Professor Nicholas Mays is Professor of Health Policy and Head of the Health Services Research Unit at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine where he has been since 2003. He has a background in social policy and policy analysis, and has particular expertise and experience in the evaluation and development of primary health care policy in England and New Zealand, including budget holding by primary care organisations and the extended role of primary care providers.

He is currently scientific coordinator of the Department of Health-funded Health Reforms Evaluation Programme which aims to evaluate the impact of two sets of major reforms of the English NHS: firstly, the market-related reforms post-2002; and secondly, the changes following the Next Stage Review, ‘High quality care for all’. He also has experience as a policy advisor, having worked full time from 1998 to 2003 as principal health policy advisor to the New Zealand Treasury. He continues to advise the NZ Ministry of Health on health system strategy. From 1994 to 1998 he was Director of Health Services Research at the King’s Fund, London. Overall he has almost 30 years’ experience in health services research and policy evaluation.