Biography
Samira leads work on social accountability, inclusion and community partnership. Her role focuses on supporting the School to build strong relationships with local communities and to embed community insight into its culture, curriculum, governance and partnerships. This includes helping to shape how future doctors understand health inequalities, lived experience and the wider social factors that affect people’s health.
Samira Ben Omar brings over 30 years’ experience working across the NHS, local government, the voluntary and community sector, and national policy spaces. Her work focuses on community-led change, health inequalities, inclusive practice and building more trusted relationships between institutions and the people and communities they serve.
She is a Trustee of the Nuffield Trust and New Local, and a member of the General Advisory Council at The King’s Fund. Samira has also been recognised in the HSJ Top 50 Most Influential Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Leaders in Health in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Her wider work includes supporting grassroots organisations, people with lived experience and system leaders to develop more relational, equitable and socially accountable approaches to health and care.
To contact Samira, please email samira.benomar@stmarys.ac.uk