Patricia Moberly

After leaving university, the newly married Moberly took on the role of vicar's wife.[2] In 1963, her husband was posted to a church in Chingola, Northern Rhodesia.[2] The following year, Northern Rhodesia became independent of British rule and was renamed Zambia.[2] From 1964 to 1967, she taught at Chikola School, a local secondary school for black Africans.[1][2]

In 1967, the family returned to England and her husband was appointed Vicar of St Anselm's Church, Kennington, London in the Diocese of Southwark.[2] She taught English at The John Roan School in Greenwich, from 1967 to 1968, and at Mary Datchelor School in Camberwell from 1968 to 1974.[1] She then joined Pimlico School, where she was a senior teacher from 1974 to 1998 and the head of Sixth Form from 1985 to 1998.[1][5]

During her time in Zambia, Moberly became opposed to racial oppression and the Apartheid of neighbouring South Africa.[2][3] She joined the United National Independence Party, becoming one of its few white female members.[3] She also hosted political exiles from South Africa, including Zanele Dlamini Mbeki, future wife of Thabo Mbeki and First Lady of South Africa (1999–2008).[2]

Having returned to England, Moberly joined the Labour Party and was active in the Anti-Apartheid Movement.[2] She was an elected councillor on Lambeth London Borough Council between 1971 and 1978.[1] In the October 1974 General Election, she unsuccessfully stood as the Labour candidate in Marylebone, losing to conservative Kenneth Baker.[2]

In the early 1970, Moberly was arrested after a demonstration outside Downing Street: the protest was against the British government's inaction over the war in Rhodesia.[2][3] She had been accused of throwing a placard stating "No Peace Without Majority Rule" at a car containing the then prime minister, Ted Heath:[2] she was convicted of a breach of the peace.[2] She was defended by the eminent barrister Dingle Foot.[3] Her conviction was overturned on appeal, due in part because the Morning Star published a photograph of her under arrest but still holding the placard in question.[2]

Moberly was a member of the Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Area Health Authority from 1976 to 1981, and then of the Lambeth District Health Authority from 1981 to 1990.[1] She was a lay member of the General Medical Council in 2002,[1][3] and in 2003.[6]

Moberly served as a governor of Maudsley Hospital and Bethlem Royal Hospital, two psychiatric hospitals, from 1976 to 1978.[1] She served as a governor of the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals (UMDS) from 1988 to 1990.[1] She was a non-executive director of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust from 1997 until becoming its chairwomen.[3]

From 1999 to 2011, Moberly served as Chair of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.[1][7] This was arguably the post for which she was best known.[8] When she arrived there were clear issues with the trust: racial divisions meant that black nurses mainly worked on less prestigious wards such as elderly care, and consultant appointments were perceived as being affected Freemasonry membership.[2] During her 12 years in charge, and having been "initially met with resistance from the predominantly white medical establishment", she strived for racial and gender diversity throughout trust.[2] She was succeeded in the role by Sir Hugh Taylor, a retired civil servant.[9]

Moberly's final public post was as a member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, to which she was appointed on 17 May 2012.[7][10] Due to her cancer diagnosis, she had stepped down from most of her other responsibilities, but also continued as a visitor at Brixton Prison.[2]