Doctors bid to unseat 50 MPs in revenge over NHS bill

[Magda Hassan]

Doctors bid to unseat 50 MPs in revenge over NHS bill

GPs to stand against top Lib Dems and Tories in 2015 general election as more than 240 medics launch national campaign in letter to The Independent on Sunday

JANE MERRICK , BRIAN BRADY


SUNDAY 18 MARCH 2012









An unprecedented coalition of nearly 250 doctors launches a campaign today to unseat Liberal Democrat and Conservative MPs at the next election in revenge for their backing of the controversial Health and Social Care Bill.
On the eve of the embattled legislation's final hurdle in Parliament, scores of GPs, consultants and other NHS doctors have signed a letter to The Independent on Sunday condemning the Bill as an "embarrassment to democracy" and pledging to stand as candidates against MPs who backed it.
Nick Clegg and other senior Lib Dems will be specifically targeted on polling day in 2015, as well as those in marginal seats, for betraying the wishes of activists at last week's spring conference who called for a last-minute rethink of the reforms.
But the doctors' coalition will also target vulnerable Tories in marginal seats who voted for the Bill. The Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, who is blamed inside the Government for overseeing the reforms which have been heavily amended, is almost certain to face an electoral battle.
Yet it is the Lib Dems, who the latest poll for the IoS shows are on just 10 per cent, who face an existential threat if dozens of doctors fight in many of their 57 seats. One of the Deputy Prime Minister's Sheffield Hallam constituents, Jenny Bywaters, a retired consultant in public health, put her name forward yesterday as a possible candidate, describing the Bill as an "affront to democracy".
The 240 signatures including 30 professors underline the depth of anger felt by NHS frontline staff at the legislation which they claim "fundamentally undermines the founding principles" of the health service.
Dr Clive Peedell, a cancer specialist and co-chair of the NHS Consultants' Association, organised the letter and said he was overwhelmed by how many names had come forward since starting to collect signatures on Thursday evening.
Dr Peedell said they hoped to field "as many candidates as possible" at the next election, while other supporters will help with fundraising and organising the campaign. His original plan was to get 50 names but the overwhelming response suggests they could field more than that.
Pointing out that none of the major professional associations and healthcare organisations has supported the reforms, the letter says: "It is our view that coalition MPs and peers have placed the political survival of the coalition government above professional opinion, patient safety and the will of the citizens of this country.
"We are shocked by the failure of the democratic process and the facilitating role played by the Liberal Democrats in the passage of this Bill. We have therefore decided to form a coalition of healthcare professionals to take on coalition MPs at the next general election, on the non-party, independent ticket of defending the NHS."
Mr Clegg and his MPs already face anger from voters over broken promises on tuition fees and doubts over whether they have lived up to pledges to impose fairness in the tax system by targeting the richest. But the Deputy Prime Minister is now being blamed for failing to limit the wide-ranging reforms in Mr Lansley's Bill.
The doctors' letter comes as Mr Clegg and his cabinet lieutenant, Danny Alexander, enter the final stages of negotiations tomorrow with David Cameron and George Osborne over the Budget on Wednesday. The Lib Dems are fighting to impose their stamp on the measures that will restore fairness to the tax system.
Tomorrow in the House of Lords, the former SDP leader Lord Owen, now a crossbencher, will lead an amendment calling for the Bill's final stage, the third reading, to be delayed until the Government publishes the risk register an assessment by civil servants of the consequences of introducing the legislation. Labour peers will back Lord Owen's amendment, but it is expected it will not gain enough support to block the Government forcing through the final stages of the Bill, and the legislation is expected to be granted Royal Assent on Tuesday.
Dr Peedell said: "Despite all the promises, the Liberal Democrats have failed to make a bad Bill a better Bill. Despite over 1,000 amendments, all the key policy and legal mechanisms remain in place to turn the NHS into a competitive external market, which will see increasing privatisation of provision and commissioning of care.
"This fundamentally undermines the founding principles of the NHS and will undermine professionalism and the doctor-patient relationship. We think this is scandal that is much worse than the MPs' expenses scandal because the dismantling of such a crucial and important institution will cost lives and damage the social fabric of this country."
Richard Taylor, the retired consultant who was elected as an independent MP for Wyre Forest in 2001 in protest at the downgrading of his local hospital, said he was advising the doctors. "I had no more thought of becoming an MP when I retired than I had of going to the moon, and I'm sure these doctors were the same," he said. "The doctors selected as candidates need to be popular in their own areas and they have to portray what they stand for as a vital national issue. They will need an unpopular sitting MP or one who has voted the wrong way, so they must choose their targets wisely."
Coalition MPs in the line of fire: How small majorities, national prominence and polling results have conspired to produce an early list of likely targets
Lib Dems:
Nick Clegg Lib Dem, Sheffield Hallam. 2010 majority 15,284 (29.9%)
The Liberal Democrat leader headed off a stiff challenge at the last election, but remains the top target of any "decapitation" strategy.
Simon Hughes Lib Dem, Bermondsey and Old Southwark. Majority 8,530 (19.1%)
The Lib Dem president has grumbled about the health Bill, but his seat is on the vulnerable list.
Lynne Featherstone Lib Dem, Hornsey and Wood Green. Majority 6,875 (12.5%)
The Home Office minister has faced down local pressure for her to oppose the Bill, insisting "there is a clear consensus that the NHS needs to change".
Jo Swinson Lib Dem, Dunbartonshire East. Majority 2,184 (4.6%)
Position as Clegg's parliamentary aide makes her a prime target; the prospect of a battle against the resurgent SNP makes Swinson even more vulnerable.
John Leech Lib Dem, Manchester Withington. Majority 1,894 (4.2%)
Has made it clear that he is not entirely happy with the Bill, but his status as a crucial Lib Dem toehold in a big city puts him in the cross-hairs.
Sarah Teather Lib Dem, Brent Central. Majority 1,345 (3%)
Declaration that "I'm afraid the Bill needs to go through" will not stabilise the education minister's wafer-thin majority.
Tories:
Jacob Rees-Mogg Con, Somerset North East. Majority 4,914 (9.6%)
A Eurosceptic, invariably described as an old-style Tory toff, a campaign against Rees-Mogg would be a strike against traditionalist Conservativism.
Chloe Smith Conservative, Norwich North. Majority 3,901 (9.2%)
Unseating the Economic Secretary to the Treasury would be a dramatic coup.
Louise Mensch Con, Corby. Majority 1,895 (3.5%)
Has not risen beyond the Culture Select Committee, but as an A-list candidate, successful author and vocal new MP, she would be a valuable scalp.
Anna Soubry Con, Broxtowe. Majority 389 (0.7%)
A prime target almost exclusively due to her tiny majority, but told constituents "people opposed to the Bill have somewhat taken advantage of people's genuine concerns and heartfelt support for the NHS".
What next for the Deputy PM? An exit route via Brussels for Nick Clegg?
If the prospect of his party becoming obliterated by a wave of angry doctors in May 2015 gets too much for Nick Clegg, he can always jump on Eurostar and head to Brussels.
Senior diplomats have begun informally circulating names for candidates for the UK's EU commissioner, a post which becomes vacant in 2014 months before the election.
Mr Clegg, who is a former MEP and was chef de cabinet to Leon Brittan when he was Trade Commissioner in the 1990s, is being talked about as a potential candidate. Diplomatic sources believe it is a "priority" that Britain secures one of the economic portfolios preferably the internal market commissioner post, which would defend the City from further incursions from the EU.
Baroness Ashton, the EU's representative for foreign affairs, is unlikely to seek another term. The preference for an economic role in 2014 is a recognition that Gordon Brown's enthusiasm for the UK getting the foreign affairs job was a mistake.
But a Lib Dem spokesman said: "Nick Clegg will be Deputy Prime Minister until 2015 and will lead the Liberal Democrats into the next election."
Jane Merrick http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/pol...76423.html

[Jan Klimkowski]

The political satire has been correct for over a year now.

If Cameron is Tory Boy One, then Clegg is Tory Boy Two.

Clegg will allow the NHS to be wrecked, turned into a totally corrupt private for profit insurance system, where only the rich get timely treatment.

Clegg will also destroy the Lib Dems as a viable Third Force, to the left of New Labour. Then he will jet off to Brussels for some Euro quango post, leaving his party in the political wilderness, totally untrusted, for the next decade or so.

Mission accomplished for the miltary-multinational-intelligence complex.

[Jan Klimkowski]

As the Shock Therapy agenda plays out, the vultures are poised to swoop on the heart of the British welfare state, the National Health Service:

Firms poised to take advantage of NHS shake-up 'avoid tax on their profits'

Report exposes how four of five biggest health companies that lobbied in favour of health bill can keep taxes to a minimum

Daniel Boffey, policy editor

guardian.co.uk, Saturday 17 March 2012 20.58 GMT


Leading private health firms hoping to benefit from the government's controversial NHS reforms have set up corporate structures that allow the avoidance of tax on millions of pounds' worth of profit, it can be revealed.

An investigation into the accounts of five of the biggest corporate names who lobbied in favour of health secretary Andrew Lansley's reforms has found widespread use of tax havens.

The complicated tax structures set up by the firms, or by their parent companies, make use of corporate entities in the British Virgin Islands, Luxembourg, Jersey, Guernsey and the Cayman Islands, according to a report entitled An Unhealthy Business compiled by the website Corporate Watch and revealed today by the Observer.

The revelations will raise the temperature of the debate ahead of the latest clash in the Lords over the health and social care bill which critics claim will usher in more private sector involvement in the NHS. Tomorrow Lord [David] Owen will propose an amendment to ensure that the bill will not advance until they debate the reasons behind the government's decision to withhold the risk register, a government document detailing threats to the NHS from the reforms. Labour will also table a motion calling for the bill not to pass from the Lords.

According to Corporate Watch, some of the firms or parent companies investigated are already able to minimise their UK tax liability or that of their investors, while others have set up structures that could ensure investors avoid big payouts in future. The investigation found:

■ Spire Healthcare, the UK's second largest private healthcare company, made an operating profit of £123m in 2010, but declared a loss of £53m for the same period because of a complicated corporate structure which uses a company based in Luxembourg;

â–  Care UK, which operates NHS treatment centres, walk-in centres and mental health services, has a reduced tax bill by taking out loans through the Channel Islands stock exchange and coming to an agreement with HMRC;

â–  Circle Health, which became the first private company to take over the management of an NHS hospital, is owned by companies and investment funds registered in the British Virgin Islands, Jersey and the Cayman Islands in an arrangement which allows investors to avoid tax on their shares;

â–  Ramsay Health Care, the company with the greatest number of contracts in the NHS to provide services, has used a subsidiary in the Cayman Islands to finance the purchase of a French health company for its Australian parent;

â–  General Healthcare Group's 37 hospitals are owned by 37 separate British companies currently registered for tax purposes here, but each of those British firms are in turn owned by firms in the British Virgin Islands, which would mean there could be no stamp duty to be paid by a future buyer of the land and property.

The accounts of companies in tax havens are not open to scrutiny and the revelations will fuel fears that the private sector's increased involvement in the health sector will see taxpayers' money being channelled out of the UK to investors abroad after the controversial reforms are implemented. None of the health firms' corporate structures is illegal and the companies who responded to queries from the Observer said that their structures allowed them to invest in health in the UK.

However, in the most startling case, Spire Healthcare, one of the biggest providers of healthcare services to the Department of Health, paid just over £3m in tax in the last three years, despite making an operational profit in the last year alone of £123m. Spire is a highly profitable business, with revenues rising by 4% to £643m in 2010. Profits were eaten away by the £108m in interest it had to pay on £1.3bn worth of bank loans, leaving £15m of taxable profit.

Yet in addition to the interest on the bank loans, Spire's accounts show how it paid a nominal £65m in interest on loans it owes to a Luxembourg-based subsidiary of its parent company, the private equity firm Cinven, meaning that it declared a £53m loss for tax purposes in 2010.

The company, the accounts show, only paid tax over three years after HMRC deemed some of their expenses "not deductible for tax purposes". A spokesman for Spire said its parent company had invested £250m in the last three years in the UK health market.

A spokesman for Care UK said: "Neither Care UK nor its majority shareholder, Bridgepoint, have introduced any kind of tax-avoidance scheme."

General Healthcare Group said: "The properties in GHG are not directly owned by BVI incorporated entities; they are all owned by UK incorporated and UK tax resident companies. To date, any properties sold have been asset sales by the UK incorporated entities that own them, and tax on capital gains has been paid where applicable, for example UK tax has been paid on the sale of the Harrogate property last year."

Ramsay Healthcare did not reply to inquiries. Circle Holdings declined to comment.

[Magda Hassan]

Monday, 12 March 2012

Conservative Lords and their financial links to companies involved in private healthcare

This is a list of Conservative Lords who all have financial links to companies involved in the private healthcare industry. There are 62 of them out of a total of 217 peers who have these interests, which amounts to 28%. This represents at best a conflict of interest and at worst institutional corruption. They should not have been allowed to vote on the Health and Social Care bill with such interests, and reform of the Lords must take place to prevent this happening in the future.


After all if you are a councillor at local government level with financial interest or a partner with financial interest, then they must declare a prejudicial interest, then they must leave the room and take no further part in discussions or voting. In many cases this is left down to the discretion of the elected member but with the knowledge that this will be challenged somewhere down the line. Why are the Lords not treated in the same way?


The interests in private healthcare range from having shares in companies set to benefit from the bill they are voting from, being chairman, advisors of healthcare companies and getting the company in a position to benefit from the NHS privatisation. Some work as advisors for investment companies that heavily invest in companies that will benefit from the bill. Others are directors of companies that are in direct competition to the NHS. Some have donated to the Conservative party, and in fact that is why one of them was made a Lord. They represent a merry-go-round of self-interest, viewing an NHS developed by public money since its inception, they simply want to hand it over to the corporations they work for. They are corporate servants, make no mistake about that, and won't stop unless they are made to.


1. Lord Ashcroft: Conservative benches and funder - Until 2010, held investments in two private healthcare groups. Has voted in 16.33% of of votes in the house, below average amongst Lords. Managed to Vote on key parts of the Health and Social Care bill.


2. Lord Ashton - Conservative - Shares in Marsh Inc insurance brokers and in Zurich Financial Services AG - In a review for the Department of Health of the NHS litigation Authority - written by Marsh Inc, it recommended involving opening up clinical negligence cover over to private insurers. Zurich Financial Insurers said they didn't have the expertise but the Marsh review envisaged opening up a dialogue which might eventually give them the information they needed. The DoH unsurprisingly accepted the large majority of Marsh's recommendations. Lord Ashton also has shares in a private dental company called Smilepod Hygiene Ltd. Voted loyally on Health and Social Care bill.


3. Lord Ballyedmond: Conservative - Chairman of pharmaceutical company Norbrook Laboratories. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.


4. Lord Bell: Conservative - Chairman of Chime Communications group, whose companies include Bell Pottinger, and whose lobbying clients include Southern Cross, BT Health and AstraZeneca. Tim Bell has a conviction for wilfuly, openly and obscenely' exposing himself with intent to insult a female' under Section 4 of the 1824 Vagrancy Act. For more on this delightful personality, which bears little relevance to the NHS but says so much about the character click here. If that isn't enough then please click here to see their attempts to work with the Ubekistan dictatorship. Has voted in 14.66% of votes, below average amongst Lords. Managed to vote on the Health and Social Care bill amendments.



5. Lord Blackwell: Conservatives - Chairman of Interserve, consultancy to NHS and private healthcare firms. Involved in PFI hospitals - Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.

Quotes on bill: We are now 10 years further on from that and it is important that the changes are not lost in the voices that will always oppose changes that are necessary to reform the way that the NHS works. I hope that, while listening to those voices, the Minister can assure us that these essential reforms will be carried through and that the period of uncertainty for the NHS will not be any longer than it needs to be before we can get to the kind of reformed NHS that we all want to see.



6. Lord Blyth of Rowington: Conservative - Senior adviser to *investment bankers Greenhill. Former Boots Chemists deputy chairman.
Tory Donor. Stands to gain from the break up and privatisation of the NHS wants and would surely like to buy the Walk in Centres at an agreed cut-price with Cameron. Didn't vote on bill.


7. Lord Boswell - Conservative - Has shares in Reckitt Benckiser which produces drugs for the NHS amongst other health institutions. NHS is currently suing Reckitt Benckiser for £90 million following an investigation that ruled the company had abused its dominant position in the heartburn market. The company has just paid a fine for £10.2 million in 2010 following a ruling by the Office of Fair Trading which found them guilty of illegal anti-compative behaviour relating to their heartburn product Gaviscon. Lord Boswell's shares have in brackets household part of the company, but in the end it is the same company. He also has shares in GlaxoSmithKline PLC pharmaceuticals. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.


8. Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone: Conservative - The former Conservative Health Secretary Virginia Bottomley is a Director of BUPA, the health insurance, private hospital and care group.Voted on key amendments in of the Health and Social Care bill, despite having a below average vote turnout of 23.33%. Click here for more indepth look at why Baroness Bottomley shouldn't have been allowed to vote.
Quotes on bill: 'I give this Bill an unequivocal and extraordinarily warm welcome.'
'It is romantic poppycock to think that the Secretary of State should be personally involved ...'


9. Lord Brittan - Conservative - Advisor to Teijin who are a conglomerate of global companies. One part of the business is the medical and pharmaceutical business group. Teijin Home Healthcare Limited supply products to the NHS and Teijin Pharma Ltd provides pharmaceuticals to the NHS. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.


10. Baroness Byford - Conservative - has shares in Reckitt Benckiser (personal care). which produces drugs for the NHS amongst other health institutions. NHS is currently suing Reckitt Benckiser for £90 million following an investigation that ruled the company had abused its dominant position in the heartburn market. The company has just paid a fine for £10.2 million in 2010 following a ruling by the Office of Fair Trading which found them guilty of illegal anti-compative behaviour relating to their heartburn product Gaviscon.
Shares in GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceuticals which supply the NHS. Shares in Uniliver plc (domestic products) Unilever whose European venture capital arm Unilever Ventures joined with a company called Vectura to form a pharma arm to their company. Shares in Croda International plc which has a health division which products and has extensive links with the NHS. Voted loyally on the Health and Social care bill.


11. Lord Carrington - Conservative - has shares in GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceuticals, suppliers to the NHS. shares in Unilever plc. Unilever has a European venture capital arm Unilever Ventures joined with a company called Vectura to form a pharma arm to their company. Although Lord Carrington's shares are stated as being in household products, in the end it is the same pot. Voted loyally and managed to get into vote despite having just a 9.54% vote turnout record.


12. Lord Chadlington: Conservative - Chief executive of Huntsworth communications group with several lobbying firms. Huntsworth Health chaired a meeting on commissioning on behalf of Healthcare Communications Association, a group whose members consist of PR agencies and pharmaceutical companies. Members set to make increasing profits from the Health and Social care bill. Voted on key areas of the Health and Social Care bill. For more on Lord Chadlington and why he should be allowed to vote on this bill, click here.


13. Lord Coe: Conservative - In February 2011 became Director of AMT-Sybex Group, IT supplier to the NHS. Same company that paid for a trip of former MP Robert Keys. A very low 8.21% vote turnout, voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.


14. Baroness Cumberlege of Newick: Conservative - Former Tory health minister, runs Cumberlege Connections, a political networking firm that works "extensively" with the pharmaceutical industry. Used to be non-excutive director of PR firm for healthcare huntsworth PLC, of which Lord Chadlington is Chief Executive. Former executive director of healthcare consulting firm MJM healthcare solutions. Voted loyal on the health and Social Care bill, despite having a below average turnout.

Quotes on bill: 'I applaud the flexibility of the Bill.'




15. Lord Dixon-Smith - Conservative - has shares in Vodaphone group plc - Vodaphone produced a report by themselves, which showed how they can help drive efficiency in healthcare costs promoting the use of SMS texts which go via them and other mobile phone companies. South-Central ambulance service NHS trust have appointed Vodaphone UK as its communications partner. Voted loyally on Health and Social Care bill.


16. Baroness Eccles - Conservative - Has shares in GlaxoSmithKline (Healthcare) - GlaxoSmith Kline. GSK is the UK's leading supplier of COPD medicines. Voted loyally on Health and Social Care bill.
Quote on the bill. 'My Lords, I am delighted to support this bill.' 'I hope that this bill will initiate a sea change in the way that we approach the nation's health...'


17. Lord Edmiston - Conservative - Shareholdings in Bupa Finance plc - a Bupa director is Baroness Bottomley - Bupa provides health insurance, private hospital and care group in direct competition with the NHS.Shares in Fidelity International Ltd, which acquired Telehealth Solutions Ltd in 2011 - Telehealth have partners in the NHS and private healthcare - and has several contracts with the NHS. Has won award for work in the NHS and telehealthcare is promoted by Andrew Lansley. Voted loyally on Health and Social Care bill.


18. Lord Feldman of Elstree - Conservative - Shares in BTG pharmaceuticals - BGT are a UK company that manages commercialisation activity in pharmaceuticals. BTG acquired Biocompatiibles in 2010. Biocompatibles supplies medical devices. Voted loyally on bill.


19. Lord Feldman - Conservative - Shares in Inverness Medical, now Alere, a global healthcare company who work with many PCTs including the 'healthcheck programme.' Voted loyally.


20. Lord Fink - Conservative - Director of multiple companies including: The Global PR network Ltd, which covers the health and medical sector, in which he has shares. Chairman and Director of Zenith hygiene Group plc, an approved NHS supplier. Shares run independently by Lombard Odier the company in charge of his share portfolio include: Abbott Laboratories ltd (pharmaceuticals), Allianz SE, which offers medical insurance, Prudential plc, which offers private health insurance, Siemens AG, which supplies medical equipment to the NHS, Vodaphone group, South-Central ambulance service NHS trust have appointed Vodaphone UK as its communications partner. Voted loyally in the Health and Social care bill amendments.


21. Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: Conservative - Senior adviser to *Evercore, bank involved in huge healthcare deals. Voted loyally on health and Social care bill.


22. Lord Freeman: Conservative - The ex-health minister is chairman of the Advisory Board of *PricewaterhouseCoopers, which claims to have "been at the heart of shaping *[healthcare] reforms and working with clients to respond to the opportunities they present". Director of Parity Group plc - Parity group plc won a contract with NHS direct to develop and support a new Health Information Search Portal for £1.4 million. Lord Freeman became non-executive chairman in 2007. Voted loyally on Health and Social Care bill.


23. Lord Garel-Jones: Conservative - MD of UBS bank, whose healthcare division earned the firm over $1billion since 2005. Voted on key dates of the Health and Social Care bill.


24. Lord Glendonbrook - Conservative - Has shares in Ansell Ltd NPV (healthcare), Abbott Laboratories, supplies NHS with Lab equipment, reagents. Shares in Astrazeneca biopharaceuticals - The NHS is the primary customer for Astrazeneca medicines in the UK. Shares in GlaxoSmithKline Ord 25p (healthcare), GlaxoSmithKline (healthcare), Johnson & Johnson, which supplies the NHS. Shares in Novartis who threatened to pull out of the UK becaue the NHS safety trial rules. Shares in Novo Nordisk (pharmaceuticals) supplies NHS, shares in Pfizer Inc (pharmaceuticals) supplies NHS. Shares in Serco group, which has multiple contracts with NHS including PFI hospitals. Shares in Siemens AG, which supplies medical equipment to the NHS. Shares in Smith & Nephew, hip-replacement and bandaging group. Unilver plc, whose European venture capital arm Unilever Ventures joined with a company called Vectura to form a pharma arm to their company. Voted loyally on the Health and Social care bill.

25. Viscount Goschen - Conservative - is paid by though it doesn't say in which capacity by Korn/Ferry International - is an international executive search firm - they run healthcare services - Among the diverse range of healthcare organisations they have secured and developed top healthcare executives are hospital systems, multi-specialty physician practices, pharmacy benefit management companies, long-term care/assisted-living companies, home health companies, healthcare associations, and other service delivery companies. Voted loyally on the Health and Social care bill.

Vanni Treves who is a director elect of Homerton Hospital NHS Trust, is also chair of Korn/Ferry International and Intertek Group Plc.

In 1993 when Virginia Bottomley was health secretary, Korn Ferry made the news when it was revealed Oxford Regional Health Authority forked out £30,000 to Korn Ferry to find its new £80,000-a-year chief executive; Oxford District Health Authority spent pounds £60,000 to get its new chief executive and director of finance; and Oxford Family Health Services Authority paid £30,000 for a replacement chief executive.

The worst thing about this particular case is that, for one of the posts, the company did little more than place an advert in newspapers and draw up a short list.' No doubt Koln Ferry will be recruiting for the new NHS.



26. Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach: Conservative - Director of Goldman Sachs bank, provider of services to healthcare firms. Chief executive of Circle Ali Parsa was an Executive Director of Goldman Sachs - Voted loyally on the Health and Social care bill.

27. Lord Hamilton of Epsom - Conservative: Has a directorship with MSB Ltd (managing consultancy), who have NHS, Bupa and CareUK listed as their clients. Care UK chairman John Nash funded Andrew Lansley's office. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.

Quotes: 'My Lords, surely one of the problems of the National Health Service is the wall of money that was thrown at a totally unreformed NHS by the last Government? Do we not need management consultants now to show us the way forward on the savings that need to be wrung out of the NHS so that it can survive into the future?' Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 13 February 2012, c556)

Earl Howe responded - Yes, we do, my Lords. Part of the benefit of the modernisation programme will be to streamline the architecture of the NHS.

28. Lord Hayhoe - Conservative - shares in Abbott Laboratories ltd (pharmaceuticals, and medical products) supplies NHS. Didn't vote.

29. Baron Higgins of Worthing: Conservative - Holds in excess of £50,000 of shares in Lansdowne UK Equity Fund, backers of private hospital group Circle Holdings. Voted loyally.

30. Lord Hill - Conservative - Shares in Huntsworth plc - company funded the Conservative party - the founder and chairman is Lord Chadlington. Huntsworth gave £15,500 to the Conservative party in August last year and has given money every year since 2008. Following the exposure, Huntsworth were forced to admit they had given money stating the money was given by buying tickets for Conservative events', a classic way for lobbying to take place. Furthermore, Lord Chadlington, and his wife have personally given more than £20,000 to the local party since 2007, including a sum of £10,000 for his leadership campaign. Voted loyally.


31. Baroness Hooper: Conservative - Until July 11, chairman of Advisory Committee of Barclays Infrastructure Funds, one of the most experienced investors in hospital PFI deals. Voted loyally.


32. Lord Howard of Lympne: Conservative - Senior adviser to *Hawkpoint Partners, a corporate finance firm. Provide staff to NHS and Private Healthcare providers. Lord Howard replaced Douglas Hurd in early 2011, thus keeping the connection of influence in parliament. Andrew Lansley met Hawkpoint partners for dinner on 30th June 2011. What was said? Voted loyally.


33. Lord Hunt of Wirral: Conservative - Partner in Beachcroft, a law firm that offers incisive analysis on the full range of government, parliamentary and regulatory matters in the health sector. Voted loyally.

34. Baroness James - Conservative - has shares in AstraZeneca (pharmaceuticals). The NHS is the primary customer for Astrazeneca medicines in the UK. GlaxoSmithKline plc (healthcare) supplies the NHS. Shares in Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, which produces drugs for the NHS amongst other health institutions. NHS is currently suing Reckitt Benckiser for £90 million following an investigation that ruled the company had abused its dominant position in the heartburn market. Serco Group (business services), which has multiple contracts with NHS including PFI hospitals. Smith and Nephew (healthcare) supplies hip replacement and bandaging to the NHS. Shares in Vodafone Group (communications) - Vodaphone produced a report by themselves, which showed how they can help drive efficiency in healthcare costs promoting the use of SMS texts which go via them and other mobile phone companies. South-Central ambulance service NHS trust have appointed Vodaphone UK as its communications partner. Has a 10.34% voting turnout but managed to vote on a lot of the Health and Social Care bill amendments.


35. Lord Lang of Monkton: Conservative - Director of Marsh & McLennan Companies that "help hospitals, insurers, pharmaceutical companies and industry associations understand the implications of changing policy environments". Voting record is below average, but managed to vote on the Health and Social care bill amendments,

36. Lord Lawson - Conservative - Chairman of Oxford Investment Partners whose investment management team 'has more than 50 years of investment experience with a dedicated focus on communications, healthcare and sustainability. Lawson once said 'the NHS was the closest thing the English had to a religion'. Perhaps the closet thing the Lords have to a religion is money? Oxford Capital Partners invested £550,000 in Oxitec Ltd led investments in a number of science and technology companies including several spin outs from UK universities. Our current investment portfolio includes 8 university spin outs of which four are from the University of Oxford: Avidex (drug discovery); g-Nostics (pharmacogenetics); Oxonica (nanotechnology) Vote is below average - voted loyaly on the Health and Social Care bill.


37. Lord Lloyd-Webber - Conservative - Shares in Catlin Group Limited, began writing Healthcare Professional Liability insurance in London in 1994. They offer extensive knowledge of medical, healthcare and pharmaceutical markets. Shares in Smiths Group plc, which produces medical equipment. Shares in AstraZeneca (pharmaceuticals). The NHS is the primary customer for Astrazeneca medicines in the UK. Shares in Gilead Sciences, a research-based pharmaceutical company, which supplies the NHS. hares in GlaxoSmithKline (pharmaceuticals), and Johnson & Johnson (pharmaceuticals), which both supply to the NHS. Standad life, which supply Private Medical Insurance plans to both corporate and individual customers and have an extensive range of healthcare products. Raffles medical group - operates a network of 74 multi-disciplinary clinics across Singapore. Shares in Stryker Corporation orthopedic market and is one of the world's largest medical device companies. Has voted in 1.49% of votes in this House with this affiliation well below average amongst Lords. (From Public Whip). Voted in the Health and Social care bill on commissioning.

38. Lord Macfarlane: Conservative - Has shares in Prudential plc, which offers private health insurance. Shares in Aviva plc, which offers private health care. Shares in Smith & Nephew (Pharmaceuticals) hip-replacement and bandaging group.Has voted in 6.25% of votes in this House with this affiliation well below average amongst Lords. (From Public Whip). Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.


39. Lord Magan of Castletown: Conservative - Director of the SISK Group of healthcare companies. Member of the advisory board on Axa Private equity, which invests heavily in healthcare. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill


40. Lord Maple - Shares in Berkshire Hathaway Inc the company run by Warren Buffet - the conglomerate invests heavily in private healthcare companies - 6 out of their 41 stocks are in healthcare. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.


41. Lord Marland - Shares in Tristel Ltd plc - a leading provider of infection control products into the NHS. Shares in Jardine Lloyd Thompson plc - their website states 'the placing and serving of healthcare insurance...is a specialist field in which we excel.' Their insurance covers hospitals, Physician cover, Clinics, Long-term care, allied health professionals and more. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.


42. Lord McColl - Conservative - was a paid a fee as a consultant to a new private healthcare company that provides a fee-paying rival to the National Health Service's family doctor service.


Endeavour Health, which was set up by two hedge fund advisers, claims to be Britain's first comprehensive GP network, offering access to the best doctors and the opportunity to beat NHS queues and have appointments at any time they want. Endeavour Health was founded last year by two financial advisers, Briton Yadin Shemmer and American Jonathan Weiss, to compete with the NHS. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/po...801270.ece- has since claimed no ties with the company. Voted loyally on the Health and Social care bill.



43. Lord Moore: Conservative - Shares in Johnson & Johnson, which supplies the NHS. Merck & Co inc (pharmaceuticals, Novartis AG (pharmaceuticals), which supplies the NHS. Shares in BT group, which is one of the largest suppliers of communications to the NHS. BT was involved in the failed NHS computer system overhaul. Shares in Vodaphone group: Vodaphone produced a report by themselves, which showed how they can help drive efficiency in healthcare costs promoting the use of SMS texts which go via them and other mobile phone companies. South-Central ambulance service NHS trust have appointed Vodaphone UK as its communications partner. Has voted in only 14.53% of votes below average, but managed to vote on all the Health and Social Care ones.


44. Lord Naseby: Conservative - Was until October 2011 Chairman of and a share-holder in Invesco Perpetual Recovery Trust. Trust voluntarily wound down on October 27th 2011 - One fifth of their investments were in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.
Quotes on bill: 'I want to make it clear that I support the Bill. More importantly, I support the need for the Bill.'
'Finally, competition is good for any industry...Competition gives people pride and responsibility.'



45. Lord Newton of Braintree: Conservative - Advisor to Oasis Healthcare on dentistry and general healthcare matters. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.


46. Baroness Noakes - Conservative - Shares in BT Group (communications), which is one of the largest suppliers of communications to the NHS. BT was involved in the failed NHS computer system overhaul. Shares in Astrazeneca (Pharmaceuticals) - The NHS is the primary customer for Astrazeneca medicines in the UK. GlaxoSmithKline (pharmaceuticals) supplies the NHS. Vodaphone Group plc, Vodaphone produced a report by themselves, which showed how they can help drive efficiency in healthcare costs promoting the use of SMS texts which go via them and other mobile phone companies. South-Central ambulance service NHS trust have appointed Vodaphone UK as its communications partner. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.
Quotes on the bill: I hope that other noble Lords will not encourage the Government to keep any limits which constrain the NHS from maximising its assets for the purposes of the NHS.'


47. Lord Patten - Conservative - Senior Advisor for Charterhouse Development Capital Ltd - who purchased Tunstall for £510 Million in 2008. Tunstall are a Telecare provider. Tunstall provides services that allow the elderly to be able to be monitored remotely. Chief executive of Tunstall supported Andrew Lansley's bill. Following the takeover in 2008, Tunstall were awarded a three-year contract for services to NHS North Yorkshire and North. Tunstall have also been given a framework agreement to provide telecare, telehealth and telecoaching to NHS services, which forms part of Andrew Lansley's vision for developing telecare across the UK. The framework agreement began on 16th of August 2010. Has voted on 27.52% of votes in the Lords, below average amongst Lords. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.


48. Lord Patten of Barnes: Conservative - Adviser to private equity firm Bridgepoint. Has invested heavily in multiple private healthcare companies. Has voted on 7.54% of votes as a Lord but managed to vote on Health and Social Care bill.


49. Lord Popat - Conservative - Founder of TLC group Ltd who run private care homes. Lord Popat gave David Cameron a donation as a gift for £25,000 a week after the Conservatives' unveiled their health 'reforms'. David Cameron made businessman a peer shortly after getting into ten Downing street. Voted on the Health and Social Care bill loyally.


50. Lord Ribeiro: Conservative - Adviser on hospital reorganisation to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). PWC is heavily involved in consultancy services to the NHS and gets paid for setting up contracts amongst many other services. Voted loyally on Health and Social care bill.


51. Lord Saatchi - A partner and shares in M&C Saatchi plc - a marketing company. Involved in multiple campaign projects for the governement including the Change4Life project aimed at promoting healthier living to tackle obesity. M&C Saatchi also worked for PPP healthcare, AXA insurance. Saatchi have multiple pharmaceutical clients, including; Astrazeneca, Pfizer and Merck. There website says: 'We transform raw data about life-changing brands into real meaning for healthcare professionals.' Has voted in 15.33% of votes in the house - well below average. Voted on key parts of the Health and Social Care bill.


52. Earl of Selborne: Shares in Prudential, which offers private health insurance. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.


53. Lord Sheikh: Chairman and director of Macmillan Sheikh plc - insurance and financial services which offers private health insurance - voted loyally on Health and Social care bill.


54. Lord Sheppard - Has shares in Diageo, a drinks company who have been awarded money to teach midwives in England and Wales on the dangers of alcohol. No, you can't make it up. Lansley used to hold a directorship at Profero who had Diageo as one of their clients. Didn't vote.


55. Lord Swinfen - Unpaid director of Swinfen Charitable Trust who have American Telemedicine Association as their partners for global crisis work using telehealth technology. Lord Swinfen is also an unpaid director of The American Telemedicine Association, which has multiple members who supply the NHS and private health care. The members according to the website: 'Play a special role in shaping the future of the telemedicine industry. The American Telemedicine Association has written a new legislative proposal to the American congress to expand the use of telemedicine. Telecare is expanding throughout the NHS as a way of treating people from home. These companies that are part of the American Telemedicine Association are set to benefit. Voted loyally on Health and Social Care bill.


56. Lord Tugendhat - Conservative: Shares in MetLife, which is America's largest life insurance company also operates in the UK. It offers accident protection for clinical health care workers, to cover specified infectious illnesses contracted at work for those who work in the UK health care industry.It also offers health insurance. Set to benefit from the Health and Social Care bill. Has voted in 25.43% of votes in this House with this affiliation below average amongst Lords. (From Public Whip) - Voted loyally for the Health and Social Care bill. Supported large chunks of the bill, but spoke out against the top-down re-organisation.
Quotes on the bill: 'The Government's mistake was to introduce a Bill that sought to impose a massive programme of management and structural change on top of an ambitious cost-cutting programme.' Declared his interest as chairman of the Imperial College healthcare trust, but not of his shareholdings in MetLife. Adviser to Trilantic Capital Partners, a private equity firm "active" in healthcare. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.

57. Lord Wade - Director, unpaid of RisingStars Growth Fund Ltd an early stage venture capital company - The fund prefers to invest in amongst other sectors, healthcare. Rising Stars Growth Fund invests in multiple healthcare companies that supply the NHS. Has voted in 28.33% of votes in this House with this affiliation below average amongst Lords. (From Public Whip) Voted loyally.


58. Lord Wakeham: Conservative - Advisor to L.E.K. Consulting, which specialises in helping private healthcare companies identify "growth and new business development" and "opportunities with the government". Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.

59. Lord Waldegrave - Tory Adviser, UBS Investment Bank UBS bank, whose healthcare division earned the firm over $1billion since 2005. Fellow Tory peer Lord Garel-Jones is MD of UBS bank. Has voted in 7.88% of votes in this House with this affiliation well below average amongst Lords. (From Public Whip) - Voted in key votes on the Health and Social care bill. Director of Biotech Growth Trust plc - which is managed by Orbimed. OrbiMed is the world's largest healthcare-dedicated investment firm, with approximately $5 billion in assets under management. Has just a 7.88% vote turnout, well below average but turned up to vote loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.

60. Lord Wasserman - Conservative - Shares in Diageo plc a alcohol drinks company who have been awarded money to teach midwives in England and Wales on the dangers of alcohol. No, you can't make it up. Lansley used to hold a directorship at Profero who had Diageo as one of their clients. Shares in Johnson & Johnson Inc, which supplies the NHS. Shares in Procter & Gamble Co, which supplies the NHS. Walgreen Company - American pharmaceutical company. For more on Walgreens. The bill will give pharmaceuticals even more diverse healthcare providers to build relationships with. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.

61. Baroness Wheatcroft: Conservative: Business Consultant, DLA Piper (legal services) a global law firm providing lobbying services to "clients in the health and social care sectors". DLA Piper, which advised ministers on the failed £12 billion IT project for the NHS. Member of the Advisory Board, Pelham Bell Pottinger (financial and corporate communications) - Bell Pottinger whose lobbying clients include Southern Cross, BT Health and AstraZeneca. For more on Pottinger see Lord Pottinger. Voted loyally on the Health and Social Care bill.

62. Lord Wolfson - Conservative - Shares in Cable & Wireless plc - Cable & Wireless solutions for the Health Sector are 'intended to meet all the communications requirements of the health service, from the largest Trusts to the smallest GP surgeries. Some offer special features, and the service levels are available exclusively to NHS customers.' The services have already been selected through the NHS procurement procedure. Voted on key amendments dates on the Health and Social Care bill.

[Jan Klimkowski]

Western democracy.

A corrupt farce.

[Magda Hassan]

Cash for Cameron': Minister quizzed on whether health bill was bought

.During today's emergency Parliamentary debate on the Cash for Cameron' scandal, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, towards the end of an hour-long grilling from backbenchers over which policies may have been influenced by donations, was quizzed on the possibility that private health companies had bought influence over the health and social care bill.Maude was asked by Ronnie Campbell (Labour, Blyth Valley):

"Can the minister give us details of any health companies, private health companies that were trying to influence the bill, have met in Downing Street for lunch, particularly Alpha Healthcare, which gave half a million pounds to the Liberal Party?"

Failing to answer the charge directly, he replied:

"Mr Speaker I can guarantee that there will be a great deal more transparency about what any health companies, dealings they've had with government and with ministers than there will be about the health service unions' dealings with the Labour Party."

Watch it:This is not the first time the probity of the health bill, and that of Andrew Lansley, has been called into question in the House.As Left Foot Forward reported last October, Lansley was asked by Kerry McCarthy (Labour, Bristol East):

"Given the Secretary of State's own known connections with private healthcare companies, can the Secretary of State assure the House that he has been as transparent as possible about the influence of private healthcare companies on the passage of the health bill?"

It was an implication he strenuously denied.However, the Daily Telegraph last year disclosed:

Andrew Lansley bankrolled by private healthcare provider…
John Nash, the chairman of Care UK, gave £21,000 to fund Andrew Lansley's personal office in November. Mr Nash, a private equity tycoon, also manages several other businesses providing services to the NHS and stands to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Conservative policies to increase the use of private health providers.

With the Sunday Mirror revealing:

A private health firm with close Tory links has won a £53million prison hospitals contract… *despite an NHS bid offering a better service.
Care UK's then boss John Nash and wife Caroline donated £200,000 to the Conservatives before the general election, including £21,000 to health secretary Andrew Lansley's *private office.
Now the company has won the huge contract to run health services for 5,000 prisoners at eight jails in north east England with its cheaper, lower quality bid.

---

With 40 peers who voted on the health bill known to have private sector health interests, and the Liberal Democrats now dragged into the H&SCB mire over their £500,000 donation from Alpha Healthcare, the Cash for Cameron' scandal could potentially get a whole lot worse than merely the (already shocking) idea the super-rich can buy a cut in the top rate of tax, but that private health companies can seek to kill the NHS by donating big money to a Tory health secretary and the Lib Dems.We will have more on the questions over the potential corruption of the health and social care bill later this week on Left Foot Forward.
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/03/c...care-bill/