MB ChB Manch 1959, MD 1970, DSc 1983; FRCS Eng 1967.
After qualifying at Manchester, Charlesworth held house positions at MRI and was demonstrator of physiology at the University of Manchester. He was resident surgical officer at Stepping Hill Hospital Stockport and Research Fellow in Gastroenterology at MRI. He later became senior registrar at the University Department of Surgery MRI before being appointed consultant surgeon at Withington Hospital, Manchester.