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Paul Fennessy Advisory is a new, niche health technology advisory agency owned and run by its Principal, Dr Paul Fennessy.

Paul has a medical research background, with a BSc(Hons) from the University of Melbourne (1988) and a PhD in cardiovascular medicine from University of Queensland (1997), after which he undertook post-doctoral research work at Austin Health and the then Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, investigating the cellular, biochemical, anatomical and physiological determinants regarding the development of cardiac and vascular disease.

As the Deputy Director of the Centre for Clinical Effectiveness at Monash Medical Centre from 1990-2003, Paul established the health technology assessment (HTA) function that, in collaboration with Monash University’s Centre for Health Economics, was contracted by the then Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing to undertake HTAs for both the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC).

From 2003 to 2022 Paul was employed by the Victorian Department of Health where, as Manager of Genomics and Health Technology/Acting Director, Programs Branch, his roles included undertaking and commissioning HTAs, advising government and public hospitals about new health technology investment, implementation, evaluation, replacement and disinvestment; service planning for a range of clinical services; overhauling the structure and financing of Victoria’s state-wide clinical and laboratory genetic/genomic services and, prior to leaving the department, was responsible for commissioning cell and gene therapies in selected Victorian public hospitals. Paul was also the Victorian Department of Health representative on various national committees that:

• Performed horizon scanning of new and emerging health technologies that had the potential to impact health service access and budgets;
• Oversighted assessment, financing, budgeting, implementation and evaluation of national super-specialty services (e.g. paediatric heart transplantation) as part of the Nationally Funded Centres Program;
• Proposed the development of a national policy framework for clinical genomics on the basis this disruptive technology would significantly impact patient access, budgets and service delivery, resulting in the development and implementation of the National Health Genomics Policy Framework, which has been endorsed by all health ministers; and
• Developed and implemented the Framework for the assessment, funding and implementation of highly specialised therapies and services, which reflects national policy and implementation regarding the provision of approved cell and gene therapies in Australian hospitals.

Paul left the Victorian Department of Health in late 2022 after 20 years of service to set up a small consulting service offering technical, policy and implementation expertise and experience in niche areas like health technology and genomics, focussing on cell and gene therapies. Predicated on almost 35 years of ‘dabbling’ in research, health services and policy settings at local, state and national levels, Paul Fennessy Advisory offers advice and recommendations, either solo or collaborating with relevant agencies/stakeholders, to support and inform industry and government policy, strategic and investment decisions expediting provision of new and emerging health technologies to patients.