The Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences has recently announced a new International Advisory Board (IAB) to provide independent advice and international perspectives to support the Department’s Strategy 2025-2030.
The Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences is responsible for developments in academic primary care, with an emphasis on research and education. Established in 1997 with the appointment of Professor Godfrey Fowler OBE to a Personal Chair in General Practice, the department has since grown to contain more than 500 members of staff. It aims to deliver innovative approaches to primary health care both within the UK and internationally.
The IAB has been established to support the overarching goal of extending the Department’s innovation. Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh, Head of the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, told Cherwell: “Primary care and global health are changing rapidly, and we believe an independent, international perspective strengthens our ability to respond responsibly and effectively. Our International Advisory Board (IAB) has been established to operate as a ‘critical friend’ offering a constructive challenge at a key stage in our development.”
The Department’s Strategy 2025-2030 aims to shift health policy towards a community-based primary care approach, particularly for those living with long-term conditions such as diabetes, chronic respiratory problems, and mental health disorders. Personalised care in the form of personal health management is key to the Strategy’s goal of reducing health inequalities. An environmentally-friendly and sustainable model of care is equally important in the department’s strategy, with an emphasis on support from AI capabilities and digital infrastructure.
Professor Sheikh told Cherwell: “The world is transitioning to primary care-based models of healthcare as governments strive to achieve equitable universal health coverage. From parts of the world with more developed national health systems, it is now clear that primary care is often where pressures on health systems first appear. Drawing on experience across different countries and systems will help us anticipate trends earlier and align our research and education accordingly.
“The IAB’s role is advisory rather than operational, but it will help ensure our work remains relevant to practice and policy – globally. By providing independent scrutiny, we hope that they will support our aims of translating research into real improvements in care quality, equity, and health outcomes. We also hope that they will help provide important insights into key opportunities to enhance our educational offerings to our undergraduate and postgraduate students.”
The board of the IAB is chaired by Victor J. Dzau, President of the National Academy of Medicine. Members of the board include David Bates and Ajay Singh of Harvard Medical School; Jenny Harries, former Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency; Paul Little of the University of Southampton; and Mairi Gibbs, the CEO of Oxford University Innovation. The board will hold its first meeting in April 2026 and will meet regularly to provide strategic advice to the Department’s leadership.
.){kind=link}