A GP who has run a practice in Newham for 30 years has been chosen as a finalist for this year’s GP Awards.

Dr Ramaswamy Setty Venugopal, of the Esk Road Medical Centre, Plaistow was shortlisted for the General Practice Awards 2012 which were held in central London.

The event was organised by the Campden Publishing Company which produces magazines for the medical profession and was attended by more than 800 people.

Dr Venugopal, 67, was among five GP shortlisted in the awards from among hundreds of colleagues nominated by other doctors and patients.

He said his practice had been a “dilapidated house and a shop when I purchased it. I started with no patients.”

He has since refurbished the practice and now has 2,700 patients, many of whom have been with him for 30 years.

Dr Venugopal said: “The success of this award is due to the hard work by the practice manager, the receptionist, practice staff and the patients, without whose co-operation I would not have got this award.”

He said his patients were particularly pleased at his award which has pride of place at his surgery.