Martin Connor

Martin Connor is presently a Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice.  These fellowships are delivered by the Commonwealth Fund and support mid-career physicians and health service managers and researchers to study in the US.  During his time at CHP/PCOR Martin will be studying integrated care and its potential to contribute to the delivery system aspects of Health Reform as well as maintaining long standing interests in policy developments in the UK and developments in physician leadership and accountability.

Prior to starting the fellowship, Martin was Director of the Trafford Integrated Care Organisation Programme in the UK NHS, as the follow on to his role as Deputy Chief Executive at Trafford PCT in Manchester, England.

Before this, he worked from 2005-08 as special policy adviser to the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, leading the development of national policy at Permanent Secretary and ministerial level.  He went on to lead the reform programme and established the Service Delivery Unit in Northern Ireland.  This transformed waiting times for elective assessment and treatment, increased the involvement of clinical professionals in decision making and the developed a novel, high frequency, patient level information base to support strategic decision making.

Between 2002 - 2005, he was Associate Director (Health Reform) for the Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority.  He co-authored the strategy for GMSHA, which led to the area moving from 'special measures' to 'high performing' within 2 years.  This strategy included the first health authority-wide demand management system in the NHS that was commended by the Audit Commission.

In his twenties, he studied classical and linguistic philosophy following the award of a studentship from Durham University where he received his doctorate in 2001.  He joined the NHS on the graduate management training programme in 1999.