Population health management company Telstra Health has appointed David Sharp as head of Telstra Health UK.

Telstra Health is headquartered in Australia and offers a whole of population cancer screening platform, the National Cancer Screening Register, which securely manages more than 16 million participant records in Australia. It comprehensively links all relevant population screening stakeholders including federal and state health authorities, GPs, specialists, public and private pathology services, and participants involved in the cancer screening programmes.

Sharp has extensive experience within the NHS and has led various population health management initiatives during his previous appointment as senior vice-president of Optum. Before that he was NHS England’s local area director for Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. He was also chief executive of NHS Derby City and NHS Derbyshire County, as well as chief executive and finance director at NHS Nottinghamshire County.

Telstra Health’s managing director Professor Mary Foley said: “We are delighted that David has chosen to join us as we focus on committing substantial growth and investment into the UK health sector. At Telstra Health we have vast experience in overcoming complex health challenges and inequalities, many of which have been exacerbated due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. With the addition of the market-leading analytics capabilities from the Telstra Health UK team, we are uniquely positioned to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s healthcare landscape in the markets we support.”

Sharp added: “My years of experience within the NHS has shown me that good-quality data when expertly analysed can help to improve lives. Combining my healthcare background with the vision, purpose and wealth of expertise of a company like Telstra Health UK, enables us to make real and meaningful change by providing vital insights for health systems across the country. Through this we can make a positive impact on local populations.”