12 February 2026 

Our Chief Executive, Dr Geoffrey Ocen, was honoured to speak at the Closing the Gap: Tackling Inequality in Islington event at Islington Town Hall last week.

Organised by Healthwatch Islington, the event brought together statutory partners from across North Central London to share learning, showcase impact, and explore next steps in tackling health inequalities.

Other speakers included Jeremy Corbyn MP and Cllr Dr Sara Hyde, Councillor for Caledonian Ward and Executive Member for Health and Social Care. Panellists included Yasin Ahmed (CEO, Nafsiyat), Stephen Heard (Director of Healthwatch Camden), and Michelle Williams (Senior Integration and Partnerships Manager for Islington, NHS North Central London ICB). The event was hosted and facilitated by Shaff Prabatani.

In his speech, Geoffrey emphasised that health inequalities are not an abstract concept, but a lived reality for people in Islington, Haringey and across London. He went on to highlight the impactful work we are delivering at the Bridge to tackle disparities in hypertension and prostate cancer within Black communities, through working with local grassroots organisations to co-produce solutions, address barriers to accessing services, prevent ill health, and support people to live healthier lives.

He finished his speech, highlighting the challenges faced: 

"Health inequality doesn’t stop at borough borders; communities live across borough borders. If we want to truly close the gap, we need: System leadership that is willing to name and tackle racial inequity explicitly, even if it makes the annual report slightly uncomfortable; Sustainable investment in grassroots and community leadership; Cross-borough working and learning — partnerships and real conversations."