Dr Nighat Arif awarded honorary Doctor of Science degree

Dr Nighat Arif is a family GP within the NHS, specialising in women’s health and family planning. She is also a ‘Resident GP’ on ITV’s This Morning programme and BBC Breakfast, as well as the presenter of The Sunday Breakfast Show on BBC Three Counties Radio.

On Thursday, Dr Arif was recognised for her outstanding contribution to inclusion, women's health, and public health with the award of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by the School of Health and Psychological Sciences at City, University of London. The honorary doctorate degree was presented at the University’s Summer Graduation Ceremony hosted at the Barbican, London.

Dr Arif receiving her degree award of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa)

Dr Arif’s work is wide ranging. Her commitment as an outreach clinician advocating for underrepresented groups and unmet need, including her wider work in the media, offers City students a strong role model for close engagement with their communities and campaigning to challenge the status quo.

Dr Arif is an Ambassador for Wellbeing of Women, a global charity working to improve women’s health, and is a campaigner for organ donation in ethnic minority communities, using her public profile to promote organ donation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Arif used her platform and profile to promote public health messages, informed by the evidence base and her personal experiences as a GP to reach out to communities through mainstream and social media.

Upon receiving her award, Dr Arif provided the graduates with this advice:

You should be especially grateful to your critics. I have often found the best life lessons are learned from those who are keen to tell you how you can improve, whether it is constructive or not. It might not feel like it at the time, but when someone doubts you, or says you cannot do something, that’s often the moment when that fire of passion ignites within you.

Dr Nighat Arif with her award accompanied by Professor Debra Salmon, Dean of the School of Health and Psychological Sciences (left) and Julie Attenborough, Associate Dean, Director of Undergraduate Studies (right).

Professor Debra Salmon, Dean of the School of Health and Psychological Sciences said:

“It was a privilege to be able to recognise Dr Arif’s significant contribution to women’s health, particularly for those in under-represented groups.  She is an incredible ambassador for women’s wellbeing, and is an inspirational role model for our graduands.”

For the last four months, Dr Arif has also been putting her years of clinical experience of women’s health in general practice into print, and her first book will be published next year.

Find out more

You can watch Dr Nighat Arif’s speech at the School of Health and Psychological Sciences Summer Graduation Ceremony on the City, University of London website’s Graduations page:

Select the 21^st July 2022, 14:00 - Afternoon ceremony, and forward to the 16 minutes mark of the recording for the oration to the award (from Julie Attenborough, Associate Dean, Director of Undergraduate Studies, School of Health and Psychological Sciences), followed by Dr Arif’s speech ending at 27 minutes).

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