Dr Harni S Bharaj MD, FRCP, THF Leadership Fellow

I was appointed as a Consultant in Diabetes and General Medicine at the Royal Bolton Hospital in 1996. Since then I have been the lead for diabetes in minority ethnic groups, young people and the insulin pump service. I have had a long standing interest in diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

I pioneered role of diabetes lay educator and diabetes support nurse for South Asians, developed and implemented the hypoglycaemia protocol (Hypo-box introduced 2008) and introduced Nurse led diabetes clinics into the service. In 2006 I co-created an innovative model of care for patients with diabetes with the Design Council and service users (BoND).

Between 2001 and 2006 I was Director of Clinical Effectiveness and I have been Chair of the North West Youth Diabetes Study Group from 2003 -2017. I was Associate Medical Director for the Division of Medicine and Emergency Care from 2008 – 2011. In 2006 I received the Health Foundation Leadership Fellows award. I am currently Associate Medical Director Integrated Community Services. I have a passion for quality in health care delivery, patient led care and a long standing interest in the education of health care professionals, patients and their carer’s.

I chair the Community Champions Bolton programme (an initiative with Diabetes UK to train and develop champions for diabetes to support communities through chances in lifestyle) and I sit on the Diabetes UK Insight Advisory Group. I am also a Governor at The University of Bolton and sit on the Audit Committee.

I am happily married with 2 wonderful children for whom I am still a Taxi service 24/7 leaving me little time to purse my interests (popular music, reading, sport and socialising).