Preetpal Sooch is Head of Podiatry at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and a member of the Capital AHP Race Equality Board
Being a second-generation British Punjabi with a strong Sikh upbringing has shaped every part of who I am, as a person and as a healthcare professional. I grew up in a Punjabi Sikh diaspora, which gave me strong cultural roots at home, but I didn’t always feel a full sense of belonging in any setting. The world outside rarely reflected my background or experiences, and at school and in wider society, I didn’t often see others who looked like me or shared my culture. This contrast often made navigating my identity feel challenging, almost like living with two versions of myself that didn’t always fit neatly together. Over time though, what once felt conflicting became my greatest strength: an ability to connect with people from all walks of life, to understand cultural nuances, and to lead with compassion.
Like many South Asian families, mine would have loved to see me become a doctor or a dentist! Working part-time in a dental practice at 16 gave me my first real insight into the clinical world and helped me come out of myself a little at a young age. It exposed me to a whole new environment and laid the groundwork for my interest in caring for people.
I qualified in Podiatric Medicine and joined the HCPC Register in 2008, starting my journey at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust as a Band 5 Podiatrist. I specialised in wound care across both acute and community settings and later moved into a split Band 7 Governance and Wound Care Lead role, which opened my eyes to the wider pillars that make allied health professions strong: quality, leadership, education and research.
Over the years, I’ve progressed within the same Trust from an early-career clinical role to leading services as a senior clinician — each step was something I chose to put myself forward for, even when I didn’t feel certain I would succeed. As my career progressed, my upbringing taught me to work hard, serve others selflessly, and never shy away from responsibility. These are core Sikh values, and they are also the bedrock of the NHS. I often think that’s probably why I found myself drawn to this career, my personal values and the purpose of caring for others feel so closely aligned.
Today, my daily role blends strategic planning, personnel management, patient safety, and ensuring our services deliver the best care possible. I feel proud to lead an incredible team and to mentor others, hoping they too will seize opportunities — even when they feel out of reach.
Recently, I joined the Capital AHP Race Equality Board. Even though I’ve felt fortunate in my journey, I know that for many, barriers still exist, and being an AHP, a woman and a mother can often feel like an additional layer of underrepresentation. I want to use my platform to help ensure equal opportunities across all our professions, so everyone has the chance to grow and lead, regardless of their background.
I often reflect on how I never set out with the career ambition of becoming a Head of Profession, but each stepping stone came from staying open to new experiences, trusting the values my upbringing gave me, believing in myself, and relying on the community around me for support when things felt uncertain. I hope my story shows that we should never underestimate where our cultural strengths, self-belief and supportive communities can take us. I also hope it encourages future generations to feel confident bringing their whole selves to work and to know that they too belong in every part of healthcare.
As we celebrate South Asian Heritage Month, I feel proud to honour the contributions of our community across healthcare. Our heritage brings strength, empathy and a deep sense of service, qualities that make the care we provide stronger every day. For me, using our heritage and all that it brings is our superpower — and I hope we carry it forward with pride.
