Patrick Vernon is to be awarded an OBE

Patrick Vernon is to be awarded an OBE

At the Healthwatch event on the 22nd May 2012 at the Antenna Media Centre our keynote speaker, Patrick Vernon is to be awarded an OBE for his work in health inequalities.  Patrick is the Chief Executive of the Afiya Trust a national charity that works to reduce inequalities in health and social care provision for people from racialised communities. 

 

For more than 20 years Patrick’s career in health and social care has taken various paths, in particular it has been dedicated to campaigning to address health inequality for all minority groups.

 

Patrick  was the former Non Executive Director for East London and the City Health Authority and Chair of City and Hackney Drugs Action Team. He has held various roles such as Regional Director for London and South East England for Mind, NHS Director of Brent Health Action Zone) and a Non Executive Director for City and East London Health Authority, Trustee for Social Action for Health.

 

Patrick Vernon said: “I am dedicating this honour to my parents who were part of the Windrush Generation, they made a lot of personal sacrifices coming to Britain and raising my four sisters and I. It is also great to receive this award which also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Independence of Jamaica.”

“There is still more to do particularly around the new changing structure of the NHS and the role of local government in leading on public health. The work of The Afiya Trust and other organisations will be important to make the business case on how equalities and health inequalities should be combined around service development and commissioning. I hope that I will be in the position to use my OBE to further advance these issues and promote my experiences as a leader to support others wishing to develop their career in the health and social care sector,” continued Mr Vernon.

The OBE is expected to be awarded to Mr Vernon by the Queen at Buckingham Palace in December.

Click here to read the full press release  

 

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