Greg Bloom is the Manging Partner for Umbrella Medical, a partnership including himself and nine GPs, who look after patients across four GP practices in Walsall. He has represented primary care within the Walsall Together partnership since it was first established 2019.

Here he tells us a bit about his role, how things have changed and his hopes for the future of the partnership:

“As the Managing Partner for Umbrella Medical my role is essentially to make sure that we provide quality primary care services across all our practices. We serve over 40,000 patients across different localities in Walsall – some of which are in the most deprived areas of Walsall, some with a multi-ethnic community and some in more affluent areas and each one has very different needs. My job is to make sure whatever their needs and wherever they are they have access to the same high quality care.”

As well as representing Walsall Together, Greg also chairs the Practice Managers Forum, providing leadership and support on behalf of the Integrated Care Board, and sits on the Local Primary Care Collaborative.

“General Practice is dispersed across the borough and it’s important that we all work together to provide seamless care for our patients. As a primary care representative of at least 15% of the population I think it is important that our voice is heard, and the role of primary care and ways in which it can support is recognised within the system.

“What is quite unique is I am also a registered nurse so as well as having a managerial and leadership background I also have a clinical one which I think is a good combination when it comes to understanding the two sides of the coin.”

Greg plays an influential role in primary care and along with other Walsall Together primary care representatives has been instrumental in helping to strengthen the relationship within the partnership.

“Things work differently in primary care – we don’t have Executive boards in the same way other providers in Walsall Together. We must work on trust and reputation and that works the same for building up trust between general practice and Walsall Together – there needs to be that understanding that the partnership is there to support general practice, make things easier and improve pathways of care which benefits everyone. I very much see my role in the partnership as supporting to do this and I have seen a huge shift with primary care becoming a lot more embedded in the partnership and integral to discussions and plans in which the partnership moves forward which is great.”

Recognising primary care is more than GP services, Greg talks about the importance of gaining wider representation from other sectors which include Community Pharmacy, Dentistry and Ophthalmology

“I think it’s important to recognise that whilst I can bring expert knowledge and understanding of our General Practice we need to engage with the all services that encompass primary care. Which is something I know the partnership are exploring for the future as we begin to see changes in the way things are commissioned.”

Continuing the theme of changes, he talks about his hopes for the future of the partnership.

“I definitely think it’s on an upward trajectory and achieving great things. We understand Walsall people, we understand our services, we understand the strengths and the weaknesses of it and together we could deliver services in a way which will achieve better outcomes for the people of Walsall.”

When he is not flying the flag for primary care, Greg can be found flying the flag for equality as the manager for an under 12s girls football team who have just been crowned league champions or watching his daughters play netball or enjoying a game himself with his wife – that’s when he isn’t playing golf!

“I’m a big advocate for equality and girls being seen at the same level as boys. I have two young daughters who love sport as much as me and both play netball competitively. So, when I am not at the side of a football pitch managing the girls team, I’m either at the side of or on a netball court – I mean if you can’t beat them join them right?”