Arif Shah

I am an Autistic person and have lived experience as a patient and carer of a variety of different illnesses and conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, frailty, dementia, neurodivergence and anxiety. I have been involved in health and care research for numerous years and thoroughly enjoy it.

Occupation wise, I’m a full-time government official. Separately I have various self employed contracts and freelance work for different public institutions e.g. the NHS, educational institutions as well as with charities. I’m extensively involved in patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) with my input spanning many years consistently.

What inspired me to get into public involvement was previous experience of improving patient services and delivering impactful results in local NHS Trusts. I’ve been nominated for Young Person of the Year and Contribution to Service Improvement awards at a local NHS Trust’s annual people participation awards ceremony. I then went on to become one of the youngest-ever elected governor of that trust.

The most rewarding aspect of being a Digital Critical Friend is knowing that we are the centre of the platform and are considered in anything that arises. It’s a very interesting way to understand more about how governance is linked up with patient data and information sharing.

I have a large immediate, and extended, family network and prioritise my leisure time with them. I also like traveling and visiting new and old places alike. I enjoy participating in enriching social activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and am currently completing the gold level award. I like keeping up to date with local, national and global affairs and knowing what’s happening in the community.