programme has recruited a group of clinicians, GPs and pharmacists as CVD Clinical Champions.
The Programme was created in response to challenges faced and lessons learned from the work of the previous CVD programme in recent years. Taking place over nine months (June 2023 to March 2024), the Programme supports each CVD Clinical Champion as they act as critical facilitators for the implementation, dissemination, and scaling of effective approaches to achieve the agreed NW London CVD ambitions as part of the Mission.
The CVD Clinical Champions are supported by ICHP and North West London Integrated Care Board CVD Programme and clinical reference group (CRG).
For more information on the programme, email chanelle.corena@imperialcollegehealthpartners.com.
Joanne Peh, Pharmacist, Hounslow
Joanne is currently the Head of Hounslow PCN Pharmacy services and has recently been the Hounslow PCNs’ social prescriber manager. Joanne has a strong clinical background in intensive care (ICU), neurosciences (pain management), renal and cardiovascular medicine. In her current role, Joanne has guided the senior team in building an in-house competency framework on several key disease management priorities in Hounslow, namely hypertension and asthma. Joanne is interested in using the CVD Champion role to build stronger relationships between pharmacy and local partners, GPs and other additional roles working with GPs.
To get in touch with Joanne, email joanne.peh@nhs.net.
Dr. Perviz Asaria, Consultant Cardiologist, Harrow
Dr. Perviz Asaria is a Consultant Cardiologist with additional training in public health, currently working at the Imperial College School of Public Health. Perviz uses administrative data to identify communities with high risk of myocardial infarction events and deaths. With a background in both cardiology and health data analytics, Perviz previously worked with the World Health Organisation and the King’s Fund to develop policy on non-communicable disease prevention. More recently, Perviz has spent time learning from Golborne Medical (Neohealth PCN) who ran a very successful drive to increase the detection and management of hypertension in one of the most deprived wards in London using pop-up stalls in Portobello Market and a weekly hypertension MDT.
To get in touch with Perviz, email p.asaria@imperial.ac.uk.
Dr. Riham Rabee, GP, Brent
Riham is currently a GP Partner, splitting her time working between Willesden Green Surgery, St Mary’s Hospital as an ENT GP Fellow, and teaching medical students at Imperial College Medical school. In her current role as a GP, Riham works intensively with deprived populations in Brent who experience health inequalities and poor health outcomes, with cardiovascular disease being a leading factor in reducing the disease-free life expectancy. Leading the CWSA Football Club has allowed Riham to champion the improvement of cardiovascular health in a tiny subsect of the NWL population, and has inspired her vision to create a force for change within the local community, working with community and faith-based centres to promote cardiovascular wellbeing.
To get in touch with Riham, email riham.rabee@nhs.net.
Rokaih Noori, Pharmacist, Kensington and Chelsea (West London)
Rokaih is currently the lead pharmacist for West Hill Health PCN and senior pharmacist in West London GP Federation, managing and developing a team of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians across west London. Passionate about improving patient health in primary care, Rokaih has implemented and promoted projects that reduce CVD risk in West Hill Health PCN and the wider federation, including the at home blood pressure monitoring project. Currently, Rokaih is working to identify, train and increase the competency of the team to start Inclisiran injections to reduce LDL Cholesterol.
To get in touch with Rokaih, email rokaih.noori@nhs.net.
Dr. Venothan Suri, GP, Hillingdon
Dr. Venothan Suri is a GP at Glendale Medical Centre in Hillingdon (Hayes and Harlington PCN) and is Hillingdon LMC Chair. Dr. Suri is currently a GP clinical lead for long term conditions, inclusive of a large cardiovascular remit. Having been engaged in current hypertension and heart failure working groups, as well as the NWL cardiovascular executive discussions, Dr. Suri has contributed directly to the hypertension case finding workstreams in Hillingdon.
To get in touch with Venothan, email v.suri@nhs.net.
Zahra Mahir, Pharmacist, Hammersmith and Fulham
Zahra is a practising independent prescribing pharmacist, currently working as a senior medicines optimisation pharmacist with Central London Community Healthcare NHS trust, under the North Hammersmith and Fulham PCN. Taking a specialist interest in anticoagulation, Zahra has also expanded her scope of interest to cardiology, leading on the ABC (AF, Blood pressure, Cholesterol) initiative within her PCN. She has also worked towards preventing cardiovascular disease for a highly-deprived population in North Hammersmith and Fulham.
To get in touch with Zahra, email Zahra.mahir@nhs.net.
Dr. Amisha Mehta, GP, Westminster
Amisha has worked in several of the Westminster practices as well as working at scale in the GP federation and is currently the Deputy Clinical Lead for the HCL eHub service. Most recently, Amisha has taken on a leadership role with the roll-out of the federations at scale model of managing hypertension patients as HCL Clinical Lead for Hypertension Remote monitoring—a solution which uses the Omron digital platform to engage hypertension patients in the management of their care, ensuring that patients complete actions required for their long-term condition monitoring and to improve their outcomes. Through the hypertension service, Amisha is already establishing relationships with practices as a system leader driving forward innovation and improvements in the way we manage our patients.
To get in touch with Amisha, email amisha.mehta@nhs.net.