Health and Integration Policy Manager
CIPFA
Eleanor started her career in academia, completing a PhD and postdoctoral research in immunology and microbiology. In 2007, seeking a new challenge, she joined the Welsh Parliament, applying her scientific rigour to the scrutiny of public finance and the evidence-base behind all aspects of government finance policy. She joined CIPFA on secondment as research consultant in 2014, focusing on public finance policy across the devolved nations, in the run up to the Scottish independence referendum. On returning to the Welsh Parliament she focused on constitutional change, primarily related to the devolution of finance and taxation powers.
Given her biomedical background, Eleanor has maintained an interest in health and care, and in 2018, she returned to CIPFA to combine this with her experience of public finance policy, taking on the role of Health and Social Care Policy Manager. She leads on CIPFA’s policy work in this area, with particular interest in investment in prevention and integration of health and care.
As demand and financial pressures squeeze our public services, prevention is increasingly framed as a strategic priority. Yet, there remains confusion around exactly what this means. From a public finance perspective, prevention involves investing earlier to provide support before potential issues arise or problems escalate, aiming to improve long-term outcomes and support people to live well in their communities. Thus, reducing the likelihood, or severity, of demand for more reactive services. This panel session will explore the challenges of striking the right balance of preventative and reactive services, and how this is crucial to the resilience of public services.
