The Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) at the University of Birmingham and the Health Foundation are delighted to announce that Anita Charlesworth CBE, Director of Research and Economics at the Health Foundation, has been appointed to the title of Honorary Professor in the College of Social Sciences at the University of Birmingham.
We look forward to working together more closely on a range of teaching, research and executive education assignments. Professor Charlesworth will be providing specialist expertise to HSMC and the University of Birmingham in areas such as health and social care financing and funding, the economics of health reform, and future scenarios for public services in times of financial austerity. Anita will contribute to Masters teaching programmes at HSMC, health management and leadership education within clinical professional training in the University’s Medical School, and new certificate and diploma programmes designed for health and care managers and clinicians.
Anita will also lead regular policy and economics briefings for the Midlands health and care financial and general management community, building on prior workshops she has led with HSMC in Birmingham that have been warmly received by local health and care leaders. She will contribute expert advice to HSMC research studies, and assist with the preparation of policy-relevant research outputs.
Commenting on Anita’s appointment as Honorary Chair, Professor Judith Smith, Director of HSMC said: "We are delighted to welcome Anita to join the HSMC team, strengthening the excellent working relationship that we already have with our colleagues at the Health Foundation. As well as all the expertise and experience that Anita brings to HSMC, we are excited by the opportunities for our Birmingham team to work more closely with the researchers and analysts based at the Health Foundation, and to share in work to ensure that evidence-based insights from our research can be communicated effectively to policy makers in London and elsewhere."
On commenting on her new honorary appointment, Anita said: "I’m delighted to be joining the College of Social Sciences at the University of Birmingham as Honorary Chair. The Health Foundation is committed to bringing about better health and health care for people in the UK, and my new role will help bring together the skills and expertise of both organisations to help achieve this aim. I am particularly looking forward to contributing to Birmingham's excellent teaching programme in my new role, and look forward to working with the team at HSMC".
Anita Charlesworth joined the Health Foundation in 2014, where she is currently Director of Research and Economics. She was formerly Chief Economist at the Nuffield Trust for four years where she led the Trust’s work on health care financing and market mechanisms.
Anita was Chief Analyst and Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport from 2007 to 2010. Prior to this, she was Director of Public Spending at the Treasury from 1998-2007, where she led the team working with Sir Derek Wanless on his reform of NHS funding in 2002. Anita has a Masters in Health Economics from York University and has worked as an Economic Advisor in the Department of Health and for SmithKline Beecham pharmaceuticals in the UK and USA. She has been an non-executive director in the NHS at Islington PCT and the Whittingdon Health NHS Trust.
In 2016, Anita was the Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords’ Select Committee on the Long-term sustainability of the NHS, chaired by the Lord Patel KT. Anita is a Trustee of Tommy’s, the baby charity.