Anita Charlesworth

Anita Charlesworth is the Director of Research and Economics at the Health Foundation and Honorary Professor in the College of Social Sciences at the Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) at the University of Birmingham.

Before joining the Health Foundation in May 2014, Anita was Chief Economist at the Nuffield Trust (2010-14) where she led the Trust’s work on health care financing and market mechanisms. Prior to that she had roles as Chief Analyst and Chief Scientific Advisor at DCMS (2007-10), Director of Public Spending at the Treasury (1998-2007), where she led the team working with Sir Derek Wanless on his 2002 reform of NHS funding and worked as an Economic Advisor at DH and for SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals. Anita has worked as a non-executive director in the NHS – for Islington PCT (2007-2011) and The Whittington Hospital (2011-2016). She was a specialist advisor to the House of Lords’ select committee on the long-term sustainability of the NHS.

Anita has an MSc in Health Economics from the University of York and is a Trustee of Tommy’s, the baby charity. She was awarded a CBE in The Queen’s 2017 Birthday Honours List for Services to Economics and Health Policy.