- Room 003, 10 Portland Villas, Drake Circus
- +44 1752 585753
- S.Asthana@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Professor Sheena Asthana
Professor
School of Law, Criminology and Government (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business)
Sheena can be contacted through arrangement with our Press Office, to speak to the media on these areas of expertise.
- Health services
- NHS
- Health inequalities
- Health resource allocation
- Local government funding
Email experts@plymouth.ac.uk to enquire.
Role
I have established a large programme of health policy and health services research, involving a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, collaboration across academic institutions, strong collaborative links with NHS constituencies, the use of extensive health service, public health and related datasets, and a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods. I have been an applicant on around £8 million of funded research projects, attracting over £1.6 million as a principal investigator. My research programme spans four broad areas: formula funding of English public services; health care equity; health inequalities and evidence based public health; and health services evaluation/knowledge mobilisation. My impact case study on the formula funding of public services was rated a 4* in REF 2014.I am active in public and third sector governance, sitting as a NED of NICE, a Trustee of Change, Grow, Live and a member of the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.
Qualifications
BA (Hons) in Geography. First Class (Congratulatory); St John’s College, Oxford, 1986
PhD in Community Medicine, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 1991
Roles on external bodies
2017- Member, Advisory Committee onResource Allocation (ACRA) (DH)
2017- Member, Commissioning Panel,Policy Research Programme (DH)
2017- Trustee, Change Grow Live(national charity)
2016- Non Executive Director, NationalInstitute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (DH)
2014-17 Member of the Technical AdvisoryGroup (TAG) to the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) (DH)
2014- Member of the Advisory Group to‘The Project’ (NGO providing mental health support to children and youngpeople)
2014- Panel Member (Funding),Devon Community Foundation
2014- Steering Group Member, RuralEngland.
2012-15 Council Member, Royal Society forPublic Health
2012-15 Trustee, Plymouth Age Concern
2011-15 Member, Commissioning Panel, PolicyResearch Programme (DH)
2011-12 Member, Community Organisers andCommunity First Expert Reference Group (Cabinet Office)
2007-13 Member, Audit and Risk Committee,Commission for Rural Communities
2006-13 Board Member, Commission for RuralCommunities (DEFRA)
2006-2008 Member, Policy and Management Group, Devon Rural Network
2006-2008 Member, Rural Practice Standing Group, Royal Collegeof General Practitioners
2005-2006 Board Member, Countryside Agency (DEFRA)
2003-2006 Advisory Editor, Social Science and Medicine
2001-2003 Technical Advisor. Rural HealthAllocations Forum
2000-2002 Member, Cornwall & Isles of ScillyHealth Action Zone Steering Group
1999-2002 Chair, Geography of Health Research Groupof the Royal Geographical Society and the Institute of BritishGeographers
1999 Visiting Lecturer, University of Turkku, Finland
1998-2002 Member, Plymouth Health Action ZoneEvaluation & Research Board
1997-2000 Book Reviews Editor, Health and Place
1996-1999 Secretary & Treasurer, Geography ofHealth Research Group of the Royal Geographical Society and the Institute of British Geographers
1995-2008 Member, Editorial Board, Health and Place
Teaching interests
Health policy; Social Justice; International Social Policy; Globalisation and health; Sustainability
Staff serving as external examiners
External Examiner (PhD), IDS, University of Sussex, 2013.
External Examiner (PhD), Northumbria University, 2011.
External Examiner (PhD), Department of Geography & Geosciences, University of St Andrews, 2008.
External Examiner (PhD), Department of Geography, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, May, 2000.
External Examiner (PhD), Dept of Urban Planning and Development, South Bank University, May 1999.
Research interests
- Formula funding
- NHS resource allocation
- Health care inequalities
- Health inequalities
- Community-based strategies in health development (including HIV/AIDS)
- Evaluation
Other research
Public service funding; police formula; local government funding; social care funding; evaluation
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
P. Evans: Urban Mosquitoes and Measures for their Control in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Awarded 1995; ESRC funded.
P. Vong-Ek. Factors Affecting the Incidence and Duration of Breastfeeding in Thailand: Implications for Health Promotion. Awarded 2000. WHO funded.
S. Burley. Changing Childbirth: the Role of Antenatal Services. Awarded 2004. University Scholarship, University of Plymouth.
S. Richardson.The Challenge of Interagency Information Sharing. A Systemic Analysis of Two Sure Start Children's Centres. Awarded 2007, ESRC funded
E. Williams. Non-Governmental Organizations and HIV/AIDS in Kolkata, India: A Discursive Analysis of Policy and Programming. Awarded 2009. ESRC funded.
Grants & contracts
2018 R.Byng, S. Asthana. Evaluation of the organisational integrationand implementation of new care models in South Devon and Torbay – using aresearcher in residence model; £320,244; Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust,2018-2020
2018 K.Husk, S. Asthana, R Byng. VCSE Cornwall Social Prescribing Evaluation.£14,985; South West ASHN. 2018-20.
2018 S Asthana and A Gibson. Children's services research project forMHCLG. LG Futures/MHCLC, £19,800; March 2018-February 2019.
2017 R.Jones, S. Asthana, M. Phillips. Innovation in Healthy Ageing EuropeanRegional Development Fund, £81,982; September 2017-August 2018.
2017 M.Paisey, R. Jones, S. Asthana et al. E-HealthProductivity and Innovation in Cornwall (EPIC). European Regional DevelopmentFund, £ 2,730,513; May 2017-April 2020.
2016 S. Asthana, A. Gibson, P. Hewson. Fair funding for rural policing.National Rural Crime Network, £30,931; May-August, 2016
2016 B.Benjamin, S. Asthana, R. Byng. How can multiple initiatives for integratedcare improve experience and outcomes for patients with multiple long termconditions in the Torbay and South Devon area? Torbay Medical Research Fund,£161,286; 2016-2018
2016 B.Benjamin, S. Asthana, R. Byng. Evaluation of new system model anddevelopment of system wide evaluation framework. £50,000; Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust, 2016-2017
2015 R.Sheaff, P. Allen, J. Clark, R. Mannion, S.Asthana, A. Gibson, J. Halliday. DiverseHealthcare Providers: Behaviour in response to commissioners, patients andinnovations, NIHR PRP, £482,758, 2015-17.
2014 S. Asthana. Review of the Police Funding Formula. Police & CrimeCommissioners Treasurers’ Society. £4,000. 2014.
2011 R.Sheaff, J. Ovretveit, S, Peckham. R. Byng, M. Exworthy, S. Asthana. Integation and continuity in primary care: polyclinicsand alternatives. NIHR (SDO), £414, 950, 2011-2014
2011 S. Asthana, A. Gibson, T. Bailey, P.Hewson, C. Dibben, G. Moon. Equity ofAccess to Cardiac and Mental Health Services in England. NIHR (Health ServicesResearch Programme), £279,517, 2011-2014.
2009 S. Asthana and J. Halliday. Evaluation of the Peninsula Cancer NetworkProject for raising Skin Cancer Awareness and Prevention. Peninsula CancerNetwork, £29,643, 2009-10
2008 S.Asthana, A. Gibson, J. Halliday, P. Hewson. Resource Allocation inStatutory Service Provision: an Assessment of the Police and Fire Formulae. RuralServices Partnership, £20,222, 2008.
2008 S.Asthana, A. Gibson, T. Bailey, C. Dibbens. Developing a resource allocation formula at GeneralPractice level based on individual patient characteristics (Person-BasedResource Allocation): Mental Health. NIHR (Policy Research Programme), £191,216, 2008
2008 A.Gibson and S. Asthana. ResourceAllocation through the Local Government Finance Settlement: How Do Rural AreasFare? RuralServices Partnership, £18,850, 2008.
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 forPublic Health Excellence (CPHE) Public Health Collaborating Centre, National Institute forHealth and Clinical Excellence, £2,212,000; 2008-2011.
2007 S. Asthana, A.Gibson, T. Bailey, C. Dibbens. The feasibility of developing an approach to Person BasedResource Allocation (PBRA) based on epidemiological data.NIHR (Policy Research Programme), £121,269, 2007.
2007 A.Gibson and S. Asthana. NHS resource allocation: does West Sussex get its ‘fair share’? West Sussex County Council, £8,998,2007.
2007 A.Gibson, S. Asthana, J. Flowers. A review of the weighted capitation formula and itsfunding impact on Primary Care Trusts in the East of England SHA. East of England Strategic Health Authority,£16,171, 2007.
2005 S.Asthana. MeetingHealth Needs in Rural Areas, Research Councils UK (Academic Fellowship), £125,000,2005-10.
2003 S. Asthana. Our City’s Health: developing Practical Tool-kits for policies toaddress Health Inequalities. Plymouth PCT Public Health Department,£20,000, 2003-2004.
2001 S. Asthana, P. Brigham, J. Halliday, A.Gibson, I. Mackenzie, J. Dicker, G. Floyd, G. Moon. Review of the Effectiveness of measuring Rural Deprivation. SouthWest Public Health Observatory, £24,934. 2001.
2001 S. Asthana, A. Gibson, G. Moon, P.Brigham and J. Halliday. Health ResourceAllocation: What Case can be made for Rurality? Rural Health Allocations Forum, £59,214.2001-2002.
2000 S. Asthana, A. Gibson, J. Halliday, J.Dixon, G. Moon. Evaluation of the Cornwall and Isles ofScilly Health Action Zone, £438,751, 2000-2002.
2000 S. Asthana, J. Chandler, J. Dixon andJ. Halliday, Partnership Working in Plymouth HAZ, PlymouthHAZ, £65,000, 2000-2002.
1999 S. Asthana, G. Moon, J. Dicker and A.Gibson. Inequalities in Health Service Utilization at the General PracticeLevel. Economic and Social Research Council, £81,481. 1999-2001.
1999 S. Asthana. The additional costs ofdelivering health and social services in remote and rural areas. Cornwall and Isles ofScilly Health Authority, £16,500. 1999.
1998 S. Asthana. HealthNeeds and Service Deficiencies within Plymouth Health Action Zone. PlymouthHealth Action Zone and University of Plymouth, £78,000.1998-2001
1997 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? TheNuffield Foundation. £39,700. 1997-1999.
1996 S.Asthana and A. Gibson. GP Fundholdingand the Provision of Primary Health Care: A Socio-Spatial Analysis. University of Plymouth, QR Funds, £18,000. 1996-1997.
1993 S.Asthana.. Community Participation inHIV Prevention and Care in Madras.Nuffield Foundation, £1,540. 1993.
Research groups
- Health
- IHC Health Technology
- Social and Public Policy
- VOYAGE: Rural and urban ageing and health inequalities
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
2020
'eHealth technologies and the know-do gap: exploring the role of knowledge mobilisation'
Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice
, DOI
PEARL
2020
'Capturing the Role of Context in Complex System Change: An Application of the Canadian Context and Capabilities for Integrating Care (CCIC) Framework to an Integrated Care Organisation in the UK'
International Journal of Integrated Care
, DOI
PEARL
2020
'Capturing the role of context in complex system change: an application of the Canadian Context and Capabilities for Integrating Care (CCIC) Framework to the English Context'
International Journal of Integrated Care.
, DOI
PEARL
2019
'Why does the NHS struggle to adopt eHealth innovations? A review of macro, meso and micro factors'
BMC Health Services Research
, DOI
PEARL
2019
'Does a social prescribing ‘holistic’ link-worker for older people with complex, multi-morbidity improve well-being and frailty and reduce health and social care use and costs? A 12-month before and after evaluation'
Primary Health Care Research and Development
, DOI
PEARL
2019
'Does a social prescribing ‘holistic’ link-worker for older people with complex, multi-morbidity improve well-being and frailty and reduce health and social care use and costs? A 12-month before and after evaluation'
Primary Health Care Research and Development
, DOI
PEARL
2019
'Repositioning the Boundaries between Public and Private Healthcare Providers in the English NHS'
Journal of Health Organization and Management
, DOI
PEARL
2019
'Reflections on the Researcher-in-Residence model co-producing knowledge for action in an Integrated Care Organisation: a mixed methods case study using an impact survey and field notes'
Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice
15,
(2)
197-215
, DOI
PEARL
2018
'Social prescribing: where is the evidence? Commissioned editorial'
British Journal of General Practice
69,
(678)
6-7
, DOI
PEARL
2018
'The National Health Service (NHS) in 'crisis': the role played by a shift from horizontal to vertical principles of equity'
Health Economics, Policy and Law
1-17
, DOI
PEARL
2018
'The National Health Service (NHS) in 'crisis': the role played by a shift from horizontal to vertical principles of equity'
Health Economics, Policy and Law
, DOI
PEARL
2017
'Collaborative action for person-centred coordinated care (P3C): an approach to support the development of a comprehensive system-wide solution to fragmented care'
Health Research Policy and Systems
, DOI
PEARL
2017
'Bridging the discursive gap between lay and medical discourse in care coordination'
Sociology of Health and Illness
39,
(6)
, DOI
PEARL
2016
'Inequity in cardiovascular care in the English National Health Service (NHS): a scoping review of the literature'
Health & Social Care in the Community
, DOI
PEARL
2016
'A qualitative study of diverse providers' behaviour in response to commissioners, patients and innovators in England: research protocol'
BMJ Open
, DOI
PEARL
2016
'Equity of utilisation of cardiovascular care and mental health services in England: a cohort-based cross-sectional study using small-area estimation'
Health Services and Delivery Research
4,
(14)
1-712
, DOI
PEARL
2015
'Integration and Continuity of Primary Care: Polyclinics and Alternatives, a Patient-Centred Analysis of How Organisation Constrains Care Coordination'
Health Services and Delivery Research
3,
(35)
1-150
, DOI
PEARL
2015
'Integration and Continuity of Primary Care: Polyclinics and Alternatives, a Patient-Centred Analysis of How Organisation Constrains Care Coordination'
Health Services and Delivery Research
3,
Publisher Site
PEARL
2013
'Policy Analytics Need More Than A Spreadsheet: A case study in funding formulae'
Annals of Operational Research
, DOI
2013
'Playing with fire: Limitations of the Big Society for an emergency service'
Public Policy and Administration
28,
(3)
290-305
Publisher Site
2013
'Playing with fire: Limitations of the Big Society for an emergency service'
Public Policy and Administration
28,
(3)
2013
'Acute care: The real reason for 'failing' hospitals'
Health Serv J
123,
(6343)
20-22
2013
'Francis and funding: an explanation for ‘failing’ hospitals'
Health Services Journal
2012
'Playing with fire: Limitations of the Big Society for an emergency service'
Public Policy & Administration
28,
(3)
, DOI
2012
'Lansley is right: age trumps poverty'
Health Serv J
122,
(6306)
16-17
2012
'The medicalisation of health inequalities and the English NHS: the role of resource allocation'
Health Economics, Policy and Law
, DOI
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
2011
'Setting health care capitations through diagnosis-based risk adjustment: a suitable model for the English NHS'
Health Policy
101,
, DOI
2011
'General practitioner commissioning consortia and budgetary risk: evidence from the modelling of 'fair share' practice budgets for mental health'
J Health Serv Res Policy
16,
(2)
95-101
, DOI
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
2011
'Resource allocation for English local government: a critique of the four-block model'
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY SERIES A-STATISTICS IN SOCIETY
174,
529-546
, DOI
2010
'Liberating the NHS? A Commentary on the Langley White Paper, “Equity and Excellence”'
Social Science and Medicine
72,
(6)
815-820
, DOI
2009
'Social exclusion and social justice: a rural perspective on resource allocation'
Policy and Politics
37,
(2)
201-214
, DOI
2008
'Deprivation, demography, and the distribution of general practice: challenging the conventional wisdom of inverse care'
Br J Gen Pract
58,
(555)
720-728
, DOI
2008
'Deprivation, demography and the distribution of general practice: challenging the conventional wisdom of inverse care'
British Journal of General Practice
58,
(555)
718-727
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
2007
'From evidence to practice: addressing health inequalities through Sure Start'
Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice
3,
(1)
31-45
, DOI
2006
'A formula for unfairness'
Health Serv J
116,
(6032)
18-19
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
, DOI
2006
'Developing an evidence base for policies and interventions to address health inequalities: the analysis of "public health regimes"'
Milbank Q
84,
(3)
577-603
, DOI
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
2005
'Rationing in response to NHS deficits: rural patients are likely to be affected most'
BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL
331,
(7530)
1472-1472
, DOI
2005
'Policy and Legal Influences on Inter‐Organisational Information Sharing in Health and Social Care Services'
Journal of Integrated Care
13,
(3)
3-10
, DOI
2005
'Policy at the margins: developing community capacity in a rural Health Action Zone'
AREA
37,
(2)
180-188
, DOI
2005
'Rationing in response to NHS deficits: rural patients are likely to be affected most'
British Medical Journal
331,
(7530)
1472-1472
2004
'What can rural agencies do to address the additional costs of rural services? A typology of rural service innovation'
Health Soc Care Community
12,
(6)
457-465
, DOI
2004
'The demographic and social class basis of inequality in self reported morbidity: an exploration using the Health Survey for England'
J Epidemiol Community Health
58,
(4)
303-307
, DOI
2004
'The emergent role of the link worker: a study in collaboration'
J Interprof Care
18,
(1)
17-28
, DOI
2004
'The pursuit of equity in NHS resource allocation: should morbidity replace utilisation as the basis for setting health care capitations?'
Soc Sci Med
58,
(3)
539-551
, DOI
2004
'The demographic and social class basis of inequality in self reported morbidity: an exploration using the Health Survey for England'
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
58,
(4)
303-307
2004
'The pursuit of equity in NHS resource allocation: should morbidity replace utilisation as the basis for setting health care capitations?'
Social Science & Medicine
58,
(3)
539-551
2003
'Intermediate Care: Its Place in a Whole‐Systems Approach'
Journal of Integrated Care
11,
(6)
15-24
, DOI
2003
'Allocating resources for health and social care: the significance of rurality'
Health Soc Care Community
11,
(6)
486-493
, DOI
2003
'Allocating resources for health and social care: the significance of rurality'
Health & Social Care in the Community
11,
(6)
486-493
2002
'Partnership working in public policy provision: A framework for evaluation'
SOCIAL POLICY & ADMINISTRATION
36,
(7)
780-795
, DOI
2002
'Understanding social polarization: A possible research agenda'
Research Papers in Education
17,
(4)
414-415
2002
'Themes in British health geography at the end of the century: a review of published research 1998–2000'
Social Science & Medicine
55,
(1)
167-173
, DOI
2002
'Geographies of need and the new NHS: methodological issues in the definition and measurement of the health needs of local populations'
HEALTH & PLACE
8,
(1)
47-60
, DOI
2002
'Geographies of need and the new NHS: methodological issues in the definition and measurement of the health needs of local populations'
Health & Place
8,
(1)
47-60
2001
'The social construction of male 'homosexuality' in India: implications for HIV transmission and prevention'
Soc Sci Med
52,
(5)
707-721
, DOI
2000
'Estimating the socioeconomic characteristics of school populations with the aid of pupil postcodes and small-area census data: An appraisal'
Environment and Planning A
32,
(7)
1267-1285
, DOI
2000
'Local markets and the polarization of public-sector schools in England and Wales'
Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers
25,
(3)
303-319
, DOI
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
, DOI
1999
'The geography of fundholding in southwest England: implications for the evolution of primary care groups'
Health Place
5,
(4)
271-278
, DOI
1998
'Schools, Pupils and Examination Results: contextualising school ‘performance‘'
British Educational Research Journal
24,
(3)
269-282
, DOI
1998
'School performance, school effectiveness and the 1997 white paper'
Oxford Review of Education
24,
(2)
195-210
, DOI
1996
'Community participation in HIV prevention: problems and prospects for community-based strategies among female sex workers in Madras'
Soc Sci Med
43,
(2)
133-148
, DOI
1996
'Women's health and women's empowerment: a locality perspective'
Health & Place
2,
(1)
1-13
, DOI
1996
'AIDS-related policies, legislation and programme implementation in India'
Health Policy Plan
11,
(2)
184-197
, DOI
1995
'Variations in poverty and health between slum settlements: Contradictory findings from Visakhapatnam, India'
Social Science & Medicine
40,
(2)
177-188
, DOI
1994
'Integrated slum improvement in Visakhapatnam, India'
Habitat International
18,
(1)
57-70
, DOI
0
'A Tangled Web: Complexity and Inequality in the English Local Government Finance Settlement'
Local Government Studies
Letters
Books
2006
What Works in Tackling Health Inequalities?.
The Policy Press
2006
What works in tackling health inequalities?: Pathways, policies and practice through the lifecourse.
Chapters
2009
'Health and Development'
in Kitchin R; Thrift N
International Encyclopedia of Human Geography
Oxford
Elsevier
28-34
Reports
2018
Diverse Healthcare Providers: Behaviour in response to commissioners, patients and innovations.
National Institute for Health Research Policy Research Programme
PEARL
2016
Police Funding Arrangements in Engand and Wales: Report to the NRCN.
National Rural Crime Network
PEARL
2012
Variations in Access to Social Care for Vulnerable Older People in England: Is there a Rural Dimension?.
Variations in Access to Social Care for Vulnerable Older People in England: Is there a Rural Dimension?
Commission for Rural Communities
London
Commission for Rural Communities
2009
Developing a Person Based Resource Allocation Formula for Setting Practice-Level Mental Health Budgets: 2009/10 and 2010/11.
Department of Health, Policy Research Programme
2009
Resource Allocation in Statutory Service provision: an assessment of the police and fire formulae.
Rural Services Partnership
2008
Person Based Resource Allocation (PBRA): The Feasibility of Developing a Need-Based Approach to PBRA.
Department of Health, Policy Research Programme
Posters
Other Publications
2016
What Causes Stress in Social Work?.
0
0
0
Funding Implications for Rural PCTs of the new NHS Resource Allocation Methodology.
0
0
Other academic activities
Expert witness or consultancy work
External expert, National Audit Office, Landscape Review on Formula Funding, 2011. Written and oral evidence presented to the All Party Parliamentary Group (Rural Services) Enquiry on Resource Allocation, 9th February, 2010. External expert, DEFRA Evidence Investment Strategy, 2009. Written and oral evidence presented to the Health Select Committee’s Inquiry on NHS Deficits, 19th October, 2006 Technical Advisor on Resource Allocation to Rural Health Allocation Project Team, 2001-2003.