Nick Partridge
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Sir Nicholas Wyndham Partridge, OBE (born August 1955), is a British health advocate and public policy leader, best known for his work in HIV/
AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
awareness and for his leadership of the Terrence Higgins Trust, the United Kingdom’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, where he served as chief executive from 1991 to 2013.


Early life and education

Partridge was born in
Rickmansworth Rickmansworth () is a town in south-west Hertfordshire, England, located approximately north-west of central London, south-west of Watford and inside the perimeter of the M25 motorway. The town is mainly to the north of the Grand Union Canal ( ...
to Miles and Patricia Partridge. He attended West Somerset School in
Minehead Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and close to the Exmoor National Park. T ...
. He studied
international relations International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...
at
Keele University Keele University is a Public university#United Kingdom, public research university in Keele, approximately from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, it was granted uni ...
and graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
(BA) degree in 1978.


Activism

Partridge joined the Terrence Higgins Trust in 1985 as the office manager, one of only two full-time paid posts, and became its chief executive in 1991, a role he held for over two decades. Under his leadership, the trust expanded significantly, becoming a national leader in sexual health services, education, advocacy, and policy development. He was instrumental in shifting public attitudes toward HIV and improving services for those affected. Beyond the Terrence Higgins Trust, Partridge held several influential roles in healthcare governance and research: * European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) – founder member (1992). EATG is a patient-led NGO that advocates for the rights and interests of people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS and related co-infections within Europe. * Commission for Health Improvement – commissioner and deputy chair (1999 to 2004). CHI was responsible for assessing the performance of
NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...
organizations in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and ensuring the quality of clinical services. * Healthcare Commission – commissioner and deputy chair (2004–2009). The successor to CHI, the Healthcare Commission was the independent regulator of healthcare in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, responsible for assessing and reporting on the quality and safety of care provided by NHS and private healthcare services. * INVOLVE – chair (1998–2011). INVOLVE promoted and supported public involvement in health and social care research, aiming to ensure that research is conducted with or by the public rather than to, about, or for them. * James Lind Alliance – co-founder (2004) with Sir Iain Chalmers and John Scadding. The alliance facilitates the identification of research priorities shared by patients, carers, and clinicians. * UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) – deputy chair (2004–2021). UKCRC worked to establish a more coordinated approach to clinical research and infrastructure development, aiming to make the UK a world leader in health research. * Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) of
NHS England NHS England, formally the NHS Commissioning Board for England, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care. It oversees the budget, planning, delivery and day-to-day operation of the commissioning si ...
– chair (2013–2022). CPAG advises NHS England on which specialized treatments and services should be prioritized for national commissioning. *
Health and Social Care Information Centre Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, pa ...
(HSCIC) – non-executive director (2013–2016). The HSCIC was the national information and technology delivery organization for health, public health, and social care. In 2016, HSCIC changed its name to
NHS Digital NHS Digital was the trading name from 2016 of the Health and Social Care Information Centre, which was the national provider of information, data and IT systems for commissioners, analysts and clinicians in health and social care in England, p ...
. These roles reflect his broader commitment to evidence-based healthcare, public and patient involvement, and ethical policy development within the NHS and research institutions.


Honors and recognition

Partridge was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE) in 1999 for services to people with HIV and AIDS. He was knighted in the 2009 New Year Honours for his outstanding contributions to healthcare. He was awarded an honorary
Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...
(DLitt) from
Keele University Keele University is a Public university#United Kingdom, public research university in Keele, approximately from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, it was granted uni ...
in 2008 and an honorary
Doctor of Science A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...
(DSc) from
De Montfort University De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body ...
in 2011. In 2006, he was declared one of the 100 most influential gay and lesbian people in Britain by
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
; and in 2010 was ranked 75th (rising from 89th the previous year) in the same list.


Later Work

Since stepping down from the Terrence Higgins Trust in 2013, Partridge has continued his involvement in public health, research strategy, and non-profit leadership. His advisory roles have helped shape healthcare policy and research direction, particularly in areas of inclusivity, patient engagement, and sexual health.


Personal life

He lives in
Peckham Peckham ( ) is a district in south-east London, within the London Borough of Southwark. It is south-east of Charing Cross. At the 2001 Census the Peckham ward had a population of 14,720. History "Peckham" is a Saxon place name meaning the vi ...
,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, with his partner, Simon Vearnals, who is a psychologist. They entered into a
civil partnership A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, primarily created to provide legal recognition for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage, with ch ...
in 2008.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Partridge, Nick Living people Alumni of Keele University English gay men English LGBTQ rights activists Knights Bachelor Officers of the Order of the British Empire Alumni of the London School of Economics 1955 births