About us

Optimum Patient Care is committed to working with primary care to produce quality, focussed patient profiles that make a difference.

OPC applies leading edge methods and validated tools to:

Assess disease-control, patients self-management practices and responses to treatment
Profile patients in primary care to identify sub-optimal disease management
Provide feedback to GPs to help identify those who are experiencing problems requiring review or a change of treatment
Enable GPs to optimise care by targeting treatment to meet individual needs

We are a science based company led by internationally recognised experts in patient assessment, self-management and primary care.

We aim to answer important questions:

How do we ensure that all patients are given the best possible, up-to-date treatment specific to their individual needs?
How do we help patients to effectively manage their own care?
How can we enable patients to develop a clear understanding and realistic expectations of disease control and treatment?

If you have any further questions regarding OPC and its partners please contact us.

Meet the team

To view the biographies click on the names of the team members below.

	David Price completed his medical degree at Cambridge University in 1984, and his General Practitioner training in Norwich in 1989. In February 2000, he was appointed as the General Practice Airways Group Professor of Primary Care Respiratory Medicine at the University of Aberdeen - a 550 mile commute from Norwich! Professor Price is extensively involved in primary care education and research. He also heads a research consortium of primary care centres in the East of England. He is currently responsible for 52 studies with grants in excess of £4 million with governmental, charitable and pharmaceutical bodies. David Price’s special areas of interest in primary care respiratory management are screening, "real-life" effectiveness and cost effectiveness of interventions, compliance and patient attitudes to their disease. He heads the research committees for the General Practice Airways Group and International Primary Care Respiratory Group. He is a member of the executive committee for the ARIA guidelines group.
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	Julie began her career as a programmer in 1988, progressed to systems design, development and project management, eventually gaining long term experience as a Oracle Consultant specialising in Information and Reporting. She started working for Professor David Price in 2004 and is Data Manager and Senior Analyst for Research in Real Life and for Optimum Patient Care.
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Matthew Chorlton Lead Developer

	Matthew joined OPC in April 2009 having graduated from the University of Bath with a BSc (Hons) Mathematics and Computing. He has experience of software development, database manipulation and mathematical analysis.
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Matt Ball Junior Developer

	Matt joined OPC in May 2010, having attained a BSc(Hons) in Computing Science with Imaging and Multimedia from the University of East Anglia. He specialises in software analysis and development, as well as database maintenance.
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Muzammil Ali Statistician

	Muzammil joined OPC in March 2009 from Bounty UK Ltd where he was a Database/Delphi developer. His previous role was E-development Analyst at Aviva UK, upon where he had numerous responsibilities which included Rate reviews, statistical analysis of E-business and creation of Test-packs for the different products available online. He holds a Bsc Mathematical Science degree from University of Westminster.
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Feargal Ryan Researcher

	Feargal started working for Optimum Patient Care after qualifying with a degree from the University of East Anglia. He has a great deal of experience in practice relations, building professionnal relationships with practices across the UK.
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Sam McLean Finance

	Sam has worked for OPC on a freelance basis since September 2007. She has over fifteen years' experience in accounting. She qualified as a member of the Institute of Credit Management in 2004 and the Association of Accounting Technicians in 1998 of which she became a Fellow member in May 2009.
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Mandy Beresford Clinical Practice Manager & Respiratory Nurse

	Mandy joined OPC in November 2009. She previously worked for Norfolk Community Health & Care as a Community Matron with a special interest and passion for the care of patients with respiratory disease, particularly COPD and bronchiectasis. She was the lead nurse in the local pulmonary rehabilitation programme and continues to work in the community GPwSI respiratory clinics. Mandy is working towards an MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner post-graduate degree at the University of East Anglia.
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Dr. Stanley Musgrave Research and Medical Data Associate

	Stan Musgrave (MD, MPH) joined OPC/RIRL in 2010, having worked for the past decade on respiratory management issues in general practice in HTA and AsthmaUK funded research based at UEA, where he continues to be associated with other research. Prior to that he had worked on a variety of health issues in several developing countries.
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Stephen Pipe Finance and Admin Manager

	Stephen joined OPC in September 2009, prior to that he worked for CPS Fields initially as a Financial Controller then Financial Director and latterly as Managing Director until the business was sold in 2007.
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Steve Ellis Data Analyst

	Steve joined OPC in March 2010. His background is in database design, development and administration using Oracle technologies. He has experience of working in several industry sectors in consultancy and project management roles. Steve holds a MSc in Information Technology.
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Ed Wells Data Management and Practice Liason Administrator

	Edward joined the OPC team in August 2010 after graduating from the University of East Anglia with a BSc (Hons) in Economics. He has experience in data analysis as well as practice relations.
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Alison Chisholm Project Director (Research in Real Life)

	Alison joined Research in Real-Life in 2009 having worked in medical publishing as a Project Manager, Editor and Medical Writer for over 6 years. She has extensive experience working on medical educational materials, from patient information leaflets to e-learning websites for healthcare professionals, and was Editor and writer of a respiratory conference newspaper in her previous role as Editorial Director of Horizon Medical Publishing. Alison holds a BSc Hons degree in Physics and a MSc in Journalism.
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Annie Burden Statistician

	Annie joined Research in Real Life in November 2009 on completion of an MSc. in Applied Statistics from Sheffield Hallam University. The MSc. marked a change in career direction: after a first degree in Mathematics, Annie spent nearly 20 years in naval operational analysis, research and modelling, working for the Royal and US Navies and specialising in the area of mine warfare.
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