NHS bosses allowed a lobbying company working for some of the world’s biggest drugs and medical equipment firms to write a draft report which could help shape future health policy. NHS England commissioned a group called the Specialised Healthcare Alliance (SHCA) to consult with patients’ groups, charities and health organisations and produce a report feeding into its future five-year strategy for commissioning £12bn of services.
But the SHCA has confirmed to The Independent that it is entirely funded by commercial “members”. The SHCA describes itself as a group representing more than 90 patient groups and charities such as Bowel Cancer UK, the British Liver Trust and Epilepsy Action. But all its costs are paid for by 13 drug companies. Its director, John Murray, is also a lobbyist whose company lists some of the world’s biggest drug and medical device firms as clients. Murray put his name on a foreword to the NHS England document along with James Palmer, the clinical director of specialised services at NHS England, with whom he admits he has had “many meetings on a wide range of organisations and interests”. Unlike other government departments NHS England does not register its meetings with lobbyists. It also does not routinely publicly disclose all potential conflicts of interest of those who do work for it.
While the report itself makes no specific spending recommendations, it does suggest that NHS England should set out a “clear commitment” to “disinvest in interventions that have lower impact for patients” in favour of “new services or innovations”. This could ultimately provide financial benefits to an industry keen to sell the latest equipment and treatments to the NHS, even if some of the benefits might be marginal. What the drug industry want is for the NHS to constantly ‘refresh’ the treatments that they offer patients with the newest, brightest techniques and drugs available. But such new treatments often come at inflated prices and sometimes offer limited – or unproven - benefits over existing therapies.
All of this explains why the revelations about industry’s involvement in NHS England’s plans for specialist commissioning matters. With £12 billion to spend on specialist services – where the industry concentrates its research and resources – the organisation and everyone who works for it is a magnate for lobbyists. They want access to doctors, policy makers and officials who will ultimately decide what gets spent where.
Senior MPs suggested it showed the medical industry was able to use its “wealth to influence government policy at will”. One has called for a parliamentary debate.
But the SHCA has confirmed to The Independent that it is entirely funded by commercial “members”. The SHCA describes itself as a group representing more than 90 patient groups and charities such as Bowel Cancer UK, the British Liver Trust and Epilepsy Action. But all its costs are paid for by 13 drug companies. Its director, John Murray, is also a lobbyist whose company lists some of the world’s biggest drug and medical device firms as clients. Murray put his name on a foreword to the NHS England document along with James Palmer, the clinical director of specialised services at NHS England, with whom he admits he has had “many meetings on a wide range of organisations and interests”. Unlike other government departments NHS England does not register its meetings with lobbyists. It also does not routinely publicly disclose all potential conflicts of interest of those who do work for it.
While the report itself makes no specific spending recommendations, it does suggest that NHS England should set out a “clear commitment” to “disinvest in interventions that have lower impact for patients” in favour of “new services or innovations”. This could ultimately provide financial benefits to an industry keen to sell the latest equipment and treatments to the NHS, even if some of the benefits might be marginal. What the drug industry want is for the NHS to constantly ‘refresh’ the treatments that they offer patients with the newest, brightest techniques and drugs available. But such new treatments often come at inflated prices and sometimes offer limited – or unproven - benefits over existing therapies.
All of this explains why the revelations about industry’s involvement in NHS England’s plans for specialist commissioning matters. With £12 billion to spend on specialist services – where the industry concentrates its research and resources – the organisation and everyone who works for it is a magnate for lobbyists. They want access to doctors, policy makers and officials who will ultimately decide what gets spent where.
Senior MPs suggested it showed the medical industry was able to use its “wealth to influence government policy at will”. One has called for a parliamentary debate.
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