Meet the Team

Doctors

Dr Mammen Ninan

GP Partner, MBBS MRCP MRCGP DRCOG

Dr Ninan is a GP with Special Interest in Cardiology and holds his clinics here. He also undertakes Minor Surgery inc. steroid injections and ingrowing toenail removal. Dr Ninan is also a Medical Undergraduate & Postgraduate Trainer. Dr Ninan is also GP Clinical Lead for Stroke Prevention for Lancashire & South Cumbria.

Dr Mohammed Umer

GP Partner, MBChB BSc MRCGP DROG

Dr Umer has an interest in Palliative Care. He is also Chair of Local Primary Care (Federation of general practices in Blackburn with Darwen).

Dr Jane Killalea

GP Partner MBChB MRCGP

Dr Killalea graduated from Liverpool University in 2005 and completed my GP training in Merseyside in 2010. She joined the practice in 2014 and have interests in child health surveillance and women's health.

Dr Qashuf Hussain

GP Partner, MBChB BSc

Dr Hussain started off at the practice as our long term locum GP covering maternity leave and then became a salaried GP before joining the partnership. He works at the practice 4 days a week. He is our Undergraduate Training Lead.

Dr Safwaan Hafez

GP Partner MB ChB 2011

Dr Hafez joined the practice in March 2019 and became GP Partner October 2019. He is our Medicines Lead, Complaints Lead, Audits Clinical Workflow and is also an FY2 Trainer. He works at the practice 4 days a week.

Dr Akram Alzamani

MD (Doctor of Medicine) MRCGP

Dr Alzamani graduated from medical school in 2002 and started practising in NHS from 2011 first with Acute care (A & E) experience followed by GP training in Bolton. Her interests are mental health and child health; Dr Alzamani is planning to expand her skills and knowledge in managing diabetes and skin diseases.

Medical Trainees

Dr Ouzmah Shafiq

Dr O Shafiq is a GPST3 at Darwen Healthcare and expect to qualify as a GP in October 2020, she studied Medicine from Imperial College, London. Her General Practice speciality interests include Women’s and Child Health and previously completed Obstetrics and Gynaecology within the hospital setting.

Dr Mishi Qayyum

I graduated from University of Health Sciences in 2004 and i am in last year of my GP training in NorthWest. I joined the practice in 2019 and have interests in skin conditions and women,s health

Dr Oluremi Ige

I graduated from medical school in 2013 Joined Darwen healthcare in February 2021 as GpSt3. My interests are endocrinology, child health and acute care.

Clinical Associates

Clinical Associates are Health Professionals who have received intensive training in other types of clinical practice. They have then undertaken further intensive training to allow them to compliment the range of skills within general practice

Neil Sinclair

Physician Associate

Neil is currently our only Physician Associate. He works alongside GP’s to provide medical care and can assess, manage and treat patients of all ages with a variety of conditions. Neil carries out physical examinations, undertakes residential, nursing and home visits as well as reviewing, analysing and acting on diagnostic test results. Neil works autonomously through the guidance of his medical supervisor.

Simon Holden

Paramedic Practitioner

Simon recently joined Darwen Healthcare as a Paramedic practitioner seeing patients in clinic, and doing home visits. Previously to this Simon has spent 15 years registered as a HCPC Paramedic with North West Ambulance service and has 19 years altogether experience working on an Emergency Ambulance. With range of clinical skills from basic observations to 12 lead ECG interpretation, cannulation to intubation, trauma management, emergency medical presentations, acute exacerbation of chronic conditions.

Zeeshan Zulfeqar

Senior Clinical Pharmacist

Zeeshan is the Senior Clinical Pharmacist based at Darwen Health Centre and is the Senior Clinical Pharmacist for the Blackburn With Darwen locality. He has been working in general practice for the last 3 years and is an independent prescriber. His roles include general medication reviews, hypertension reviews, contraceptive pill reviews, dealing with medication queries, seeing patients for minor ailments, action medical mail such as hospital discharge letters, re-authorising repeat prescriptions and processing acute medication requests.

David Carter

Physician Associate

David is the latest addition to our team and is the second Physician Associate to join the practice. He has spent many years working in the Emergency Department dealing with Adult and Paediatric presentations, both as a Charge Nurse and as a Physician Associate. As a military Veteran himself, David has a special interest in supporting the serving and veteran community in line with the NHS Armed Forces Covenant

Practice Nurses

Our highly qualified nurses deal with a range of conditions and health concerns. They examine patients, make a diagnosis and plan care, including prescribing certain products.They are experts in many areas of disease management such as diabetes and asthma. They can be seen during normal surgery hours – by appointment where possible – and at specific clinics.

Katrina Margerison

Katrina sees patients in clinic for Chronic Diseases such as Diabetes, Asthma, COPD, CKD, Childhood Vaccinations, Travel Immunisations and Cervical Screening. Katrina is also a mentor for Student Nurses.

Raesa Moosa

Raesa holds Childhood Vaccination Clinics, Travel Vaccinations, Diabetes, Cervical Screening Clinics and NHS Health Checks. Raesa is also a mentor for Student Nurses.

Sarah Yates

Sarah sees patients in clinic for Chronic Diseases such as Diabetes, Asthma, COPD, CKD, Childhood Vaccinations, Travel Immunisations and Cervical Screening.

Assistant Practitioners & Health Care Assistants

Maria Slater

Maria is an Assistant Practitioner and holds clinics for Phlebotomy, Blood Pressures, Well Person Clinics, CKD monitoring, Asthma, COPD, Pre- Diabetes & Diabetes Clinics and Learning Disability.

Terri Livesey

Terri is a Trainee Assistant Practitioner and hold clinics for Phlebotomy, Blood Pressures, Well Person Clinics, CKD monitoring, Asthma, COPD, Pre- Diabetes & Diabetes Clinics and completes weekly chronic disease home visits for house bound and care/nursing home patients.

Gully Patel

Gulnaz is a Healthcare Assistant and hold clinics for for Phlebotomy, Blood Pressures, Well Person Clinics, CKD monitoring, Pre- Diabetes and weight management

Eliot Wright

Nurse Practitioners

Debbie Yates

Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Debbie is our Advanced Nurse Practitioner and is also a 'Queen's Nurse'. Debbie works alongside our GPs in our on the day surgeries. Debbie is our Respiratory Lead, under takes Minor Surgery, Contraceptive Implant Clinics and Cervical Screening. Debbie is a mentor and Sign Off Mentor for Student Nurses.

Julia Mullaney

Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Julia is our Advanced Nurse Practitioner and works alongside our GPs in our on the day surgeries. Julia does home visits most mornings. Julia also sees patients with Chronic Diseases and is a mentor and Sign Off Mentor for Student Nurses and holds a Practice Teacher qualification.

Claire Brosnan

Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Claire qualified as an RGN in 1988 in Manchester. Claire then went to work in Perthshire, Scotland where she worked in A & E for 10 years. Claire moved back to Manchester to pursue a career in Practice Nursing where she gained experience in all aspects of the role. In 2007 Claire qualified as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner at the University of Lancaster, which gave her a lot more autonomy in within the role. Claire has worked in a variety of GP surgeries gaining knowledge on a wide variety of chronic and acute illnesses, being able to diagnose and prescribe for the conditions. Claire moved to Darwen Healthcare in 2019 where she is excited to continue to develop her career with the team.

Reception

The Reception Team are the first point of contact for the Practice and can help you find out about the services we provide. They are trained in Care Navigation and can direct you to the most appropriate Clinician to meet your needs

Louise Allen

Viv Hoyle

Senior Receptionist

Tracy Davey

Lewis Hartley

Debbie Taylor

Senior Receptionist

Joanne Mclean

Sandra Ward

Diane Hartley

Prescription Clerk & Medical Receptionist

Shelley Pilkington

Prescription Clerk & Medical Receptionist

Sofia Bhobha

Apprentice Medical Receptionist

Jaqui Howard

Prescription Team

Sarah Whittle

Sarah is the Prescription Team Administrator

Alex Johnson

Prescription Clerk

Diane Hartley

Prescription Clerk & Medical Receptionist

Brenda Smith

Prescription Clerk

Shelley Pilkington

Prescription Clerk & Medical Receptionist

Practice Management

Ann Neville

Practice Business Manager

Ann Neville is our Practice Business Manager and has worked at the practice since August 2013 starting in post as our Customer Service Manager and promoted to Practice Manager in December 2014 and Business Manager in 2018. Ann has many years experience in Management and has worked in several areas of the NHS including GP Practice, Physiotherapy, Cancer Services and within a Hospice setting. Ann is responsible for the smooth running of the practice and is here to assist you should you have any queries or comments regarding administration or non clinical aspects of your care. Ann can be contacted via reception on 01254 226691 or darwen.healthcare@nhs.net

Craig Robertson

Finance Lead Craig assists the business manager with several financial elements within practice such as payroll, pensions, claims and has been with the practice for 8 years.

Practice Leads

Nichola Wright

Quality Lead

Kim Cunningham

Operations Lead

Susan Taylor

Patient Engagement Lead

Administration

We have administrative staff including receptionists, Secretary, Clerical Officers and Notes Summarisers. All staff have undergone training and are ready to help you at any time. They may need to ask you for further details when you telephone for medical advice. – This is to ensure we can assist you as speedily as possible. All staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality.

June Reid

Medical Secretary

Kerri Byrom

Medical Secretary & Reception

Phillip Cribb

Note Summariser and Data Protection Officer

Gillian Turner

Gillian is our Nursing Team Administrator

Catherine Ditchfield

Clinical Coder

Eileen Pye

Clinical Coder

Research Team

Yvonne Rafferty

Yvonne is our research nurse in the practice

Lewis Hartley

Attached Staff

Attached to the practice, we have a Community Matron, District Nurses, Health Visitors, Midwifery Staff, a Counsellor, Alcohol Dependency Service, Practice Pharmacist and drug counselling service. The District Nurses can be contacted on Tel. 226785 – they have an answerphone and messages are picked up daily. The Health Visitors can be contacted on Tel. 226796 - they have an answerphone and messages are picked up daily. Access to all other attached staff is after consultation with a member of the clinical team.