The Nuffield Trust was saddened to learn that our former fellow Clive Smee died last week. Chief Economic Adviser and Head of Analytical Services at the Department of Health from 1984 to 2002, Clive was the recipient of a Nuffield Trust Fellowship allowing him to write the 2005 book, Speaking truth to power: two decades of analysis in the Department of Health.
Commenting, Nuffield Trust Chair Andy McKeon CBE said:
“Clive was an exceptional economist who inspired a generation of health economists and policy researchers, including many here at the Nuffield Trust. His insights and perspectives drew on his vast experience within the Department of Health, where he served during a particularly turbulent phase for the NHS and its reform.
“Many of the issues Clive focused on in his book are as relevant to the NHS today as they were 15 years ago – ensuring funding is distributed efficiently in the NHS, measuring health system performance, providing the right incentives based on the best evidence, and managing the complex and often fraught relationships between ministers, civil servants, health care professionals, and NHS managers.
“Clive will be sorely missed by his family, friends and former colleagues. It was always a pleasure to see him at the Nuffield Trust’s annual summit where his lively companionship and well-founded comments were very welcome.”