GP Partner, Leacroft Medical Practice and Clinical Director, Children and Maternity Services and Population Health

For Dr Patience Okorie, equity is not an aspiration — it is a daily practice. As a GP Partner at Leacroft Medical Practice in Crawley and Clinical Director for Children and Maternity Services and Population Health, she has spent her career ensuring that postcode, background, and circumstance never become barriers to good health.

“As Clinical Lead for Health Inequalities, my work is about ensuring that where you live, who you are, or what challenges you face never determine the care you receive,” she says. “The NHS represents fairness at its best — a commitment that every patient deserves dignity, access, and opportunity for good health. True health equity requires moving beyond the clinic into the community to address wider determinants of health.”

Patience brings together clinical insight and both qualitative and quantitative intelligence to shape the commissioning and delivery of services spanning children’s care, maternity, long-term conditions, and end-of-life care. Her focus is relentless: target unmet need, reduce unwarranted variation, and improve outcomes for whole populations.

Nowhere is this more visible than in the Asthma Smart Kids Club — an after-school quality improvement initiative she developed at Leacroft Practice. Designed to reach children most at risk, including those with frequent GP visits, recent emergency department attendances, or poor medication compliance, the club takes a group-based, interactive approach. Children and their parents or carers come together for sessions combining educational talks, videos, and creative activities to build real understanding of asthma management.

The results speak to the power of prevention. Children leave with personalised asthma care plans shared with their schools and carers, improved knowledge, stronger self-management skills, and the confidence to recognise and respond to symptoms before they escalate. Families feel supported. Care moves from the hospital to the community — exactly where it belongs.

This is the 10 Year Health Plan made real: a brilliant, community-rooted model combining education, prevention, and clinical review to give every child an equal chance to breathe freely, sleep well, and thrive.