Professor Jonathan Valabhji OBE
Jonathan Valabhji, OBE, MD, FRCP is Clinical Chair in Medicine at Imperial College London, Honorary Consultant Diabetologist at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and National Clinical Lead for Multiple Long-Term Conditions at NHS England. From April 2013 until September 2023 he was National Clinical Director for Diabetes and Obesity at NHS England. He established the NHS England Diabetes and Obesity Programmes and more recently, the NHS England Multiple Long-Term Conditions Programme. These Programmes have involved a broad portfolio of national work streams including lifestyle interventions, clinical care, and technological support for self-management.
As National Clinical Director, he led rapid translation of high-quality diabetes research into national policy and practice and has established models for evaluation to assess translational impact. He successfully made the case for, and led implementation of, the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, including digital modes of delivery, with over 1.5 million people with pre-diabetes now referred in, and published evidence demonstrating reduced Type 2 diabetes incidence in programme participants and at English population level associated with programme implementation. He is now assessing the impact of the Programme, a 9-month intensive lifestyle intervention, on incidence of other and multiple long-term conditions.
His current research interests involve application of real-world data to support population health and health improvement, through implementation and quality assurance of specific interventions, and healthcare delivery at English population level. He developed unique expertise over the last decade in national health system leadership, policy development, and health system implementation within England. His research interests and outputs reflect the corresponding work streams that he has developed across England over the last decade.
He qualified in 1990 from St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College, London. From 2002 until September 2023, he was Consultant Physician, Diabetologist and Endocrinologist at St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. In 2019 he was awarded OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List for services to diabetes and obesity care.