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
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.
Clinical Associates
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
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
Reception
Louise Allen
Viv Hoyle
Senior Receptionist
Tracy Davey
Lewis Hartley
Debbie Taylor
Senior Receptionist
Kerri Byrom
Medical Secretary & Reception
Joanne Mclean
Sandra Ward
Jill Holden
Diane Hartley
Prescription Clerk & Medical Receptionist
Shelley Pilkington
Prescription Clerk & Medical Receptionist
Sofia Bhobha
Apprentice Medical Receptionist
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
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
Nicola Hayes
Medical Secretary
Catherine Ditchfield
Clinical Coder
Eileen Pye
Clinical Coder