Interview with Senior Consultant Amy Harvey

What inspired you to study public health and then start a career in healthcare planning?

Public health gave me the opportunity to examine the factors that influence health outcomes at a population level, such as policy, healthcare systems and socioeconomic conditions. It also strengthened my understanding of biostatistics, epidemiology and health economics.

Healthcare planning was a natural progression, allowing me to combine analytical thinking with practical decision-making in order to design services that are centred around patient needs, whilst making the best use of limited resources.

You earned a master’s in public health from Imperial. Tell us one interesting finding from your dissertation.

My dissertation reviewed the characteristics and motivations of patients seeking second opinions, and the impact of such opinions on patient management. Seeking a second opinion was more common in women, middle-aged patients, patients with a chronic condition, patients living in central urban areas, and patients with a higher socioeconomic status. Patients seeking a second opinion sought to gain more information or reassurance about their diagnosis or treatment. While many second opinions confirmed the original diagnosis or treatment, discrepancies in opinions had a potential major impact on patient outcomes in up to 58% of cases.

What changes would you like to see in healthcare over your lifetime?

I’d like to see healthcare become more proactive than reactive, with greater emphasis on prevention, earlier intervention, better integration between health and social care, and wider use of data and technology to support personalised care. We should focus on helping people stay healthy as well as treating illness effectively.

If you could magically gift the UK healthcare system one efficiency, what would it be?

I would implement a seamless electronic patient record that could be accessed across the breadth of all NHS organisations. A single, shared view would enable clinicians to make more informed decisions, avoid repeating tests, reduce administrative burden, and improve continuity of care. Patients would not have to repeatedly share the same information between different providers in the system.

When you’re not advising clients or modelling demand and capacity, how do you prefer to spend your time?

I moved from London to Dorset 18 months ago and have been making the most of living by the ocean ever since, trying new water sports and enjoying evenings on the beach. I also love to sing and have been part of a cappella groups for many years.