Sir Sam Everington MBBS, MRCGP, Barrister, OBE: Chair of Trustees
Sam has been a GP in East London, England since 1989 at the Bromley By Bow Centre. The centre has over 100 projects under its roof ranging from art and garden therapy and financial and jobs advice, all supporting the wider determinants of health. The social prescribing delivered at the centre, is now part of a network of thousands across the country and a growing movement across the world. Its focus is on what matters to patients rather than what is the matter with them. East London is a poor community but rich in diversity with over 150 different ethnic group. We are proud to say we have the world in our East End.
Sam is an Honorary Vice President of the British Medical Association. In 1999 he received an OBE for services to inner city primary care in 2006, The International Award of Excellence in Health Care and in 2015 a Knighthood for services to primary care. In 2022 he received the Albert Medal from the Royal Society of Arts (Previous recipients include Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking, Winston Churchill). He is a member of the East London foundation Trust board (mental Health Hospital), an Associate Director of NHS Resolution and is a Fellow and Honorary Professor of Queen Mary University of London and Honorary Vice President of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing. He is a member of the Royal College of GPs Council and the Knight’s Society, and as well as being our co-Chair is also Chair of Trustees, and a Council Member of the College of Medicine. He is a non-executive board member of NHS England and is the Provost of the RCGP from November 2025. In 2026 he became an Honorary Professor of the University of East London. He is a trained woodcarver, day skipper, and speaks Norwegian. He trained originally as a cadet pilot in the RAF and lives with his wife and children in the East End of London in the heart of his community.
Mr Michael Dooley LVO
Michael Dooley is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Dorset County Hospital. His special interest is reproductive endocrinology with particular expertise in infertility, menopause, premenstrual syndrome and sports gynaecology.
In 2024, Mr Dooley was made Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset. He has attended three Olympic Games as British Team Doctor. Mr Dooley has established The Poundbury Clinics as centres of excellence providing an integrated approach to women’s health. He is the College of Medicine Women’s Clinical Lead, and Harmony Lead.
Dr Naveed Akhtar
Dr Naveed Akhtar has been a principal GP for over 10 years, with Special Interests in Minor Surgery, Musculoskeletal Medicine and Mental Health. He is a Master NLP Trainer, a Hypnotherapist and a medical Acupuncturist.
Prior to becoming a GP, Dr Akhtar trained as a surgeon completing his MRCS in 2007. As a specialist in hand surgery, he was an advisor to the Royal College of Surgeons developing guidelines for the treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Dr Akhtar is also a Commissioner and Clinical Lead at West Essex CCG, Royal College of General Practitioner’s tutor and a parish councillor.
Whilst at medical school, He developed a keen interest in the workings of the human mind and its remarkable ability to self-heal, which led him to complete a B.Sc degree in Neuroscience. Having trained in NLP and clinical hypnosis and using these techniques to help his patients, Dr Akhtar started to train these principles to doctors and other health professionals. Together with Dr Toh Wong, they co-founded Neurolinguistic Healthcare Ltd and organised the UK’s first Integrative Health Convention.
Dame Crystal Oldman CBE
Crystal is an independent community nursing consultant, with a nursing career spanning more than 45 years.
Following a career in clinical practice as a Registered Nurse and a Health Visitor, Crystal worked in a number of roles in Higher Education to support pre and post registration nurse education and wider community and public services. After completing her academic career as a Dean, Crystal was appointed as the Chief Executive of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) in 2012. Her commitment to excellence in evidence-based practice, policy, innovation and the development of highly skilled nursing leaders guided the development of the QICN’s highly successful portfolio of programmes and networks to support the aim and strategic priorities of the charity.
She was awarded a CBE in 2017 for her leadership of the QICN and support of community nursing and in 2023 she was awarded the Gold Badge of the Institute for her leadership of the successful and significant growth and development of the charity. In 2025, she was awarded the UK Chief Nursing Officers’ Lifetime Achievement Award for a career in supporting community nursing in practice, research and education and ensuring that the evidence-based voice of community nurses is now at the national policy table.
Crystal moved from an executive role in June 2025 to offer her expertise and experience of the sector to support a number of health and nursing charities as a Trustee. She was appointed as Vice President of the International Home Care Nurses’ Organization in July 2025.