Sheena Asthana

Research interests

Health services research; rural health & health care; health resource allocation; health inequalities policies; community-based strategies in health development (including HIV/AIDS); and equity and education.

 

Grants & contracts

R. Sheaff, J. Ovretveit, S, Peckham. R. Byng, M. Exworthy, S. Asthana. Integation and continuity in primary care: polyclinics and alternatives. NIHR (SDO), £414, 950, 2011-2014

S. Asthana, A. Gibson, T. Bailey, P. Hewson, C. Dibben, G. Moon. Equity of Access to Cardiac and Mental Health Services in England. NIHR Health Services Research Programme, £235,961, 2010-2012.

S. Asthana and J. Halliday. Evaluation of the Peninsula Cancer Network Project for raising Skin Cancer Awareness and Prevention. Peninsula Cancer Network, £29,643, 2009-10

S. Asthana, A. Gibson, J. Halliday, P. Hewson. Resource Allocation in Statutory Service Provision: an Assessment of the Police and Fire Formulae. Rural Services Partnership, £20,222,  2008.

S. Asthana, A. Gibson, T. Bailey, C. Dibbens. Developing a resource allocation formula at General Practice level based on individual patient characteristics (Person-Based Resource Allocation): Mental Health.  NIHR, Policy Research Programme, £191,216, 2008

A. Gibson and S. Asthana. Resource Allocation through the Local Government Finance Settlement: How Do Rural Areas Fare? Rural Services Partnership, £18,850, 2008.

C. Hyde, C. Meads, S. Bryan, P. Barton, D. Moore, C. Davenport, J, Parry, J. Deeks, J. Hawker, A. Fry-Smith, S. Bayliss, K. Stein, R. Andersen, N. Britten, R. Garside, S. Asthana, M. Somerville. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Centre for Public Health Excellence (CPHE) Public Health Collaborating Centre, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, £2,212,000; 2008-2011.

S. Asthana, A. Gibson, T. Bailey, C. Dibbens. The feasibility of developing an approach to Person Based Resource Allocation (PBRA) based on epidemiological data. NIHR, Policy Research Programme, £121,269, 2007.

A. Gibson and S. Asthana. NHS resource allocation: does West Sussex get its ‘fair share’? West Sussex County Council, £8,998, 2007.

A. Gibson, S. Asthana, J. Flowers. A review of the weighted capitation formula and its funding impact on Primary Care Trusts in the East of England SHA. East of England Strategic Health Authority, £16,171, 2007.

S. Asthana.  Meeting Health Needs in Rural Areas, Research Councils UK (Academic Fellowship), £125,000, 2005-10.

S. Asthana. Our City’s Health: developing Practical Tool-kits for policies to address Health Inequalities. Plymouth PCT Public Health Department, £20,000, 2003-2004.

S. Asthana, P. Brigham, J. Halliday, A. Gibson, I. Mackenzie, J. Dicker, G. Floyd, G. Moon. Review of the Effectiveness of measuring Rural Deprivation. South West Public Health Observatory, £24,934. 2001.

S. Asthana, A. Gibson, G. Moon, P. Brigham and J. Halliday. Health Resource Allocation: What Case can be made for Rurality?  Rural Health Allocations Forum, £59,214. 2001-2002.

S. Asthana, A. Gibson, J. Halliday, J. Dixon, G. Moon. Evaluation of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Health Action Zone, £438,751, 2000-2002.

S. Asthana, J. Chandler, J. Dixon and J. Halliday, Partnership Working in Plymouth HAZ, Plymouth HAZ, £65,000, 2000-2002.

S. Asthana, G. Moon, J. Dicker and A. Gibson.  Inequalities in Health Service Utilization at the General Practice Level. Economic and Social Research Council, £81,481. 1999-2001.

S. Asthana.  The additional costs of delivering health and social services in remote and rural areas. Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Health Authority, £16,500. 1999.

S. Asthana.  Health Needs and Service Deficiencies within Plymouth Health Action Zone. Plymouth Health Action Zone and University of Plymouth, £78,000. 1998-2001

A.. Gibson, S. Asthana and E. Wragg.  Parental Choice, Selection by Ability and a ‘Free Market’ in Education: Raising Educational Standards or the Social Polarization of Schools? The Nuffield Foundation. £39,700. 1997-1999.

S. Asthana and A. Gibson. GP Fundholding and the Provision of Primary Health Care: A Socio-Spatial Analysis. University of Plymouth, QR Funds, £18,000. 1996-1997.

S. Asthana.. Community Participation in HIV Prevention and Care in Madras. Nuffield Foundation, £1,540. 1993.

 

 

Publications

PUBLICATIONS SINCE 2000 INCLUDE:

Halliday, J. Asthana, S., Hewson, P., Gibson, A. Playing with fire: Limitations of the Big Society for an emergency service. Forthcoming in Public Policy and Administration.

Asthana, S. (2012. Allocation of NHS Resources: Tensions between healthcare equity and health equity must be debated. BMJ 2012; 344:e4133

Asthana, S. (2012). Lansley is right to say that age trumps poverty. Health Service Journal 17^th May, 2012.

Asthana, S. Gibson, A., Halliday, J. The medicalisation of health inequalities and the English NHS: the role of resource allocation. Forthcoming in Health Economics, Policy and Law.

Gibson, A, and Asthana, S. (2012): A Tangled Web: Complexity and Inequality in the English Local Government Finance Settlement, Local Government Studies, 38(3): 301-19. DOI:10.1080/03003930.2011.642947

Asthana, S. and Gibson, A. (2011). Setting health care capitations through diagnosis-based risk adjustment: a suitable model for the English NHS? Health Policy 101(2): 133-39.

Asthana, S., Gibson, A., Hewson, P., Bailey, T., Dibben, C. (2011). Devolved commissioning, population size and budgetary risk: evidence from the modelling of ‘fair share’ practice budgets for mental health. Journal of Health Services Research and Policy 16(2): 95-101.

Gibson, A. and Asthana, S. (2011). Resource allocation for English local government: a critique of the four block model. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A. 174(3): 1-18

Asthana, S. (2011). Liberating the NHS? A Commentary on the Langley White Paper, “Equity and Excellence”. Social Science and Medicine. 72: 815-820

Asthana, S., Gibson, A. (2010). Funding Implications for Rural PCTs of the new NHS Resource Allocation Methodology, in All Party Parliamentary Group on Rural Services, The implications of national funding formulae for rural health and education provision, Report, Written and Oral evidence. London, House of Commons.

Asthana, S., Halliday, J. and Gibson, A. (2009). Social exclusion and social justice: a rural perspective on resource allocation. Policy and Politics 37(2): 201-214.

Asthana S. (2009). Health and Development. In Kitchin R, Thrift N (eds) International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, Volume 1, pp. 28-34.Oxford: Elsevier

Asthana, S., Gibson, A., Bailey, T., Hewson, P., Dibben, C. (2009). Developing a Person Based Resource Allocation Formula for Setting Practice-Level Mental Health Budgets: 2009/10 and 2010/11. Report to the Department of Health (Policy Research Programme). University of Plymouth. 240pp.

Asthana, S. and Gibson, A. (2008). Deprivation, demography and the distribution of general practice: challenging the conventional wisdom of inverse care. British Journal of General Practice, 58 (555): 718-27.

Asthana, S. and Gibson, A. (2008). Health care equity, health equity and resource allocation: towards a normative approach to achieving the core principles of the NHS Radical Statistics 96:6-26.

Halliday, J. and Asthana, S. (2007). From evidence to practice: addressing health inequalities through Sure Start. Evidence and Policy 3(1): 33-45..

Asthana, S. and Halliday, J. (2006) What Works in Tackling Health Inequalities? Pathways, Policies and Practice through the Lifecourse. Bristol: Policy Press.

Asthana, S. and Halliday, J. (2006). Towards a new framework for evidence based public health: the analysis of ‘public health regimes’. The Milbank Quarterly 84(3): 577-603.

Richardson, S. and Asthana, S. (2006). Inter-agency information sharing in health and social care services: the role of professional culture. British Journal of Social Work 36 (4):657-669.

Asthana, S. and Gibson, A. (2006). The relationship between the funding formula, the allocation of funds to trusts and the size of their deficits or surpluses. In House of Commons Health Committee, NHS Deficits: Volume II, Written Evidence. London: The Stationery Office Limited, pp 152-159.

Asthana, S. and Gibson, A. (2005). Rationing in response to NHS deficits: rural patients are likely to be affected most. British Medical Journal 331: 1472.

Richardson, S. and Asthana, S. (2005). Policy and legal influences on inter-organisational information sharing in health and social care services. Journal of Integrated Care, 13(3): 3-10.

Halliday, J. and Asthana, S. (2005). Policy at the margins: developing community capacity in a rural Health Action Zone. Area 37(2):180-88.

Asthana, S. and Halliday, J. (2004). What can rural agencies do to address the additional costs of rural services? A typology of rural service innovation. Health and Social Care in the Community 12(6): 457-65.

Halliday, J., Asthana, S. & Richardson, S. (2004). Evaluating partnership: the role of formal assessment tools. Evaluation 10(3): 285-303.

Asthana, S., Gibson, A., Moon, G., Dicker, J. and Brigham, P. (2004). The demographic and social class basis of inequalities in morbidity: a comparison. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 58(4): 303-7.

Halliday, J. and Asthana, S.   (2004) Navigating complexity. The emergent role of the link worker. Journal of Inter-professional Care 18(1): 17-28.

Asthana, S., Gibson, A., Moon, G., Dicker, J. and Brigham, P. (2004). The pursuit of equity in NHS resource allocation: should morbidity replace utilisation as the basis for setting health care capitations? Social Science and Medicine, 58(3):539-551.

Asthana, S. (2004). Health policy and legislation relating to HIV/AIDS in India. In R. Akhtar (ed) India: Health Care Patterns and Planning. New Delhi, A.P.H. Publishing Corporation, pp 51-82.

Asthana, S. and Halliday, J. (2003). Intermediate care: its place in a whole systems approach. Journal of Integrated Care 11(6):15-24.

Asthana, S., Gibson, A., Moon, G. and Brigham, P. (2003) Allocating resources for health and social care: the significance of rurality. Health and Social Care in the Community, 11(6):486-93.

Gibson, A., Asthana, S., Brigham, P., Moon, G. and Dicker, J. (2002). Geographies of Need and the New NHS: Methodological Issues in the Definition and Measurement of the Health Needs of Local Populations. Health and Place, 8(1):47-60.

Asthana, S., Curtis, S., Duncan, C. and Gould, M. (2002). Themes in British health geography at the end of the century: a review of published research 1998-2000. Social Science and Medicine 55(1):167-73.

Asthana, S., Halliday, J. and Richardson, S. (2002). Partnership working in public policy provision: a framework for evaluation. Social Policy and Administration, 36: 780-95.

Halliday, J., Richardson, S. and Asthana, S. (2002). A role for Health Action Zones within Local Strategic Partnerships: lessons from the South-West. In Bauld, L. and Judge, K. Learning from Health Action Zones. Aeneas Ltd. pp 95-105.

Asthana, S. and Oostvogels, R. (2001) The Social Construction of Male-Male Sexual Activity in Madras: Implications for HIV Transmission and Prevention. Social Science and Medicine 52(5):707-721.

Gibson, A. and Asthana, S., (2000). What’s in a number? Commentary on Gorard and Fitz's 'Investigating the determinants of segregation between schools', Research Papers in Education, 15(2):133-153.

Gibson, A. and Asthana, S. (2000) Estimating the socio-economic characteristics of school populations using pupil postcodes and census data: an appraisal. Environment and Planning A, 32:1267-1285.

Gibson, A. and Asthana, S. (2000). Local markets and the polarization of schools in England and Wales. Transactions of the British Institute of Geographers, 25:303-319.

 

 

 

Reports & invited lectures

INVITED PRESENTATIONS SINCE 2000:

Asthana, S., Gibson, A. (2010). Funding implications for rural PCTs of the new NHS resource allocation methodology. Oral evidence presented to the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Rural Services. London, House of Commons, January 10th, 2010.

Asthana, S. (2007). Rural services: a matter of social justice? Paper presented to the Society of County Treasures, University of Warwick, 10th May, 2007.

Asthana, S. (2006). Social justice for the less usual suspects: does Labour care? Paper presented to the Socialist Health Association’s Labour Fringe event; Manchester, 25th September, 2006.

Asthana, S. (2006). Health care equity, health equity and resource allocation: clarifying the concepts. Paper presented to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence Citizens Council, NICE, London, 8th June, 2006.

Asthana, S. and Halliday, J. (2006). Health inequalities policies and interventions – What role can local agencies play? Paper presented to the NHS ‘Genesis in Health Care: New Frontiers’ Conference, Plymouth, 17th May, 2006.

Asthana, S. (2006). Equity in health provision: a fair deal for rural areas? Paper presented to the Rural Citizen: Governance, Culture and Wellbeing in the 21st Century conference, University of Plymouth, 9th April, 2006.

Asthana, S. (2005). Rural health and health care: what are the key issues?. Paper presented to the Devon Rural Network Autumn Event, ‘Focus on Health in Rural Areas’. Stoneleigh Court, Tiverton, 30th November, 2005.

Asthana, S. (2005). Rural finances, rural challenges and some rural solutions. Paper presented to the ‘Designing Remote and Rural Secondary Healthcare around the Needs of Children’ Conference. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. London, 3rd October, 2005.

Asthana, S. (2004). Rural deprivation, social need and fair access to services? Paper presented to ‘Developing and Delivering more Effective Rural Policy - Better Focusing Policy on Needs and Targets’. A QMW Public Policy Seminar. Royal Overseas League, London, 14th January, 2004.

Asthana, S. (2003). Health resource allocation: making the case for a rural premium. Paper presented to ‘Beyond the Rural Idyll: Implementing Mainstream Health Policies in a Rural Context’. A National Primary and Care Trust Development Programme (Natpact) event, Redworth Hall, Nr Darlington, 20th November, 2003.

Asthana, S. and Render, T. (2003). Analysis of rural deprivation, health status and links to the economy. Paper presented to ‘Health, Economy and the Rural Environment’. A South West Rural Affairs Forum Event. St Mellion, Cornwall, July 2nd, 2003.

Asthana, S. and Halliday, J. (2003). Learning about Partnership: Lessons from the South West HAZs. ‘Learning from Health Action Zones: Lessons from the HAZ evaluation to inform policy development locally and nationally’ meeting. London: Department of Health, 5th March, 2003.

Gibson, A. and Asthana, S. (2001). Resource Allocation Methodologies for the prevention and treatment of specific diseases: a critical review of the attribution and resource-weighting of condition-specific indicative prevalences. Paper presented to the Technical Advisory Group of the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, Department of Health, London, 22nd May, 2001.

Gibson, A., Halliday, J. and Asthana, S. (2001). Effectiveness of different measures of health deprivation, Paper presented to the Meeting of the South West Local Government Research Officers, Taunton, 27th April, 2001.

Gibson, A. and Asthana, S. (2000). Estimating the social composition of school populations: a postcode census method of profiling ‘non-contiguous populations’. Paper presented to the DfEE ‘Value Added and Funding Policies’ Seminar, London, 5th April, 2000.

 

SELECTED REPORTS SINCE 2000

 

Gibson, A. and Asthana, S. (2008). Needs based funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement: A Critique. Report to the Rural Services Partnership. RAE Consulting.

Asthana, S., Gibson, A., Bailey, T., Dibben, C., Hewson, P., Economou, T., Batchelor, D., Eastham, J., Craig, R., Scholes, S., Flowers, J., Jenner, D. (2008). Person Based Resource Allocation (PBRA): The Feasibility of Developing a Need-Based Approach to PBRA. Report to the Department of Health. University of Plymouth.

Asthana, S.. Gibson, A.. and Flowers, J. (2007). Review of the Weighted Capitation on behalf of East of England Strategic Health Authority. University of Plymouth. 63pp.

Brigham, P and Asthana, S. (2003). A Case Study of Assertive Outreach in Urban and Rural Areas of Cornwall and Devon. Report for the Rural Health Allocations Forum, January 2003. University of Plymouth.

Asthana, S. (2002). Intermediate Care in Cornwall: HAZ Evaluation Report. Report for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly HAZ Steering Group. November 2002. University of Plymouth.

Lunnen, M., Asthana, S. and Halliday, J. (2002). The Beacon Care Centre Project: Evaluation Report. Report for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly HAZ Steering Group, November, 2002, University of Plymouth.

Asthana, S and Brigham, P. (2002). NHS Resource Allocation: the Case for a Rural Premium. Report for Rural Health Allocations Forum, September, 2002, University of Plymouth.

Halliday, J., Richardson, S. & Asthana, S. (2002) Healthy Partnerships? Assessing progress in Two Health Action Zones. Report for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly HAZ Steering Group, July 2002, University of Plymouth.

Lunnen, M., Halliday, J. and Asthana, S. (2002). Healthy Towns Project: Evaluation Report. Report for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly HAZ Steering Group, July, 2002, University of Plymouth.

Lunnen, M., Halliday, J. and Asthana, S. (2002). The Pendeen Project: Evaluation Report. Report for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly HAZ Steering Group, July, 2002, University of Plymouth.

Asthana, S., Halliday, J. and Bennett, G. (2002). Programme Level Evaluation Reports: Children and Young People and Eldercare. Report for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly HAZ Steering Group, April 2002, University of Plymouth.

Asthana, S. and Halliday, J. (2002). Participation and Advocacy Project: Evaluation Report. Report for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly HAZ Steering Group, April, 2002, University of Plymouth.

Asthana, S., Gibson, A., Moon, G., Dicker, J. and Brigham, P. (2001). Practice level needs assessment: a comparison of different approaches using routine data. Series of unpublished reports for seven health authorities, University of Plymouth, May, 2001. 105pp.

Asthana, S., Halliday, J. Bennett, G., Butler, A. and May, N. (2001). Partnership working in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Health Action Zone: Emergent Themes. Report for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly HAZ Steering Group. University of Plymouth, February, 2001.

Richardson, S. and Asthana, S. (2001) Plymouth Health Action Zone Partnership Effectiveness Evaluation. Interim Report. July 2001. Plymouth: University of Plymouth.

Asthana, S. (2000). British Research in the Geography of Health: an Overview of Recent Developments. In the Millennium Report of the International Geographical Union (ed N Thrift and D Walling).

 

Conferences organised

Convenor, ‘Tackling Health Inequalities, an examination of current policy and practice’, Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society and Institute of British Geographers, University of Plymouth, January, 2001.

Convenor, 'International Perspectives on the Geography of Health’. 9th International Medical Geography Symposium, Montreal, 3rd-7th July 2000.

Convenor, 'Reflections on Health Geography on the Millennium'. Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society and the Institute of British Geographers, University of Sussex, January, 2000.

Convenor, ‘Gender, Health and Development’, Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society and the Institute of British Geographers, University of Leicester, January, 1999.

Convenor, ‘Geographical Implications of the NHS Reforms’, Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society and the Institute of British Geographers, University of Exeter, January 1997.

Convenor, ‘New Perspectives on the Geography of Health in a Changing World’, Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society and the Institute of British Geographers, University of Exeter, January 1997.

Convenor, Medical Geography, Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society and the Institute of British Geographers, 3-6th January, 1996, University of Strathclyde.

Convenor, Workshop on 'Current Debates in Health and Development', held at the Midsessional Conference of the IBG Medical Geography Study Group and the IGU Commission on Health, Environment and Development. 13-15th July, 1993, Crossmead Conference Centre, Exeter, UK.

Convenor, Midsessional Conference of the IBG Medical Geography Study Group and the IGU Commission on Health, Environment and Development. 13-15th July, 1993, Crossmead Conference Centre, Exeter, UK.