Anita Charlesworth is a health economist based at the Health Foundation, where she will co-chair the forthcoming commission on NHS productivity. At the Health Foundation, Anita founded the REAL Centre and was director of research for 8 years. She is acting chair of North-West London NHS Integrated Care Board.

Anita is deputy chair of North-West London NHS Integrated Care Board and a council member of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). She is a member of DWP’s Labour Market Advisory Board and the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) Advisory Panel.

Anita is a member of the Council of the Royal Economic Society and University of Bath, Institute for Policy Research Advisory Board. She is Honorary Professor in the College of Social Sciences at the Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) at the University of Birmingham.
Anita has a background in government and public policy. She had roles as Chief Analyst at DCMS, Director of Public Spending at the Treasury and worked as an Economic Advisor at the Department of Health.  Anita was specialist advisor to the House of Lords' Select Committee on the long-term sustainability of the NHS in 2016/17 and a member of the Health and Social Care Select Committee expert panel between 2020 and 2024.

Anita has an MSc in Health Economics from the University of York. She is a Trustee for Tommy’s, the baby charity, and chair of the Office of Health Economics. She was awarded a CBE in the Queen's 2017 Birthday Honours List for Services to Economics and Health Policy. In 2024 Anita was made a fellow of the Academy of Social Science.