Judith Smith is an experienced health services researcher and policy analyst who has studied health care organisation and management in the UK and internationally.
Before joining The Nuffield Trust in February 2009, Judith was based at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham for 14 years, where she carried out a programme of research and teaching on health commissioning and purchasing; the organisation and management of primary care; health management and leadership; and international health policy. For a number of years, Judith was director of the academic consortium providing the masters education programme for the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme.
Over the period 2007-2009, Judith spent two years working in New Zealand, based at the Health Services Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington. Judith’s research and policy analysis focused on evaluating the implementation and progress of major reforms of primary care in New Zealand. These reforms, set out in the Primary Health Care Strategy, have sought to reduce the cost of fees paid by patients when going to see their GP, as well as seeking to bring about significant changes to the ways in which general practice and other primary care services are organised and delivered within local communities.
The publication of three new research reports authored by Judith and other colleagues at the Victoria University of Wellington assess progress to date with implementation of these reforms and have been cited in a recent speech by the New Zealand Minister of Health, when announcing a new phase of primary care development.
Judith has published widely, including a book (with Nick Goodwin, 2006) exploring the international move towards more organised or managed primary care, and a textbook designed for health policy makers and managers Healthcare Management (with Kieran Walshe, 2006). She has recently completed her PhD thesis that explored the role of chief executives of health care organisations, with specific reference to the experience of women chief executives.
Selected publications:
Smith J & Thorlby R Giving GPs budgets for commissioning: what needs to be done? Nuffield Trust, June 2010.
Glasby J, Dickinson H, Smith J 'Creating NHS Local': The Relationship between English Local Government and the National Health Service Social Policy & Administration, vol 44, issue 3, pp244-264, May 2010.
Smith J, Curry N, Mays N & Dixon J, Where next for commissioning in the English NHS? Nuffield Trust, March 2010.
Smith J, Wide angle needed on NHS efficiency Healthcare Finance, November 2009.
Smith J Critical analysis of the implementation of the Primary Health Care Strategy implementation and framing of issues for the next phase Wellington: Health Services Research Centre, September 2009
Smith J, Cumming J Taking the Temperature of Primary Health Organisations: A Briefing Paper Wellington: Health Services Research Centre, September 2009.
Croxson B, Smith J, Cumming J Patient fees as a metaphor for so much more in New Zealand’s Primary Health Care System Wellington: Health Services Research Centre, September 2009.
Barnett P, Smith J, Cumming J The Roles and Functions of Primary Health Organisations Wellington: Health Services Research Centre, September 2009.
Smith JA Where next for primary care in New Zealand? New Zealand Doctor, 11 February 2009.
Lewis R, Smith JA and Harrison A (2009) From quasi-market to market in the National Health Service in England: what does this mean for purchasing of health services? Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, vol 14, no.1, pp44-51.
Smith JA and Mays N (2007) Primary care organisations in New Zealand and England: tipping the balance of the health system in favour of primary care? International Journal of Health Planning and Management, vol.22, pp3-19.
Smith JA and Ovenden C (2007) Developing integrated primary and community health services: what can we learn from the research evidence? Counties Manukau District Health Board and the Health Services Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington.
Smith JA and Sibthorpe B (2007) Divisions of general practice in Australia: how do they measure up in the international context? Australia and New Zealand Health Policy, vol4, no.15, and doi: 10.1186/1743-8462-4-15.
Smith JA and Goodwin N (2006) Towards managed primary care: the role and experience of primary care organisations Ashgate Publishing, Aldershot.
Walshe KMJ and Smith JA [eds] (2006) Healthcare Management Buckingham: Open University Press.
Peck EW, Dickinson H and Smith JA (2006) Transforming or transacting? The role of leaders in organisational transition British Journal of Leadership in Public Services, vol 2, issue 3, pp4-14.
Smith JA, Lewis R and Harrison A (2006) Making commissioning effective in the reformed NHS The Health Policy Forum, London.
Smith JA, Freeman T, Parker A, Parker H (2006) Options for primary care trust provider services: an evidence-based policy analysis for NHS West Midlands HSMC, Birmingham and Hempsons, London.
Dickinson H, Peck E and Smith JA (2006) Leadership in organisational transition: what can we learn from the research evidence? HSMC, Birmingham and the NHS Institute.
Glasby J, Smith JA, Dickinson H (2006) Creating ‘NHS local’: a new relationship between PCTs and local government? British Journal of Health Care Management, vol.12, no.12, pp377-378.
Peck E, Smith JA and Bevington J (2006) A bit of a blur? How to handle change Health Service Journal, vol116, no.5992, pp22-23.
Smith JA, Dixon J, Mays N, Goodwin N, Lewis R, McClelland S, McLeod H, Wyke S (2005) Practice-based commissioning: applying the evidence British Medical Journal, vol.331, 1397-1399.
Smith JA, Ham C and Parker H (2005) To market, to market: what future for primary care? Birmingham, Health Services Management Centre.
Smith JA, Mays N, Dixon J, Goodwin N, Lewis R, McClelland S, McLeod H, Wyke S (2004) A review of the effectiveness of primary care-led commissioning and its place in the UK NHS The Health Foundation, London.
Smith JA and Walshe KMJ (2004) Big business: the corporatization of primary care in the UK and the USA Public Money and Management, vol 24, no.2, pp87-96.