DDA Chairman Dr Richard West MBE and Dr Daniel James, GPs at Woolpit Health Centre in Suffolk, have jointly been awarded the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) East Anglia Faculty GP Prize 2026 in recognition of their sustained contribution to rural mental health and community-focused general practice.

 

Dr James (far left) and Dr West (centre right) are involved in the Rural Minds project, an educational and community initiative addressing the heightened mental health risks experienced by farming and agricultural communities. The project includes an immersive virtual-reality educational module for clinicians, alongside grassroots engagement with the farming community to promote early conversations about wellbeing. It was created in response to growing evidence linking rural isolation, economic pressure, and barriers to accessing services with increased psychological distress and suicide risk within agricultural populations.

 

Development has been supported by charitable funding from the Felix Thornley Cobbold Agricultural Trust, with technical expertise and production support provided by Cambridge-based Revolve Labs and Dr Jordan Tsigarides, a rheumatologist and medical education specialist working at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the University of East Anglia, and co-produced alongside farmers, rural charities, and agricultural organisations. 

 

The East Anglia Faculty GP award is given annually to an East Anglian GP who has made an outstanding contribution to primary care and their community. Judges highlighted Drs West and James's commitment to underserved populations, the practical application of technology in medical education, and their ability to translate local projects into wider national conversations. The award recognises not only a single initiative but an ongoing approach to general practice that blends clinical care, teaching, and community engagement.

 

Dr Sonny Aung, provost of the RCGP East Anglia Faculty, said: "The Rural Minds Project ... addresses a need in farming communities, usually not a priority in general practice. This is a unique collaboration between general practice and the wider farming community including farming charities that extends beyond traditional primary care delivery."

 

Reflecting on the recognition, Dr West and Dr James described the award as encouragement to continue collaborative work. “The real prize for us is seeing more people in rural communities feel able to talk about their mental health, and seeing clinicians feel more confident starting those conversations. If that leads to even a few people getting help earlier or feeling less alone, then that’s what really matters.” 

 

Also pictured are (l-r) RCGP President Prof. Sir Sam Everington, who presented the award, and Woolpit GPs: Drs Zohra Armitage, Ben Spriggs and Will Ridsdill Smith.