Workforce

Ashifa Trivedi is a paediatric pharmacist with a portfolio career across Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and the PATCH hospital-at-home service in North West London. Her work focuses on medicines optimisation, safety and pharmacoeconomics, with a strong emphasis on reducing unwarranted variation and improving equitable access to paediatric medicines across diverse care settings. 

She is Vice Chair and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Lead for the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy Group (NPPG), where she leads initiatives to strengthen representation of district general hospitals, embed inclusive workforce standards and widen opportunities for professional development across the paediatric pharmacy community. Ashifa also serves as a Core20PLUS Ambassador (2024/25), supporting national efforts to address health inequalities and improve outcomes for underserved groups. 

Her national work includes contributions to the RCPCH/NPPG Medicines Committee, with a particular focus on improving equity and consistency in paediatric care pathways. She has also published on inclusive leadership, professional development and the role of equity within the healthcare workforce, including research examining how structural barriers affect opportunities and representation. Her work reflects a commitment to addressing inequalities that shape the experiences and outcomes of children, young people and their families, as well as colleagues across the health system. 

At the RHO, Habib Naqvi is accountable for organisation-wide strategic planning, performance, oversight and delivery. He directs the successful implementation of a far-reaching multi-year, multi-million pound work programme with measurable outcomes. He leads national health policy and is responsible for strategic global partnerships that address systemic health inequalities affecting patients, communities and the healthcare workforce. 

John Appleby Former Director of Research and Chief Economist, Nuffield Trust John joined the Nuffield Trust as Director of Research and Chief Economist in 2016 following his position at the King’s Fund as Chief Economist, and senior lectureships in health economics at the Universities of East Anglia and Birmingham. After his masters in health economics at the University of York in 1980, he worked in the NHS for seven years in Birmingham and London. John has published widely on a range of health care finance and economic issues in books, academic journals, reports, magazines, and newspapers.  

He is a regular columnist for the British Medical Journal. As well as his former post at the Nuffield Trust, John is a Visiting Professor at the Department of Economics, City University, London, and at the Institute of Global Innovations at Imperial College London 

My current role is Assistant Director, Employment Relations in NHS Employers and employer secretary to the NHS Staff Council. Prior to joining NHS Employers in 2022 I worked in the NHS for almost 40 years within Human Resources, my most recent role being Director of People & OD at Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals. I am a member of the CIPD 

Melissa started her career with Centrica PLC where she worked for 10 years before moving to the public sector. She now works as a diversity consultant providing advice and designing and delivering projects across both blue-chip private sector and public sector organisations. Melissa has delivered a broad range of strategic projects using her extensive knowledge of cultural diversity, specifically as it relates to establishing an inclusive positive workplace culture. Melissa advises brands on how to achieve greater diversity internally within their organisations as well as with publicity, marketing and advertising campaigns. Melissa has particular expertise in developing diversity programmes in response to peoples’ experiences in the workplace and supporting boards to drive change. She regularly provides advice to clients and develops bespoke strategies across all diversity strands along with training sessions for boards, leadership teams and the wider organisation. Recently, she has been working within the NHS and regularly speaks at conferences delivering talks on race. 

Celestine Laporte is a national officer in the health team at UNISON, the UK’s largest trade union, representing almost half a million members working in healthcare.

She leads on equalities for the health team and oversees its Race for Equality campaign, tackling racism against staff in the NHS. She is the strategic lead for the union’s work to ensure UNISON workplace representatives are trained to use the Workforce Race Equality Standard to hold NHS employers to account on improving race discrimination.

Celestine is the national lead for UNISON’s Science, Therapy and Technical committee, overseeing the union’s policy agenda for allied health professionals and scientific staff across the NHS.

She represents UNISON on the NHS Staff Council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group and is committed to promoting this agenda across the NHS.

Bernadette Thompson OBE is an accomplished Human Resources leader with specialist expertise in culture change and inclusion. She is currently the Director of People and Culture at North Middlesex University Hospital and communities, part of the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust. Her previous NHS leadership roles include Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at King’s College Hospital and Associate Director of Inclusion at Barts Health Trust. 

Before moving into the NHS, Bernadette built an outstanding 23-year career in the Civil Service, where she left a legacy across major Government Departments and Agencies including the Ministry of Justice, Home Office, HM Treasury, Legal Aid Agency, Cabinet Office, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities. 

Renowned for driving organisational transformation, she has developed and delivered strategies that embed inclusion, reshape workplace cultures, and expand talent pipelines. Her five-year tenure as co-chair of a cross-Government race network secured multiple accolades and positioned the network as a powerful catalyst for change across the public sector. 

A respected keynote speaker and facilitator, Bernadette is recognised for her compelling insights on leadership, culture, diversity, employee engagement, and wellbeing. Her influence has been acknowledged with numerous prestigious awards: Workplace Hero at the Investing in Ethnicity Awards (2020), the We Are the City Rising Star Champion Award and an OBE for services to Diversity and Inclusion (2021), a place on the UK’s Top 100 D&I Inspirational Leaders Powerlist and the Women for Africa D&I Award (2023), the Zenith Global Healthcare Leadership Award and the Nigerian Magazine Award for Culture (2024). In 2025, she was honoured with the RKY Careers Diversity and Inclusion Legacy Award, and selected to the role of Honorary EDI fellowship with the University of East London, celebrating her enduring impact as one of the UK’s most influential voices in inclusive leadership. 

Her thought leadership extends to contributions in publications such as Still Breathing and SHE2’s Wonder Women, where she continues to redefine what inclusive leadership looks like in modern workplaces. 

Alongside her professional achievements, Bernadette has dedicated over 18 years as a Community Governor at a local infant school and has volunteered at global events including the 2012 Olympics, 2017 World Athletics Championships, and the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She also volunteers as a Trustee for Black Inclusion Week and sits on advisory committees for BWHR for ethnic minorities, Career Nuggets and the NHS RHO Ethnicity Pay and Progression gap advisory group continuing to champion meaningful change within and beyond the workplace. 

Noma is an Occupational Therapist that has worked in clinical settings and in strategic roles within the NHS in the last 15 years.  Noma has worked within inpatient and community mental health and learning disability settings and her roles have included the provision of specialist clinical assessment and treatment for adults and older adults. Noma is a Professional Lead for Occupational Therapist and Deputy Chief Allied Health Professional at a Foundation Trust in Yorkshire, keenly driving forward clinical practice, learning and supporting the development of future Allied Health Professional workforce and enable the delivery of excellent multi-disciplinary team within the teams. 

 Noma is the outgoing chairperson for the Chief Allied Health Professional Office Black Asian Minority and Ethnic (BAME) Strategic Advisory Group (NHS England) having served for 2yrs (2023-2025). Noma has extensive experience in leading system change and quality improvement. She is a Leadership Coach and Mentor using these skills to build confidence, support and talent manage colleagues especially those from a BAME background.   Noma has presented at national conferences on mental culture and speaking up issues, diversity and her leadership and health inequalities. She is a wife and mother of 2 teenagers, loves to read, watch any binge worthy telly and loves to cook Zimbabwean meals for her family as a way of relaxing, keeps her linked to her roots.

Mitchell Fernandez is an internationally educated nurse who completed a BSc in Nursing in the Philippines in 1994. He moved to the UK in 2002 to join his wife, who is also a registered nurse. Mitchell began his career in the UK as a health care assistant and completed his Overseas Nursing Programme at London North West University Hospital in 2004. He has since earned a BSc (Hons) degree in Health Protection and a Postgraduate degree with merit in Public Health, both from London South Bank University. 

Mitchell brings a wealth of experience to his role, having worked in private hospitals, several NHS acute teaching hospitals, commissioning, and community services. He has held positions such as Associate Chief Nurse in an integrated care organisation in London, Deputy Chief Nurse and Chief Nursing Information Officer in Midland, and Assistant Chief Nurse at St George’s University Foundation Hospital in South West London. Additionally, Mitchell is an alumnus of the Florence Nightingale Foundation, having completed the aspiring Director of Nursing programme. 

Mitchell is deeply committed to supporting overseas nurses and those from ethnic minorities, driven by his own lived experiences. He is dedicated to helping these nurses maximise their potential, utilise their previous experiences, and advance their careers within the NHS. 

Owen Chinembiri has over 22 years’ experience of working in health care across three countries. Owen is an alumnus of the NHS Graduate Scheme (Health Informatics specialism) and has worked in various management/leadership roles for equality diversity inclusion, transformation, performance, and informatics teams. Owen was previously the lead analyst in the NHS England Workforce Race Equality Standard implementation team. Prior to working in the UK, he worked as an Occupational Therapist in his native Zimbabwe and in Botswana. Owen is passionate about using data and technology to improve patient care and staff experiences. 

Felicia Kwaku OBE has been an associate director of nursing since 2017 at King’s College Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust and holds a national position as the chair of the chief nursing officer and chief midwifery officer’s Black Minority Ethnic Strategic Advisory Group, NHS England. Felicia has always had a passion for clinical practice ensuring that patients as well as staff are at the centre of our care. She believes that if the workforce is not highly valued then this is reflected in poor care delivery. Felicia still performs clinical duties and is highly visible both in and out of uniform. 

Heather is committed to the academic rigor underpinning equity and inclusion interventions for nursing as evidenced by research activity, which includes her co-authorship of “Melting the Snowy White Peaks: The needs, expectations and experiences of Black, Asian and minority ethnic student nurses to support equitable nursing education and career progression” (Sept 2023), an anti-racism framework, and practice proposal with significant implications for health and social care. 

She previously led on the anti-racism programme for the NHS North West Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic Assembly and the implementation of the Anti-racist Framework across the NHS in the North West. She has previously held various roles in local authorities across London. Antemeka is also a Trustee at BHA for Equality and a member of the Mayor’s Race Equality Panel. 

Dr Chaand Nagpaul is a GP partner who has worked in his practice in North London for over three decades. 

He has also dedicated his professional life representing and supporting doctors. He is past chair of the BMA GPs committee and was the first black and minority ethnic chair of the BMA Council from 2017 to 2022.  As BMA chair, he led the medical profession through the challenges of the Covid pandemic. 

He has long advocated for racial equality in medicine and led the BMA’s seminal project on Racism in Medicine in 2022. He is chair of the BMA Forum for Racial and Ethnic Equality and a board member of the NHS Race and Health Observatory. 

He is co-chair of the charity Doctors in Distress, which aims to protect and promote the mental health of all healthcare professionals and to prevent self-harm and suicide. 

He is a member of the RCGP council, and chairs the North West London LMCs network representing GPs across NW London. 

He has been awarded the CBE for services to primary care, a Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners and an Honorary Fellowship of the Faculty of Public Health.