In a world where the intersection of health and work is often overlooked, Shriti Pattani OBE has emerged as a beacon of innovation, compassion, and relentless dedication. As the National Clinical Expert in Occupational Health and Wellbeing for NHS England, Shriti Pattani’s work is not only reshaping healthcare but redefining how we understand wellbeing in the workplace.
Her journey from refugee to royal honoree is nothing short of extraordinary, underlining a life spent championing those at the margins and advocating for a system where work becomes a path to healing and empowerment, not a cause of suffering.
Shriti Pattani: A Life Shaped by Purpose and Resilience
Born in Uganda and arriving in the UK as a refugee, Shriti Pattani OBE is living proof of the power of public services—free education, free healthcare, and equal opportunity. Her lived experience has instilled in her an unshakable commitment to tackling health and economic inequalities. This deeply personal motivation drives her mission: to ensure that occupational health is accessible to every working-age individual, regardless of socioeconomic background or disability.
For over 31 years, she has served the NHS as a doctor, GP, consultant, and now Clinical Director of a major acute Trust in London. Her fingerprints are on major policy shifts, innovative pilot programs, and national transformations that have already impacted the lives of over 1.3 million NHS workers.
Transforming Occupational Health from the Ground Up
Shriti Pattani OBE is not just a practitioner—she’s a pioneer. Her passion is clear: “We spend most of our lives in the workplace, yet we rarely stop to consider its impact on our health.”
This awareness sparked her earliest interest in occupational medicine as a trainee GP, when she joined a weekly visit to a Weetabix factory. Observing workers’ common complaints—back pain, neck strain—she recognized the broader systemic issue: healthcare was addressing symptoms, but ignoring root causes embedded in workplace environments.
Her clinical insight eventually led to national vaccination and serology standards for all NHS staff—a move that has streamlined onboarding across Trusts, saving the NHS millions and improving efficiency.
Shriti Pattani: Building Bridges Between Health, Work, and Policy
As a Public Health England Medical Champion, Shriti Pattani OBE played a pivotal role in supporting the Government’s green paper, Improving Lives: The Work, Health and Disability. She spearheaded efforts to connect employment services with healthcare, training medical professionals across primary and secondary care on the importance of work as a determinant of health.
“Unemployment affects not just individuals, but entire families and future generations,” she states. This awareness led to pilot programs that integrate Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisors directly into primary care settings. The results? Reduced GP burden, fewer prescriptions, and enhanced wellbeing for patients returning to meaningful employment.
This innovative approach is not just impactful—it’s scalable, with early results showing it could transform healthcare delivery across the UK.
An International Authority with a Global Vision
Shriti Pattani OBE doesn’t stop at national reform. She serves as a Global Health & Work Clinical Advisor for NHS England’s global team and is a subject matter expert to the World Health Organization (WHO). Her contributions to the development of joint WHO/ILO global policy briefs have placed her at the forefront of international occupational health discourse.
Her influence is global, yet her methods remain deeply human. “It isn’t rocket science,” she says of her approach to helping patients return to work after long-term sickness. “But you need time, understanding, and practical solutions that serve both employee and employer.”
Her work was recently featured on BBC News, showcasing a new care pathway for long-term sickness recovery—a model grounded in her own GP experiences, which prioritizes proactive, tailored support over reactive treatment.
Recognized, Respected, and Still Rising
In 2024, Dr. Pattani’s extraordinary impact was officially acknowledged with an OBE in the King’s New Year Honours List for her services to occupational medicine. “It was a total surprise,” she recalls, “but one I’ll treasure forever.” Her family’s emotional reaction underscored the personal sacrifices and unwavering passion that have marked her career.
In addition to her NHS roles, she served as President of the Society of Occupational Medicine (2022–2023) and continues as an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London. Since 2010, she’s also been Senior Lecturer and Course Director at the Royal Society for Public Health, mentoring the next generation of occupational health physicians.
Under her guidance, the diploma course has become internationally renowned, boasting a 90% pass rate and producing a new wave of passionate, skilled occupational health experts.
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