The NHS’s relationship with the Indian diaspora spans more than 70 years, throughout which our colleagues and partners who come from or have links with India have contributed immeasurably. But the past year has brought a poignancy to this partnership that we could never have anticipated.
Over the pandemic, we have all lived and worked through unprecedented challenges. Many of the thousands of our Indian colleagues have continued to care selflessly for NHS patients or perform a range of vital roles despite having experienced unbearable loss as a result of the pandemic or while waiting for news about its impact on their friends and family. I am one of them.
As a proud British Indian woman, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone within the NHS who is from the South Asian diaspora to those who have extended support and solidarity to colleagues from India, and of course, those whose expertise, innovation and compassion were part of the relief effort to support India.
Our relationship has never been stronger, or more crucial. To everyone celebrating - on behalf of all our NHS people a happy independence day.