30. Dr David Wrigley

Dr Wrigley says he is an ‘ardent supporter of the NHS’ but in his own words he is ‘first and foremost’ a GP for his Lancashire patients.

This is reflected by his personal highlight of the past 12 months, which was ‘getting a personal thank you from a patient for picking up his early cancer’.

Another highlight was getting a motion passed at the BMA’s Annual Representatives Meeting to oppose any introduction of GP charging, which he says was an ‘important policy to lay down’.

Dr Wrigley was elected BMA vice-chair last year, and is president of Unite’s medical practitioners union, a member of the BMA’s GP Committee and treasurer for GP charity the Cameron Fund.

He is also the BMA’s lead on the much-criticised Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs), which propose how all regions of England can make savings on their healthcare spending.

In the near future, Dr Wrigley will be focused on finalising Unite’s NHS vision, which the union hopes to publish shortly.

Why influential

Fearless campaigner for the NHS

What others say

‘A great role model, David is a game changer’

Random fact

Climbed Mont Blanc and Mount Kenya in the same year