Narendra Babubhai Patel, Baron Patel, (born 11 May 1938) is a Tanzanian-British

obstetrician Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surg ...

and

cross bench A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and oppositi ...

peer Peer may refer to: Sociology * Peer, an equal in age, education or social class; see Peer group * Peer, a member of the peerage; related to the term "peer of the realm" Computing * Peer, one of several functional units in the same layer of a net ...

, and a former

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the

University of Dundee , mottoeng = "My soul doth magnify the Lord" , established = 1967 – gained independent university status by Royal Charter1897 – Constituent college of the University of St Andrews1881 – University College , ...

Early life

Patel was born in Lindi, Tanganyika (now

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

), on 11 May 1938, of Indian Gujarati emigrants and studied Medicine at Queen's College,

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

, (now the

) graduating in 1964. He worked for more than thirty years at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital, becoming a consultant obstetrician in 1974. Patel's clinical and academic interests include high risk

obstetrics Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surg ...

, premature labour, foetal growth retardation, obstetric epidemiology and quality of the standards of health and clinical provision.

Career

Patel became a Member of the

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that ...

in 1969, and a Fellow in 1988. He was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

in 1999. He served as Chairman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges of Scotland 1994–95, and of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges of the UK 1996–98. He was President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists from 1995 to 1998, having been Honorary Secretary from 1987 to 1992 and Vice-President 1992–95. Lord Patel was the vice president of the charity Attend from 2012 to 2014 when he was elected president of the organization. He currently holds the position of president of Attend.

Honours

Patel received a

knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in the 1997

Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the reigning British monarch's official birthday by granting various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. The honours are pres ...

, and was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

on 1 March 1999, as Baron Patel, of

Dunkeld Dunkeld (, sco, Dunkell, from gd, Dùn Chailleann, "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to ...

Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Highland an ...

. He has served as Vice-President of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Maternity Services since 2002 and of the group on Infertility Services since 2003, as well as being Chairman of the Stem Cell Steering Committee since 2003. He has been a member of the Science and Technology committee since his elevation. In 2006, Lord Patel was appointed

of the

. As part of his investiture he chose to bestow honorary degrees on the

Baroness Cox Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...

and Professor

Anna Glasier Annabelle "Anna" Frances Glasier OBE, FFSRH, FRCOG FRSE is an English physician in the field of reproductive medicine. Glasier is a world expert on emergency contraception, and her work has been instrumental in making it available in the UK a ...

OBE. Lord Patel has been awarded honorary fellowships by numerous professional bodies, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (1996), the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (1997), the

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is a medical royal college in Scotland. It is one of three organisations that sets the specialty training standards for physicians in the United Kingdom. It was established by Royal charter ...

(1997), the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located o ...

(1997), the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (1998), the

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. The ...

(1998), the Royal Australasian College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (1998), the

Royal College of Anaesthetists The Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) is the professional body responsible for the specialty of anaesthesia throughout the United Kingdom. It sets standards in anaesthesia, critical care, pain management, and for the training of anaest ...

(1998), the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (2000), the Faculty of Public Health (2003), the Royal College of General Practitioners (2004) and the

Royal College of Psychiatrists The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom, and is responsible for representing psychiatrists, for psychiatric research and for providing public information about mental health ...

(2005), and is an Honorary Member of the German, Finnish, Argentinian, Chilean and Italian Societies of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He has been awarded

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad ho ...

s by

Edinburgh Napier University , mottoeng = Without knowledge, everything is in vain , established = 1992 – granted University status 1964 – Napier Technical College , type = Public , academic_staff = 802 , administrative_staff = 562 , chancellor = Will Whitehorn , ...

(1996), the

University of Aberdeen , mottoeng = The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom , established = , type = Public research universityAncient university , endowment = £58.4 million (2021) , budget ...

(2001) and the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

(2001) (all D.Sc.), the Universities of

Stellenbosch Stellenbosch (; )A Universal Pronounc ...

(2001) and

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh List ...

(2004) (both

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

), and the

(2004) ( LL.D.) On St Andrew's Day, 30 November 2009, Lord Patel was appointed to the Order of the Thistle by

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

. The Order of the Thistle is the highest chivalric honour in Scotland. In the UK as a whole it is second only to the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the Georg ...

amongst chivalric orders. The order honours Scottish men and women who have held public office or who have contributed in some way to national life. Lord Patel became the first Asian appointee in the Order's 322-year history. The Order was officially presented by the Queen during an audience at Buckingham Palace on 9 June 2010. Patron of SafeHands for Mothers, a UK-based charity whose mission is to improve maternal and newborn health by harnessing the power of the visual, through the production of films.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patel, Narendra 1938 births Living people British people of Indian descent British people of Gujarati descent British Hindus Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences (United Kingdom) Crossbench life peers Knights Bachelor Knights of the Thistle British obstetricians Chancellors of the University of Dundee Alumni of the University of Dundee Alumni of the University of St Andrews Tanzanian emigrants to the United Kingdom People from Lindi British politicians of Indian descent People associated with Dundee People associated with Perth and Kinross Health in Dundee Life peers created by Elizabeth II