Lord Patel has extensive experience working at the highest levels, including for the UK Government, on national and international developments in policy areas impacting education, health and social care, crime, community cohesion, extremism and equality, and human rights.
He has contributed to policy development and service delivery, and brokered developments between UK statutory, voluntary and business organisations with countries including India, the Middle East and Europe, to realise real benefits for local institutions and communities.
Lord Patel has undertaken several major organisational reviews for a range of national and international organisations, including for and on behalf of the Government. His contribution to policy development included being the architect of the Government’s largest mental health programme, Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care, in 2005, and The Patel Review on drug treatment in prisons in 2010.
Lord Patel is currently the Chair of Social Work England.
Outside of work, Lord Patel has a lifelong passion for the game of cricket. Between 2015 and 2020, he became the first senior independent Board Director of the England and Wales Cricket Board (the ECB). In November 2021, Lord Patel became the Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.