Team Dr Geoff Royston

Dr Geoff Royston

associate

Dr Geoff Royston is former head of strategic analysis and operational research in the Department of Health for England, where for almost two decades he was a senior civil servant and the professional lead for a group of some 40 health analysts. Following that he was a director of the UK Operational Research Society and its elected president for 2012 and 2013. He is now an independent analyst and consultant, and is an expert adviser to the Health Information for All (HIFA) network, an Associate of the Public Health Action Support Team (PHAST), and an adviser to the Health Foundation. He was an impact assessor for the UK Higher Education Funding Councils 2014 Research Excellence Framework.

Geoff has had a wide range of activities and responsibilities involving analysis, modelling and experiment to inform the design, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based policies and programmes. He has particular experience of modelling and understanding the behaviour of complex health care systems to improve their design and performance and in horizon scanning to help improve their robustness and resilience to emerging trends and potential challenges. He has a strong interest in and experience of developing the capabilities of others, up to and including Board level, in systems and futures thinking and in assessing and communicating risk.

He has also worked on information and communication technology in the health sector, and has been an adviser to OFCOM. He made the original proposal for the development of the telephone, internet and digital TV service “NHS Direct” and subsequently led its national launch and initial roll-out.