“On behalf of everyone at Cygnet, I am thrilled to extend our deepest and most sincere congratulations to Professor Dame Clare Gerada DBE on being awarded a Life Peerage.
This is a richly deserved honour, recognising her exceptional commitment to the medical profession, particularly general practice and mental health. Dame Gerada is, unequivocally, one of the most pivotal and transformative figures in modern UK healthcare. Throughout her career, Dame Gerada has been a true champion for the most disadvantaged patients, dedicated to delivering care in areas of most need. As a leading figure in primary care provision, Dame Clare is a powerful public intellectual and commentator, bringing complex healthcare issues back to a human level.
Her influence spans not only the policy and structure of General Practice (GP), where she has spent her career, but also the importance of mental health provision for healthcare workers. Her voice has been instrumental in shaping the national dialogue on mental health provision, staff wellbeing, and the importance of a compassionate, whole-person approach to healthcare.
We are proud that this appointment means our esteemed Advisory Board now has two Life Peers, led by Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE. We are honoured to benefit from their collective expertise, insight and honest scrutiny, helping to ensure we deliver the best for those in our care, as well as for our valued workforce. We were especially grateful for the support Dame Gerada gave to Cygnet staff during the Covid pandemic.
Dame Gerada’s influence on the nation’s health is defined by her unwavering commitment to compassion, honesty, transformative leadership and deep, enduring care. Her elevation to the House of Lords is a testament to her principled work ethic and dedication to driving positive change.
We celebrate this momentous milestone and look forward to seeing the significant contributions Dame Gerada will undoubtedly make in her new role.
Dame Clare said: “I’m proud to be part of Cygnet as an Independent Advisor to the Board, providing oversight to the executive management team around clinical governance, practice and policies. I believe there is value in bringing and sharing expertise across the sector for the benefit of patient care and service user outcomes.”