Marie Gabriel to lead NHS Race and Health Observatory

Experienced NHS leader Marie Gabriel has been confirmed as the first chair of the newly created NHS Race and Health Observatory, which will be hosted by the NHS Confederation.

Gabriel has more than 18 years of experience on NHS boards, including in her current roles as chair of the North East London Integrated Care System and chair of Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust, and before that, chair of East London NHS Foundation Trust.  

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens announced her appointments at a NHS England and NHS Improvement’s public board meeting. She will now be tasked with identifying and tackling the specific health challenges facing people from black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) backgrounds in England today. The Race and Health Observatory was launched in May 2020. It will involve experts from this country and internationally, and will offer analysis and policy recommendations to improve health outcomes for NHS patients, communities and staff.

Gabriel said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed as chair of the Race and Health Observatory and I am really looking forward to working with colleagues to evidence, share and support true improvement in achieving race equity.  

“The Observatory is a critical next step in the NHS race equality journey. It will ensure that we harness the expertise of both our academics and of our communities, it will challenge but also support the implementation of practical solutions, and in so doing, seek to radically address the health inequalities experienced by Black and minority ethnic communities.

“Achieving equity has always been my prime motivator and I truly believe that the ambitions of the Observatory provide an opportunity for us all to systematically improve the access, experience and outcomes of BAME communities.”