GMC NEEDS REFORMS

SAVING OUR NHS THAT HAS SERVED US FOR SEVEN DECADES

Our National Health Service is fast approaching a crossroads that may alter its trajectory from what was originally planned as a noble objective: “health care available at the point of need, regardless of the ability to pay for it”. Like the late Prof Stephen Hawking, many of us who have benefited from the NHS share his common sentiment: “The NHS has saved me and I must help it to be saved”.    by Buddhdev Pandya MBE   23 March 2018

The ongoing political struggle between socialism and capitalism has distorted the commitment to the healthcare needs of the population since the formation of the NHS seven decades ago.

From the Conservatism of Thatcher to the New Labour approach of the Blair–Brown leadership, considerable momentum has been provided to the Public–Private Partnership (PPP) acolytes to impose privatisation to the NHS over the past three decades at a much faster pace.  

From professionals to voters, most of us have conveniently bought into the idea, while many have indeed jumped on the bandwagon without realising that increased integration of the private sector would eventually dominate and shape the future of healthcare provision. 

Instead of introducing ‘added value’ to the NHS, the private sector appears to be draining public funds in a subtle but sure-fire manner to line its own pockets!

I would agree in general with the late Professor that the crisis in the health service has been created by politicians who want to privatise it when public opinion, and the evidence, point in the opposite direction. But, it would be naïve to pin all the blame on privatisation for the state in which we find our NHS today.   

In addition, I would urge our leadership cadres to seek fundamental reforms to the way in which our service’s regulatory and monitoring institutions are shaped. And while their performance raises serious questions, their structures seem to be outdated and poorly executed – unfit for purpose in the modern era.   

The recent case of Dr Bawa-Garba is a classic example of systemic failures that exhibit neglect of the due care and attention that should be ensured by institutions and their leaders. 

In a letter written by Hannah Quirk from University of Manchester’s School of Law, she highlighted that “there were many mitigating factors which are well known to you and some of which I listed in my last letter. Since neither Bawa-Garba’s consultant nor her NHS Trust was on trial, their roles largely slipped into the shadows. To put it bluntly, she was abandoned by her consultant, shafted by her employer and then tormented by the courts and finally persecuted and made unemployable by you. I wonder if you looked behind the court decision at the staffing levels and the workload on that fateful day – an absent consultant, a woeful shortage of trained nurses, no rest break and so on – and whether you would consider them to be prudent and acceptable. If so, perhaps you would be kind enough to publish them so that we can all see what the GMC regards as a safe working environment” (BMJ 2018;360:k481).

I would add to this the question of what happened to the CQC inspection reports of the Trust failing for the past few years, which should have sought redress for such appalling conditions. We must acknowledge that many international medical graduates have suffered from a distasteful experience with the GMC. 

More often than not, the leadership and their voluntary sector organisations consistently raise (in good faith) issues that have adversely affected these professionals and eventually impacted on the quality of ‘patient care’. And, in the case of many NHS Trusts, there have been failures to provide a conducive environment that is fair and supportive to the workforce, while sustaining conditions that are putting the safety of patients at serious risk.

Despite all the rhetoric of modernisation, both qualities in monitoring and redress are missing in the governance structure; all we receive are generic institutional apologies, which sound patronising. During the past few months I have noticed an emerging opinion among politicians that the Government should consider establishing a Royal Commission that can conduct a comprehensive and thorough review encompassing the past seven decades of service, reflecting on the service delivery structures, as well as the regulatory and monitoring regimes, in order to suggest opportunities for the improvement of management structures and creation of enhancement of  implementation processes with accountability and transparency across the NHS. 

The GMC is in desperate need of reform to replace outdated and cumbersome legislation with processes that can help improve confidence in the medical profession. The future demands a model of regulations that is flexible and fit for the needs of a modern workforce, which is now being advocated by the Chief Operating Officer of the GMC and endorsed by the Bow Group in response to their research. 

The Government would be well advised to introduce an independent watchdog, an observatory body with the power to investigate and report. 

Finally, while we continue to lose valuable medical professionals and front-line workers, most of the NHS Trusts remain busy chasing their tails. Invariably we remain fixated with ‘pampering’ the heads of institutions and jockeying for positions that are often tantamount to nothing more than ‘tinkering at the edges’ of the challenges that we face in the NHS today.

We hope that both of these proposals – a Royal Commission and independent watchdog – are supported. 

Feedback welcome: buddhdev.pandya@gmail.com

NHS NEEDS A ‘ROYAL COMMISSION’ TO PROVIDE A PATHWAY FOR SUSTAINABILITY!

15 December 2018                  Buddhdev Pandya MBE

The NHS will be celebrating 70th Anniversary of the NHS in 2018. The state funded service was founded out of a noble ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth.  The NHS has always been a ‘poisoned chalice’ yet a unique public service, envy of the world. The service provision is in need of a thorough and comprehensive review that are politically neutral and able to review upon its historical experience and provide a pathway to adopt the new advances in science and technology while embracing the integration of the private sector to meet the growing demands on the NHS.

Buddhdev Pandya MBE says, “My preference would be for establishing a ‘Royal Commission’ more appropriate since it would provide a more cohesive approach”. 

Recently, The Secretary of State for Health The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP has called for adoption of a ten-year strategy for the health service. This is a welcomed approached since temporary solutions based on ‘knee-jerk’ reactions successive governments have seemed to have added more confusion and failed in providing any sustainable resolution for improvement in the quality of patient care over the years.

The NHS will be celebrating 70th Anniversary of the NHS in 2018. The state funded service was founded out of the noble ideals that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth.  The NHS has always been a ‘poisoned chalice’, yet a unique public service and an envy of the world.

Many recent reports have highlighted the need to take steps to avoid valuable resources being wasted to ensure better use for improving patient care. There is a common thread through the mismanagement of human resources as well as processes; both requiring innovative and lateral thinking.

There are serious concerns over the current delegated responsibilities through the NHS Trusts for their ability to plan and delivery services, capable to meeting the needs of the changing environment. Many aspects of the functional capacity of these bodies are under question for lacking sensitivity in efficiently recognising and tackling troubled hotspots and influencing processes to bring about long term amicable solution.

The NHS has also inherited a new dynamic of the contract culture since the integration of the Private Sector (Public and Private Sectors Partnerships). It has compounded challenges in many respects, involving monitoring processes and integration of services and related models. It has incubated a culture of uncertainty and fear among the workforce as they fear significant reduction of influence in planning services in their own areas of working. It has impacted on the moral of the front-line workers with its total accumulative effect of creating mismatches in service planning with the availability of the resources and, for that matter balancing the demands with availability of resources. 

Many of the shortcoming have been inherited over decades as various governments have often tried sort term or popularity measurers. There was a significant absence of any coherent long-term view on the level of resources or changes in services required. The NHS is also likely to be a major public debate point

in the coming years. While I agree that the NHS may need further funds given the demands on the services, my thought is that merely pouring in funds may not be an ideal solution given the complexity of challenges. The fear is genuine that most possible increases are likely to be swelled up in bureaucracy where the clinicians are not in the driving seat! 

The NHS is now facing shortages of specialist staff, GPs and other front-line workers. It confirms that workforce requirement needs to be a part of long term strategy, particularly when it is highly dependent on the migrant workers. It involves education, training, recruitment, retention and career progression and better harmonisation between these elements.

What requires is comprehensive and thorough review encompassing the past seven decades of service as much as to consider the impact of the new advance technology, integration of the private sector in relation to the growing demands on the NHS. There may be a case for reflecting on the service delivery structures, regulatory and monitoring regimes for improving accountability and transparency across the NHS. 

My preference would be for establishing a ‘Royal Commission’ with more appropriate terms of reference to provide a more cohesive approach.  From Brexit negotiations to the projected numbers of people with diabetes alone there are more compelling reasons to reflect upon the fiscal implications with consideration that are politically neutral review of our health services. This is the best environment to prompt a rethink of the whole system and of how society needs to change. Here we have situation where the NHS has been subjected to a Political football; when People disagree even on whether it has a problem, let alone the possible solutions. A Royal Commission might be that peacemaker, an honest broker with many advantages include the ability to secure the vital cross-party support needed to embed lasting changes and to detoxify reforms that otherwise may be too politically dangerous to pursue.

The Royal commissions are independent—governments cannot interfere once they have started—and therefore sit outside politics. They are also powerful and can compel people to produce documents and other evidence in their inquiries.

And we will need the power to ask difficult questions of experts from all sections of society. We must challenge what we think we know about the problems the NHS faces today. We must think beyond the structures and institutions of the previous century.

It would help converge focus in identifying more productive avenues based on wider input from the critics and political opponents as well as the frontline professionals. At least, their grievances, suggestions and recommendations would find a more structured path way to register concerns. There is a value in allowing engagement of all the stake holders in converging on an exercise to bring about some commons consensus of views on many aspects for suggesting improvement and possible reshaping of the NHS.

A Royal Commission is a major form of an ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue and available to the government to inquire into various issues. Commissions report findings in an advice and recommendations from are not legally binding but can form bases for a potential green paper for developing necessary legislation or amendments.

Perhaps, we all need is to form a view and bring this to the attention our Members of Parliament and to the Secretary of State for Health for their considerations. •       

End -

Buddhdev Pandya MBE is former Chief Editor of the Asian Lite and publisher of Gujarat UK Journal. He has served as a Director of Corporate Affairs and Police for national Indian doctors organisation which he helped to found in 1998.  Author contact:   buddhdevp@gmail.com  9 Wenlock Road, Kempston Beds MK42 7DY

NHS NEEDS A ‘ROYAL COMMISSION’ TO PROVIDE A PATHWAY FOR SUSTAINABILITY!

The NHS will be celebrating 70th Anniversary of the NHS in 2018. The state funded service was founded out of a noble ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth.  The NHS has always been a ‘poisoned chalice’ yet a unique public service, envy of the world. The service provision is in need of a thorough and comprehensive review that can reflect upon its historical experience and provide a pathway to adopt the new advances in science and technology while embracing the integration of the private sector to meet the growing demands on the NHS. Buddhdev Pandya MBE says, “My preference would be for establishing a ‘Royal Commission’ more appropriate since it would provide a more cohesive approach”. Thought of the Day  15th January 2018  Buddhdev Pandya MBE

R

ecently, The Secretary of State for Health The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP has called for adoption of a ten-year strategy for the health service. This is a welcomed approached since temporary solutions based on ‘knee-jerk’ reactions successive governments have seemed to have added more confusion and failed in providing any sustainable resolution for improvement in the quality of patient care over the years.

The NHS will be celebrating 70th Anniversary of the NHS in 2018. The state funded service was founded out of the noble ideals that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth.  The NHS has always been a ‘poisoned chalice’, yet a unique public service and an envy of the world.

Many recent reports have highlighted the need to take steps to avoid valuable resources being wasted to ensure better use for improving patient care. There is a common thread through the mismanagement of human resources as well as processes; both requiring innovative and lateral thinking.

There are serious concerns over the current delegated responsibilities through the NHS Trusts for their ability to plan and delivery services, capable to meeting the needs of the changing environment. Many aspects of the functional capacity of these bodies are under question for lacking sensitivity in efficiently recognising and tackling troubled hot-spots and influencing processes to bring about long term amicable solution.

The NHS has also inherited a new dynamic of the contract culture since the integration of the Private Sector (Public and Private Sectors Partnerships). It has compounded challenges in many respects, involving monitoring processes and integration of services and related models. It has incubated a culture of uncertainty and fear among the workforce as they fear significant reduction of influence in planning services in their own areas of working. It has impacted on the moral of the front-line workers with its total accumulative effect of creating mismatches in service planning with the availability of the resources and, for that matter balancing the demands with availability of resources. 

Many of the shortcoming have been inherited over decades as various governments have often tried sort term or popularity measures. There was a significant absence of any coherent long-term view on the level of resources or changes in services required. The NHS is also likely to be a major public debate point

in the coming years. While I agree that the NHS may need further funds given the demands on the services, my thought is that merely pouring in funds may not be an ideal solution given the complexity of challenges. The fear is genuine that most possible increases are likely to be swelled up in bureaucracy where the clinicians are not in the driving seat! 

The NHS is now facing shortages of specialist staff, GPs and other front-line workers. It confirms that workforce requirement needs to be a part of long term strategy, particularly when it is highly dependent on the migrant workers. It involves education, training, recruitment, retention and career progression and better harmonisation between these elements.

What requires is comprehensive and thorough review encompassing the past seven decades of service as much as to consider the impact of the new advance technology, integration of the private sector in relation to the growing demands on the NHS. There may be a case for reflecting on the service delivery structures, regulatory and monitoring regimes for improving accountability and transparency across the NHS. 

My preference would be for establishing a ‘Royal Commission’ with more appropriate terms of reference to provide a more cohesive approach.  It would help converge focus in identifying more productive avenues based on wider input from the critics and political opponents as well as the frontline professionals. At least, their grievances, suggestions and recommendations would find a more structured path way to register concerns. There is a value in allowing engagement of all the stake holders in converging on an exercise to bring about some commons consensus of views on many aspects for suggesting improvement and possible reshaping of the NHS.

A Royal Commission is a major form of an ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue and available to the government to inquire into various issues. Commissions report findings in an advice and recommendations from are not legally binding but can form bases for a potential green paper for developing necessary legislation or amendments.

Perhaps, we all need to form a view and bring this to the attention our Members of Parliament and the Secretary of State for Health for their considerations. ¨       

Author contact:   buddhdevp@gmail.com

Buddhdev Pandya MBE Buddhdev Pandya is a publisher and political columnist. He is Director of Promotion for a national doctors organisation. He is managing Editor of ‘The Physician’ a medical journal and a magazine for doctors. He was chief editor of an award winning of an ethnic paper. He served as Director of Corporate affairs, Director Policy and Promotion British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin which he helped to established. He was a member of the legal team that mounted judicial review in areas of immigration rules and disproportionate CSA exam results affecting trainee GPs. He has also headed Policy Unit and Capacity Building initiative for Confederation of Indian Organizations. Buddhdev started his career in electronics and went on to become Director of many Racial Equality Councils funded by the Commission for Racial Equality for promoting equality and good community relations. He also helped brief for Employment, Social Policy and Immigration Unit funded by the Home Office and took part in many formal and informal inquiries.  He has served as a Board Member of on a Health Authority, Family Practitioners Committee, Community Health Council, Probation Committee and Police Community Liaison Committee. He has established an Indian Community Centre, Asian Elderly and Women Centers and a Mental Health Care in the Community project. He was actively involved in many awareness campaigns which included; Asian Mother & Baby, Sickle Cell and Thalassemia, Diabetes, Stroke, ID Cards, Forced Marriages. He passionately believes that time has come to undertake. He advocates constituting a ‘Royal Commission’ to provide comprehensive review the structure of the national health service (NHS) and make recommendations for making the services more compatible for coping with the changing needs and integrating the advances in medical science and technology for improving patient care. 

PANDYA CALLS FOR SPECIAL REGISTRTION CERTIFICATE FOR PROPERTY SALE TO PREVENT NRIS BECOMING VICTIMS OF FRAUS!

Buddhdev Pandya MBE, Chief Editor of Asian Lite - a UK based tabloid paper , spoke during the Convention 2008 at Shashtri Bhavan-Delhi organsied by Global Organisation of people of India Origin (GOPIO) to adopt a resolution demanding the Government of India to introduce a special certificate that would confirm the ownership of property and land that any NRI can rely upon as purchasers.

The GOPIO convention held on 7th and 8th January 2008 at Delhi before the Bhartiya Pravasi Divas was attended by delegates representing NRI’s from all over the world.

A panel consisting of Supreme and High Court judges and international lawyers discussed many issues concerning the NRI’s.

Hon Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Mr Vayalar Ravi at the GPIO convention.It highlighted that many NRI’s are preyed upon by unscrupulous lawyers and estate agents who persuade them to buy land and properties riddled with multi ownership claims or disputes. They know that the majority of the NRIs have only have two to three week holidays. Once the money is paid, the buyer is exploited by lawyers and agents eventually costing far in excess of the price of the property.

Speaking at the Convention, Mr Pandya, who represented British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin - a national body of doctors in the United Kingdom – as its Hon Corporate Advisor said, “In India any one can become an estate agent over night. Lawyers often lacking appropriate skills in property law operate without any effective checks, which leaves people who are unfamiliar with India totally vulnerable.”

“The only safeguard”, he added, “would be to introduce a special scheme of certification where any seller would be obliged to provide evidence of claim free ownership to the authorities and obtain a certificate for the benefit of NRI market.

He also added: “ I accept; this proposals may create another hurdle in the form of local bureaucratic corruption. We, however, now have a special Minister for overseas Indians and such a scheme if implemented could provide valuable aid to NRIs.”

GOPIO has adopted the resolution to be put before the Indian Government.

Mr Pandya also highlighted that amongst the older generation; many wills are un-attested, leaving many families struggling for satisfactory conclusion to disposal of family assets. This can be prevented by allowing wills to be registered with the office of any the Indian High Commission at a reasonable fee.

Concerns were raised at the convention about the misuse of ‘general power of attorney’ given to relatives and agents to deal with the property owned or acquired by NRI’s. It is best to stipulate specific actions and place time limits in the ‘power of attorney’ to safeguard all interests.

NRI’s are often unaware that legal battles in India are both expensive and time consuming and riddled with practical exploitations. NRI’s were advised to try and settle family disputes amicably rather than resorting to legal resolutions.

Baroness Usha Prashar, Lord Bhikhu Parekh and Lord Rana were amongst the delegates who attended the high profiled event.

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Email: buddhdevp@googlemail.com

INDIAN COMMUNITY MOURNS LOSS OF A GREAT LEADER

Indian community mourns loss of a leading figure. Shree Nalinikant Tribhovandas Pandya MBE passed away peacefully on 27th May 2006 in a London Hospital after suffering stroke. He was 90 years of age.

Lord Navnit Dholakia, a the prominent Asian member of the House of Lords said in his message of condolences, “He was a giant of a man who singularly pursued the cause he believed in”.

He added that the community has a lot to thank him for as a pioneer who set out the directions which have made us a prosperous community in the UK

Nalinikant was proud of being an Indian. As a freedom fighter actively involved in the satyagraha- (a struggle for Independent of India) lead by Mahatma Gandhi. In the UK, he lead a symbolic ‘salt-march’ signifying the ‘dandi-kutch’ in memory of Mahatma Gandhi as an Hon Secretary of Gandhi Bapu Memorial Trust.

Memories of his time with Gandhiji, Nehru and Sardar wre shred with his family. He never stopped being a revolutionary and a pioneering spirit even after the Independence of India. He contributed enormously in Uganda to promoting the heritage of Indian culture and went on to establish a school and a temple.

As a Vice-Chairman of the Brent Community Relations Council, he played a major role in promoting good race relations and supporting schemes such as ‘help on arrest’ and Police community liaison committees. He passionately believed in community cohesion where diversity is respected in order to address the needs of the community.

The projects and public bodies he served on included; school governor, member of Steering Committee for Wembley Conference Centre, Brent and Harrow Health Authority, Family Parishioners Committee, Art Council and Youth and Community Services and other various initiatives. Politically astute, he had developed and maintained excellent relationship with the political figures in all the main parties and community leaders for good of the communities.

In his bid to unite the community, he helped to establish Federation of Guajarati Associations (UK) during late 60s.. Also established UK’s first Sardar Patel Memorial Committee to celebrate one of India’s great leader with whom he had shared the struggled for Independence. The Committee unveiled an oil painting of Sardar at India House.
He was regarded as a ‘Father Figure’, well respected and always available to provide sound counsel a mentor for some and mediator for those in disputes within various the Indian Communities in Brent.

The Indian Community in Brent has lost a dedicated community worker who had given over 40 years voluntary contribution to the Borough. He was early generation of the minority ethnic black [BME] leaders struggle for our communities in a new country. He played an active role in the field of Race Relations and Community Cohesion, and truly followed a motto- “serving others above ones self”. This was embedded in the work of the Brent Indian Association [BIA] which he founded. Being in the early generation of minority ethnic black [bme] he led the struggle for our communities in a new country. With the help of a dedicated team, as Chairman, he lay the foundation on which the organisation was able to grow in strength and services for the well being of our people.

His strategic vision added a new focus, transforming the BIA from a cultural organisation to a more pro-active, social welfare, care and education organisation. During the period of deportation of Asians from Uganda in 1972 he took the lead in ensuring that the organisations he represented made an appropriate response to crisis. In order to meet the needs of the new arrivals he worked very closely with the Leader of the Council, Late Ald Phill Hartley, and visiting the resettlement camps played a crucial role in their settlement in the United Kingdom.

Followed by successfully establishing Brent’s first Gujarati Library, he went on to acquire the Urban-Aid grant from the Home Office. This was used to establish the Brent Indian Community Centre on Ealing Road in 1976. For over 30 years, he remained a close friend and well wisher of BIA and supported the administrations.

During Mid-70s, the late Shree Pranlal Sheth CBE, former Vice-Chairman of Commission for Racial Equality joined him to start a publication of an ethnic weekly newspaper -Gujarat Samachar. He also started a School for children of Indian origin. He was a member on the Education Committee and many schools, including Copeland Community School; had often invited him to present achievement certificates to their pupils.

Mr Pravin Amin, former leader of the National Association of Patidar Samaj and National Congress of Gujarati Organisations reacted to the announcement of his death by saying that Nalinkantbhai stood out as a leading torchbearer who guided the establishment of organisations by various Gujarati groups. “His ability to work tirelessly and skillfully has enabled achievement of great milestones by the Asian community in the UK”. added Mr Amin who is a leading member of Sardar Patel Memorial.

He had learned Sanskrit language and read Bhagwat Geeta. His efforts brought about the first largest celebration of the Hindu Festival of Navratri and opened the way for celebration of Ramayana Sahpata, starting in the famous Roundwood Park in Brent. For the first time the holy water from river Yamuna was brought to England to celebrate Yamuna Lotiji Mohotsava. All these initiatives were significant at the time, making a political statement on behalf of the Hindu Community, about their presence and acceptance in an ever changing society that needed to embrace the cultural and religious diversity.

He carried a dream of building a Hindu Temple in Brent to meet the spiritual needs of this community since early 60s for a Sanatan Hindu Mandir that would be inclusive of almost all sections of the faith he led a team that succeeded in raising sufficient resources to purchase a Temple in the Layton Stone.

After the first project, he embarked upon a second project for Wembley with a team as an Honorary Secretary General of Shree Vallabh Nidhi UK, to deliver yet more ambitious to have Mandir in Alperton-Wembley; now nearer to completion.
Despite opposition from disgruntled politicians, the skilled negotiator secured support from the local politicians for a site on Ealing Road. On occasions he
felt terrible about divisions in the faith communities and tried to build bridges. Never lost his heart but worked tirelessly for his vision to establish a Temple at the heart of the Hindu population.
Regardless of factional disputes and petty politicking, he remained steadfast on the mission to complete a unique piece of heritage for the Hindu community, a pure Sanatan in practice’ belonging neither to any individual nor anyone particularly religious leader, but to the people. It is a gift from the Hindus – another historical monument to the Londoners. He brought to realisation of a traditional Indian architectural vision, which has hand- crafted stones bought from India.

Despite his busy schedule, he was able to give time for every member of the family and their wellbeing. He was working on the Temple issues till he was taken to the hospital after the first heart attack.

He was a straight talking and sometimes outspoken man with whom the truth was always paramount. He was visited by spiritual leaders and scholars, but gave equal respect to the ordinary person. Many prominent politicians, writers and journalists visited him.

Whenever the Business Communities wanted to raise issues such as Car Parking and other matters related to the local council, they looked towards his leadership and facilitator to workout solutions. He arranged for the Registration of Marriages to take place at the place of the Hindu wedding Ceremony during late 60s. This alleviated the inconvenience for the families to go through two separate ceremonies.

With his passing, his family has lost a pillar of love and guidance. No doubt he is acknowledged by the community as a frontline worker with leadership qualities and a mentor. The Gujarati community will remember him with great affection and gratitude for an historical monument of Hindu heritage and other institutions that he has left behind for the benefit of the future generations.

Naliniknat Tribhovandas Pandya MBE was born in a Brahmin family on 1st March 1916 at Borsad, Gujarat State, India. After Graduation and active involvement in the struggle for independence of India, his career started as a Bank Manager which took him to Africa.
He contributed to the management bodies of many Schools and helped establish a Temple in Uganda before arriving in the UK in early 60s.
After joining a City firm of Accountants, his entrepreneurial desire lead him to establish a designing firm and an Asian weekly.

He was recipient of Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal and the Order of Member of British Empire (MBE) for his services to the community. He was also awarded Citizen’s Award by the Brent Council and an Award for his efforts for World Peace by an international NGO.

He was fortunate to see his younger son Buddhdev receiving an MBE and an award by the Lord Mayor of Leicester City in recognition for outstanding voluntary and community contribution to the City of Leicester.

He leaves his wife Savitaben and three children: daughter-Meena, Sons Kaushik and Buddhdev and eight grandchildren and six great grand children

His family can be contacted: Buddhdev Email: buddhdevp@yahoo.com