Born in Uganda to Indian parents, he obtained medical qualifications at the University of Southampton in 1979 and previously worked in the National Health Service.
[1] After working for some years at the Private Clients office of Lehman Brothers in London as part of a small team including Bruce Berkowitz, in 1988 he founded Court Cavendish, which was rapidly recognised as a high quality continuing care company.
[3] For many years he has been involved in healthcare policy issues, working on numerous government task forces and action groups.
[5] Patel resigned as a trustee of Help the Aged in 2002 "to save it embarrassment" after a damning report into a nursing home owned by Westminster Health Care, which he headed.
This was supported when the High Court judge Mr Justice Collins stayed the case again Patel pending the judicial review hearing.
[9] In 2009, the NMC Professional Conduct Committee began its own investigation into whether the manager and deputy managers of Lynde House – Sarah Johnson and Lynette Maggs – were guilty of professional misconduct and negligence in relation to the earlier accusations of poor care at the residential home.
[11] Later in 2013, the Health Select Committee expressed its concerns over the length of time the NMC's disciplinary process takes.
[14] Further concerned that his reputation was being traduced, he made a strenuous plea for clarity in the handling of his candidacy on BBC2's Newsnight on 10 March 2006 and in a letter to the HLAC stated that he was mystified and deeply distressed by the apparent rejection.
[15] On 15 March 2006, it was revealed that Jack Dromey, the Treasurer of the Labour Party, had been unaware of the loans and called for an independent inquiry.
He said that at no time did he have any expectation of a reward nor had he been offered anything in return, yet on BBC Radio 4's Today programme he expressed the view that he wanted to serve in the upper house as he felt that his life experience ensured that he could make a valuable contribution there.