
Dr Habib Naqvi
Dr Habib Naqvi is chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory.
Habib has a background in equality and diversity policy, public health, and health psychology. He is the policy lead for the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard and is leading on the inclusion of the WRES within national policy levers.
Before joining NHS England in 2013, Habib worked on the development of national equality and diversity policy at the Department of Health, where he led on the development of the Equality Delivery System for the NHS and took the lead for coordinating the health sector’s response to the Ministerial review of the Equality Duty.
He has experience in academia and research, including holding a strong portfolio of healthcare research.
Habib was awarded an MBE in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to equality and diversity in the NHS.
- HSJ Partners
The first step in tackling racial inequity is listening to the people who experience it
Racial inequity affects the whole of society, and tackling it means listening to the voices of as many people as possible, write Habib Naqvi, chief executive of NHS Race and Health Observatory and Sam Rodger, assistant director policy and strategy at NHS Race and Health Observatory
- News
Steady growth in power among diverse leadership during a time of opportunity
The NHS workforce is now more diverse than at any time in its history, and yet at the most senior levels, the leadership of organisations do not reflect the workforce
- News
A new wave of leaders
That the judges this year had a long and impressive list to navigate through, stimulating healthy debate, is testament to the rise in power of a new batch of talented Black and ethnic minority leaders across the NHS.
- HSJ Partners
Designing better acute painful sickle cell care
Dr Carl Reynolds and Dr Habib Naqvi emphasise the need of improving sickle cell care by developing highly usable digital care plans, eliminating treatment delays and disparities, and ensuring patients receive timely analgesia
- News
Celebrating the crucial role of ethnic minority leaders in health and care
In an ideal world, there would be no need for a Top 50 Black, Asian and minority ethnic power list. Our health and care system would be representative of our diverse communities at all levels – including within its leadership. Sadly, that is not the case. The latest HSJ100 detailing ...
- HSJ Partners
Why terminology matters
If we start with the wrong language, we will end up with the wrong solutions, write Sam Rodger and Habib Naqvi
- HSJ Partners
Ensuring the diverse needs of our communities are met
Habib Naqvi and Owen Chinembiri highlight the developments made by the NHS Race and Health Observatory since its inception a year ago
- News
A timely acknowledgement of the importance of diverse leadership
The NHS has made progress in diversifying its leadership in a way that should be celebrated – while recognising that this is by no means ‘mission accomplished’, writes Dr Habib Naqvi
- Comment
NHS leaders must be made accountable for reducing health inequalities
Work to address health inequalities, including ethnic health inequalities, should be elevated to a ‘must do’ rather than a ‘nice to have’, write Habib Naqvi and Richard Murray
- News
Celebrating those who are influencing change
It is right and timely that during the most challenging year for our NHS, we recognise those BAME people in healthcare who are making a positive impact in their area of work, says Dr Habib Naqvi
- HSJ Interactive
A time to recognise progress on workforce race equality in the NHS
Dr Habib Naqvi and Yvonne Coghill ask NHS organisations to fastrack implementation of WRES for recognising improvements in workplace race equality.
- HSJ Interactive
Our NHS people, Ramadan and covid-19
Dr Habib Naqvi urges Muslim NHS staff to adapt usual religious and cultural practices during Ramadan and follow social distancing to save lives
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Our NHS people matter: progress and challenges on workforce race equality in the NHS
Many NHS trusts are beginning to implement the WRES with an open mind and an honest heart, yet much more work is still needed to shift the dial on workforce race inequality. Writes Habib Naqvi.
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Diversifying the HSJ Awards
The NHS England Workforce Race Equality Standard team is working with HSJ to increase diversity in all aspects of the HSJ awards, notes Dr Habib Naqvi
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BME staff are still struggling: here's what you can do about it
Michael West, Habib Naqvi and Yvonne Coghill outline measures to implement the values of compassion and inclusion across the whole of the NHS
- Comment
Some green shoots amid the snowy peaks of the NHS workforce
Over a fifth of the NHS workforce are from non-white backgrounds, yet they suffer consistently worse workplace experiences
- HSJ Knowledge
Equal access to the NHS: the next step
A new system can create a fairer NHS for patients
- HSJ Knowledge
'The NHS cannot close health inequalities on its own'
How the NHS can help create a fairer society