HE has only been working as a doctor for five years, but the outstanding work of a York medic has already earned him a national award.

Dr Neil Metcalfe, 33, a locum from Upper Poppleton – who works all over York and North Yorkshire – has been judged to be the best new doctor nationally.

He has won the First5 award in the GP Enterprise Awards in recognition of the impressive first years of his career.

The past five years have seen Dr Metcalfe work at a rural practice, a homeless centre in Leeds, as a police surgeon and as a clinical research fellow in medical education and general practice.

It has been an especially memorable month for the doctor who has won the prestigious award as well as becoming a father for the second time last week.

Dr Metcalfe said: “I doubt anything as big as this will happen to me again. I’m very proud and in some ways it is recognition for all the extra hours I have put in.

“I always want to be improving until the day I retire.”

Dr Metcalfe clinched the award for “providing high-quality care and suggesting ways to develop these services” as well as “specifically improving clinical care and patient services in his first five years as a GP”.

Among his many achievements Dr Metcalfe led the audit of whether the Ayling Inquiry’s recommendations on chaperone policy in acute trusts had been implemented.

The audit of all trusts found only a small majority had a chaperone policy in place, risking potentially severe medico-legal repercussions and clinical governance problems.

As well as publishing more than 20 articles on a range of subjects, he has worked to review the e-learning modules for the Royal College of General Practitioners and is one of the founders of the First5 GP group in York for doctors beginning their careers.

Dr Metcalfe, who trained at York Hospital as well as Escrick Surgery and Jorvik Medical Practice, runs two student selected components at Hull York Medical School.

The Ovington Cricket Club player lives with his wife Harriet, 32, and their son Wilfred, two, and newborn baby Toby.