One of Europe's top units for health economics research has bolstered its expertise with two prestigious new appointments.
The Health Economics Research Unit (HERU) at the University of Aberdeen has a national remit within Scotland to research the best ways to provide health care, and to train those working in the health services in health economics. HERU leads with its research into workforce issues and the development of methodologies which quantify preferences and aspects of health care where there are no market prices.
The strengths of its research team have been consolidated with the two new staff members who both played key roles in the work of the Arbuthnott Committee which established the method for distributing resources to the health boards in Scotland.
Alasdair Munro joins HERU from the Scottish Executive Health Department where he was, until recently, the Senior Economist. Mr Munro brings to HERU his deep understanding of the Scottish health service and his considerable research experience into resource allocation and efficiency within the Scottish health service.
Mr Munro said: "I very much welcome the opportunity to work with the researchers at HERU on some of the key economic issues facing the NHS in Scotland. Health economics has a major contribution to make to the evidence-base that supports the development and evaluation of health service policies, and HERU has developed a range of research programmes which are very relevant to these policies."
Professor Matt Sutton has been appointed to a Chair in Health Economics at the Unit. Previously at the University of Glasgow, he has established an international reputation for his work on resource allocation, the economics of primary care and inequalities in health and health care.
Professor Sutton has recently been appointed to the committee established by the Scottish Executive to review the system of distributing resources to NHS Boards. He is also a member of the UK group reviewing the payment of general practices under the new contract between GPs and the NHS.
Professor Sutton said: "I am delighted to be joining the team of researchers at HERU who are making an important contribution to our understanding of workforce and performance issues in the NHS. With new contracts for all healthcare staff, devolved policy-making and unprecedented scrutiny of delivery by the NHS, this is a unique opportunity to inform research and policy."
Professor Bob Elliot, Director of HERU, added: At a time of unprecedented increases in expenditure on the health service these two appointments bring vital skills to HERU.
"The health service faces some daunting issues in deciding how to allocate resources over the next few years and as it seeks to explain and evidence how and where it has spent the additional resources. These are issues at the heart of the HERU research agenda."