Dr Hamish Clark

GP Trainee, Parkview Practice

Hamish is a GP trainee, about to embark on his final year of GP training at Parkview Practice in White City, London. Hamish has a strong passion for general practice and for mental health. Throughout his training so far, he has supported many patients suffering with mental health conditions, predominantly depression and anxiety.

We know that rates of depression and anxiety are on the rise in the UK and patients often face a lengthy wait to receive treatment in specialist services. We also know that mental health and physical health are intrinsically linked and that many patients are also struggling with physical health issues such as poor nutrition, sleep and exercise habits, obesity, as well as alcohol and drug misuse. In a time-pressured GP consultation, GPs often don’t have the chance to address these lifestyle factors and give patients the vital support they deserve.

Through the Improvement Leader Fellowship, Hamish plans to tackle this issue. This will primarily be through establishing a lifestyle clinic, with protected time to systematically address each of these lifestyle factors with patients using a coaching approach. He also plans to develop a suite of resources which patients can use e.g. list of local food banks, ideas for free ways to exercise locally, information and advice on sleep hygiene etc.

By addressing the underlying lifestyle factors that are often associated with mental health conditions, Hamish plans to enhance local patients’ physical and mental health and in doing so, improve their quality of life.