Dr Berge Balian

Berge has been a GP in Somerset for over 28 years, initially as a Partner for 20 years then as an Employed GP Consultant following. He has a career long interest in medical leadership, with a particular interest in collaborative working and integrated care.

Berge has held a number of leadership roles in Somerset. He has been a practice locality representative on the Somerset Local Medical Committee for the whole of his GP career, including a period as Committee Chair.

In 2013, Berge became the first Associate Medical Director for Primary Care at Yeovil Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and subsequently chaired the South Somerset PACS Vanguard (Symphony Programme), one of only two in England that were GP-led. The Programme implemented new models of care with the ambition to develop an integrated system of health and social care for the area’s population involving all providers. 

For the past eight years, Berge has combined his clinical work with the role of Medical Director for Symphony Healthcare Services, an arm’s length subsidiary of Somerset Foundation Trust established as part of the Symphony Programme. 

He has also been the Primary Care Partner Member on the NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board since its inception.