Meet The Founder,
Dr. Naila Hina Ansari.
A LIFE’S WORK DEDICATED TO CARE, SAFETY AND HUMAN DIGNITY
From Medicine to Housing with Purpose
For over 25 years, Naila served in roles spanning the NHS, corporate health leadership, national diagnostics innovation and venture-backed healthcare strategy. Her career has always centred on protecting vulnerable people, reducing risk, and improving lives.
Through her frontline GP work, she repeatedly witnessed the connection between health and housing. Many patients could not stabilise their health because they lacked safe, suitable homes. This shaped the foundation of Latitude Croydon Ltd.
Early Career Journey
1991–1995
Medical Training,
West Middlesex University Hospital
Naila trained across paediatrics, obstetrics, general medicine, emergency care and women’s health, gaining early experience in complex, high-pressure environments and learning the essential relationship between safety and wellbeing.
1995–1997
NHS Pilot - Valley Park Health Living Centre, Croydon
Naila was selected to help establish one of the NHS’s earliest integrated primary care pilots in Croydon. The project served over 2,000 new social housing units built next to an industrial estate with no existing healthcare provision.
Starting from a temporary portakabin, she helped build a new GP practice that grew into a fully integrated Health Living Centre, delivering GP services, social services and a nursing hub. This work cemented her belief that communities cannot thrive without both safe homes and accessible healthcare.
Corporate and Strategic Leadership
1997–2001
Occupational Health Director, Marks & Spencer
Naila became the Occupational Health Director overseeing the health and safety of 50,000 employees and providing clinical governance to the Board.
1998–2001
Selected for M&S + DuPont Venture Capital Health Pilot
She was scouted by the Board of Directors to help design the first M&S venture capital healthcare initiative, in partnership with DuPont in the USA. The project aimed to deliver integrated health services through M&S stores; an early precursor to wellness-in-retail models. Although the project did not proceed due to economic changes, it expanded her expertise in innovation, health strategy and commercial development.
2001-2014
National Occupational Health Provider, IKEA UK
Naila won the competitive tender to design and deliver the national occupational health framework for IKEA UK, serving 6,000 employees. She created a policy and risk management structure that significantly reduced health-related staff absence and illness.
NHS Innovation and Leadership
2007-2016
General Practitioner & Vice-Chair, Croydon CCG
As an NHS GP caring for almost 3,000 patients, she pioneered digital services, advanced telehealth adoption and helped modernise primary care.
2008
HSJ Award - Community Diagnostics
She led the UK’s first community diagnostics model, bringing ultrasound, echocardiography and MRI directly into GP practices. This innovation created a new interface between primary and secondary care and achieved national recognition.
Founding Latitude Croydon Ltd
2015
With decades of experience building services, protecting people and strengthening communities, Naila founded Latitude Croydon Ltd to meet an urgent social need: many vulnerable individuals were living in unsafe, unsuitable or inaccessible housing.
Latitude was her answer; a company committed to dignity, safety and human-centred accommodation.
Today
Under her leadership, Latitude has grown into one of London’s leading providers of accessible and adapted homes. The company remains anchored in the values she carried throughout her medical career: integrity, compassion, safeguarding and purpose.
