Medical policy: meet the team

Dr John Burke MA MB BCh MRCGP

Director of Medical Policy 

John has worked for AXA Health since 2010. He practises as an NHS GP one morning a week. 

He trained in medicine at Oxford University. He also holds a neuroscience degree from Cambridge University and trained in neurosurgery.  

He has a particular interest in evidence-based medicine and policy making, aiming to ensure treatments are safe and effective and provide value for us all.

Dr Steve Granier

Medical Officer, Policy 

Steve spends three days a week in Bristol as an NHS GP and is involved in medical student teaching, GP registrar training and clinical research around antibiotic resistance.

He is an honorary Research Fellow at the University of Bristol and Consultant to the UK Health Security Agency on antimicrobial stewardship.

He has worked in medical insurance since 2000, working for AXA Health since 2015. He has interests in cancer and musculoskeletal policy, and pathways and value in healthcare. He enjoys cycling and hiking.  

Dr Chris Godsmark

Medical Officer, Policy 

Chris has been working as a GP partner for 23 years. In that time he has been the practice lead for IT, joint Diabetes lead and also clinical lead for the Quality and Framework Indicators (QOF) within the practice.

Chris has worked part-time for AXA Health since 2015 as a medical adviser, and in 2022 joins the company full time.

Out of work his hobbies include ballroom/Latin dancing, swimming and IT. 

Lynne Neeves

Pharmacy and Research Specialist

Lynne is a pharmacologist who joined AXA Health in 2002, a time of great change with the introduction of biological therapies.

She has been extensively involved in many areas of the business and moved to the Clinical Centre as the Pharmacy and Research expert before joining Dr Burke’s team in 2019.

Clare Newell

Research Nurse

Clare joined AXA Health in 1997 as a Clinical Centre nurse case manager in Eastbourne, then worked as the Twilight nurse case manager, before taking on her current research role as one of the first homeworkers in 2003, before moving to join Dr Burke’s team in 2019.