Chris Thomas

Formerly head of IPPR's Commission on Health and Prosperity

Chris created and headed the IPPR Commission on Health and Prosperity between 2021 and 2024.

He led the organisation's health work, including the Commission's final report - widely considered the blueprint for the government's 10 Year Health Plan. He also researched health inequalities, NHS workforce issues and life sciences policy.

Prior to joining IPPR, Chris led Macmillan Cancer Support's inequality policy team, and prevention research at Cancer Research UK. He has a MSc in International Policy from UCL. Chris writes widely on health and is the author of the Five Health Frontiers (Pluto Press, 2021), has advised the World Economic Forum and been published in peer reviewed journals.

Chris was seconded from IPPR to DHSC to write Fit for the Future: The 10 Year Health Plan for England. He left IPPR to become advisor to the DHSC Permanent Secretary in October 2025.

More from this author:

  1. Our greatest asset: The final report of the IPPR Commission on Health and Prosperity

    The nation’s health challenges have reached historic proportions, and change is needed.
  2. A man works from home on a standup desk whilst walking on a treadmill

    Healthy industry, prosperous economy

    If we want both health and prosperity, then public health and economic strategy need to work in lockstep – but this is not the case today.
  3. A person stands on a weighing scale, overlooked by a doctor holding a tablet computer

    Scale of the challenge: Obesity and the labour market

    Obesity has a well-known and profound impact on people’s health. Yet, less research has looked at the impact of obesity on prosperity.