Staff profile

Linda Marks has been Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Policy and Health since September 2001. Her background is in medical sociology, health policy analysis and the organisation of primary care. She was a Non-Executive Director of NHS Darlington from 2007-11 and advised WHO European Region on their public health action plan, approved by Member States in September 2012. She has also recently contributed to a resource on governance for health equity and the social determinants of health for WHO (European Office for Investment for Health and Development, Venice).

Linda's previous experience includes a ten year association with the King's Fund, where she was a Fellow in Health Policy Analysis. She has also worked in the NHS, as a primary care planner in an inner London health authority, as a lecturer in primary health care and as an independent consultant. Her research interests include governance, priority-setting, public health policy and inequalities in health: she has recently completed ‘Governance, Commissioning and Public Health’ published by Policy Press in July 2014, which draws on a NIHR-funded study, ‘Public health governance and primary care delivery' for which she was principal investigator. Linda is also co-investigator on a School for Public Health Research-funded study on prioritising public health investment.

• Performance Assessment and 'wicked issues': the case of inequalities

Authored book

• Marks, L (Published). Governance, Commissioning and Public Health. Policy Press.
• Hunter, David J., Marks, Linda & Smith, Katherine E. (2010). The Public Health System in England. Bristol: The Policy Press.

Book review

• (2012). Public Health Policy and Politics. Journal of Social Policy 41 (01): 210-212.

Chapter in book

• Marks, Linda (Forthcoming). Accountability for social determinants of health & health equity. In Governance for Health Equity and the Social Determinants of Health – A Companion Resource to Support National Review. Brown, C et al WHO Regional Office for Europe, European Office for Investment for Health and Development, Venice.

Journal Article

• Liu, Dan, Mason, Anne, Marks, Linda, Davis, Howard, Hunter, David J, Jehu, Llinos Mary, Smithson, Joanne & Visram, Shelina (2019). Effects of local authority expenditure on childhood obesity. European Journal of Public Health 29(4): 785-790.
• Hunter, DJ, Marks, L, Brown, J Scalabrini, S, Salway, S, Vale, L, Gray, J & Payne, N (2016). The potential value of priority-setting methods in public health investment decisions: qualitative findings from three English local authorities. Critical Public Health 26(5): 578-587.
• Marks, L., Hunter, D.J., Scalabrini, S., Gray, J., McCafferty, S., Payne, N., Peckham, S., Salway, S. & Thokala, P. (2015). The return of public health to local government in England: changing the parameters of the public health prioritization debate? Public Health 129(9): 1194-1203.
• Marks,L, Weatherly, H & Mason, A (2013). Prioritizing investment in public health and health equity: what can commissioners do? Public Health 127(5): 410-418.
• Blackman, Tim, Harrington, Barbara, Elliott, Eva, Greene, Alex, Hunter, David J, Marks, Linda, McKee, Lorna & Williams, Gareth (2012). Framing health inequalities for local intervention: comparative case studies. Sociology of Health and Illness 34(1): 49-63.
• Marks, Linda, Cave, S, Hunter, David J, Mason, James, Peckham, S & Wallace, A (2011). Governance for health and well-being in the English NHS. Journal of Health Services Research and Policy 16(S1): 14-21.
• Marks, Linda, Cave, S, Wallace, A, Mason, A, Hunter, David J, Mason, James & Peckham, S (2011). Incentivizing preventive services in primary care: perspectives on Local Enhanced Services. Journal of Public Health 33(4): 556-564.
• Blackman, T., Harrington, B., Hunter, D., Marks, L., McKee, L., Greene, A., Elliott, E. & Williams, G. (2010). Wicked Comparisons: Reflections on Cross-national Research about Health Inequalities in the UK. Evaluation 16(1): 43-57.
• Marks, Linda, Cave, Sally & Hunter, David J. (2010). Public health governance: views of key stakeholders. Public Health 124(1): 55-59.
• Smith, K., Hunter, D., Blackman, T., Elliott, E., Greene, A., Harrington, B., Marks, L., McKee, L. & Williams, G. (2009). Divergence or Convergence? Health Inequalities and Policy in a Devolved Britain. Critical Social Policy 29(2): 216-242.
• Harrington, B E, Smith, K E Hunter, David J Marks, Linda Blackman, T J, McKee, L, Greene, A Elliott, E & Williams, G H (2009). Health inequalities in England, Scotland and Wales: Stakeholders’ accounts and policy compared. Public Health 123(1): e24-28.
• Blackman, T., Elliot, E., Green, A. Harrington, B., Smith, K., Hunter, D., Marks, L., McKee, L. & Williams, G. (2009). Tackling health inequalities in post-devolution Britain: do targets matter? Public Administration 87(4): 762 - 778.
• Marks, Linda (2007). Fault lines between policy and practice in local partnerships. Journal of Health Organization and Management 21(2): 136-148.
• Marks, Linda (2006). An evidence base for tackling inequalities in health: distraction or necessity? Critical Public Health 16(1): 61-72.
• Gray, Andrew, Pearce, Sarah & Marks, Linda (2006). The training needs of doctors working in English and Welsh prisons. A survey of doctors. International Journal of Prisoner Health 2(3).
• Marks, Linda, Gray, Andrew & Pearce, Sarah (2006). General practice in prisons in England. Views from the field. International Journal of Prisoner Health 2(1): 49-62.
• Blackman, T., Elliott, E., Greene, A., Harrington, B., Hunter, D. J., Marks, L., McKee, L. & Williams, G. (2006). Performance Assessment and Wicked Problems: The Case of Health Inequalities. Public Policy and Administration 21(2): 66-80.
• Marks, Linda & Hunter, David J (2005). Moving upstream or muddying the waters? Incentives for managing for health. Public Health 119(11): 974-980.

Monograph

• Marks, Linda, Hunter, David & Alderslade, Richard (2011). Strengthening Public health capacity and services in Europe: A Concept Note. WHO Europe and Durham University. on-line.
• Marks, Linda & Hunter, David J (2007). Social Enterprises and the NHS. Changing Patterns of Ownership and Accountability. London: UNISON.
• Marks, Linda & Hunter, David J (2005). Practice-based commissioning. Policy into practice. Medical Management Services.

Other (Print)

• Marks, Linda (2007). Mapping review of interventions designed to reduce premature mortality in disadvantaged areas.
• Marks, Linda (2006). Health Improvement Programmes and Tackling Inequalities in Northern and Yorkshire Region.
• Marks, Linda (2005). Overview of practice collections. Review for the Health Development Agency.
• Marks, Linda (2005). Effective Practice and Public Health. History and Terminology. Review for the Health Development Agency.
• Marks, Linda (2002). Evidence based practice in tackling inequalities in health. Report of a research and development project.
• Marks, Linda (2001). Addressing health inequalities in County Durham and Darlington. A research and development project.
• Marks, Linda, Hunter, David J, Jessop, A & Miller, S (2001). Assessing the evidence. A scoping paper. Report for the Health Development Agency.

Report

• Brown, J, Hunter, D.J, Marks, L, Salway, S, Gray, J, McCafferty, S, Payne, N, Peckham, S, Thokala, P & Vale, L (2017). Shifting the gravity of spending? Exploring methods for supporting public health commissioners in priority-setting to improve population health and address health inequalities. Report of the findings of a follow on study. Durham, Durham University, School of Medicine, Pharmacy & Health.
• Brown, J, Hunter, D.J, Marks, L, Salway, S, Gray, J, McCafferty, S, Payne, N, Peckham, S, Thokala, P & Vale, L (2016). Shifting the gravity of spending? Exploring methods for supporting public health commissioners in priority-setting to improve population health and address health inequalities. Second phase interviews: report of qualitative findings. Durham, Durham University, School of Medicine, Pharmacy & Health.
• Brown, J., Hunter, D.J., Marks, L., Salway, S., Gray, J., McCafferty, S., Payne, N., Peckham, S., Thokala, P. & Vale, L. (2016). Shifting the gravity of spending? Results of a national survey of selected members of Health and Wellbeing Boards. Durham, Durham University, School of Medicine, Pharmacy & Health.
• Marks, Linda Cave, S Hunter, David J, Mason, James, Peckham, S, Wallace, A, Mason, A, Weatherly, H & Melvin, K (2011). Public Health Governance and Primary Care Delivery: a triangulated study.
• Hunter, David J & Marks, Linda (2005). Managing for health: what incentives exist for NHS managers to focus on wider health issues? London.
• Marks, Linda & Hunter, David J. (2004). Feedback Report for the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection.
• Pearce, S., Gray, A. & Marks, Linda (2004). Training needs analysis to identify primary care skills and prison-specific competencies for doctors working in prisons. Final report to the prison health group, Department of Health.
• Marks, Linda (2004). The engagement of Non Governmental Organisations in Local Strategic Partnerships in relation to public health. Health Development Agency.