Address by Hugh Marriage (Home Office) 29/03/04

MILTON KEYNES RESIDENT CHAMPIONS HEALTH

Since 1983, Anant Vyas has held over 20 voluntary positions in and around Milton Keynes.  His voluntary career started during his school days in Kenya with the British Council; but within Britain in 1983 when he first served as Chair of the School Governors.  Just a few years later, in 1985, he was selected as a Candidate for Local Government Elections in Wolverton Ward, Milton Keynes.  By the middle of 1988, he was working as a member of the organisation committee that serviced The Virat Hindu Summéllan at Milton Keynes Bowl. This was a major event for the city and saw over 80,000 Hindus gather for the first time outside India’s awe inspiring Kumbh Mela.

In the following years, Anant was selected as the first reserve Non-Executive Director of Milton Keynes Community NHS Trust, he was elected Parish Councillor and became a fund raiser for the Milton Keynes Hospital Scanner Appeal helping by running a fund raising food marquee in the high profile charity cricket match which was organised by, the now world renowned, Dr Christopher B Lynch who also has been a committed member of the MKREC.

Anant went on to work as consultee to Milton Keynes Council on a joint project to deliver housing with care provision for the BME Elders of Milton Keynes.  He has also worked as an invited contributor to the Future of Charter Mark (to The Charter Mark Marketing & Policy Unit, The Cabinet Office) as a selected Charter Mark Assessor.

In his very little spare time, Anant is a hands on fund raiser for various charities. He helped to prepare, deliver, and serve over 500 free meals during the first Annual Function of the Shishu Kunj and he was once a Member of the Workforce Development for the IDeA Group (Improvement & Development Agency of The Government.).  During this time he was an expert evaluator on race and social inclusion in IDeA Knowledge and a contributor to The Commission for the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain.

Currently he is a member of IDeA e-champions network (championing service access to excluded members of communities), also Championing Change for Older Peoples’ Services with the Department of Health & a Cabinet Office initiative – ‘Better Government for Older People’.  He was recently invited by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to participate in, and contribute to, its nationally organised seminars on Equality & Diversity.

Anant has a particularly strong interest in the National Health Service.  The interest stemmed from his personal experiences with the system a few years ago when he was diagnosed with an ischaemic and coronary heart condition. 

It was during this time that he became determined to push for changes in the NHS.  His experiences left him wanting to bring about changes in how the patients were assessed in A & E and referred to consultants, how their views were taken on board and how their needs were assessed as customers.  Most of all, he wanted to change how the dietary needs of all patients were met, including those of minority ethnic groups and especially in the cardiac wards.  His suggested concept of total quality culture is now a statutory duty in patient-focused services and was considered from the chief executive to the receptionists.

Anant remains committed to the NHS to this day.  Last year, he was one of the first people in the country to be appointed to a new network of forums –  Patient and Public Involvement in Health Forums, set up by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health.  He now holds the position of Deputy Chairman.

To that end, Anant continues to champion Equality & Diversity Agenda in all spheres of his employment and service provision and Voluntary Work whilst also championing Improving Public Services Agenda to an extent that the MKREC felt compelled to recognise his achievements in a way that would prove to be persuasive upon others like him within the wider community of MK to reciprocate the Community Ambassadorial Leadership to further & sustain the MKREC’s exemplary record and the community credibility by joining this (in Anant’s own words)  “worthy & august” Community Ambassadors Leadership Programme.