DR HABIB NAQVI MBE is director of NHS Race and Health Observatory, an independent expert body that examines the health inequalities experienced by black and minority ethnic communities in England.

He has a background in equality and diversity policy, public health and health psychology. Dr Naqvi worked as the policy lead for the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard.

Even before joining the NHS in 2013, he contributed to the development of national equality and diversity policy at the department of health.

He led the development of the Equality Delivery System for the NHS – a tool that supports all NHS organisations in England to meet the diverse needs of their staff and patients. He took the lead in coordinating the health sector’s response to the ministerial review of the Equality Duty.

Over the last decade, Dr Naqvi has been the proponent of the transformational change in the equality field across the NHS, resulting in improvements in the quality of care that patients from diverse backgrounds receive in the NHS and increases in BME staff in senior roles in parts of the NHS.

Between 2013 and 2016, there was an increase of over 1,700 BME nurses and midwives in senior NHS grades.

NHS Race and Health Observatory, where Naqvi is the director since October 2021, works as a proactive investigator by actioning evidence and insight, providing evidence-based health policy recommendations.

It facilitates long-term transformational change across health and care.

Having experience in academia and research, he has authored several impactful articles – from the Windrush issue to the coronavirus pandemic.

He is also a member of several national advisory bodies and was an ambassador for the Mary Seacole Trust. He is also a trustee of the Somerset Cricket Foundation.

Dr Naqvi was included in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for