Revolving doors: Former Tory government health adviser joins US firm involved in NHS privatisation

Last Updated: February 5, 2017By

Nick Seddon was David Cameron’s special adviser for health until July 2016 [Image: Getty Images].

The most worrying part of this is that services for which the Conservative government is paying your money to private firms include contract negotiation.

Is that really a constructive use of our millions?

Wouldn’t that money be better-used helping people to actually, you know, get healthy?

A former Government health adviser has joined a US firm involved in NHS privatisation – a move campaigners say demonstrates the “wafer-thin partition” between Tory policy makers and the private health industry.

Nick Seddon, who was David Cameron’s Special Adviser for Health, became Executive Vice President of Optum just four months after he left his political role in July last year.

For-profit health management company Optum is part of multinational insurance firm UnitedHealth Group, which made more than $8.4bn (£6.7bn) in 2015.

The head of NHS England, Simon Stevens, is also a former UnitedHealth executive.

Optum already provides 156 NHS organisations, which it calls its “partners”, services such as contract negotiations and medication management.

A policy change made by David Cameron’s government in 2014 meant Mr Seddon’s move to the private sector did not need to be vetted for conflicts of interest by a semi-independent advisory committee, as was previously the case.

Instead his new appointment was approved by the Cabinet Office, which did so on the condition he did not lobby the UK Government on behalf of Optum in his first two years in the role or “draw on privileged information available to him as a Crown servant”.

Source: Former Tory government health adviser joins US firm involved in NHS privatisation

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(
but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.


The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:

SWAHTprint SWAHTeBook

latest video

news via inbox

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

4 Comments

  1. charles huddleston February 6, 2017 at 8:34 am - Reply

    Hard to see how working in a field closely aligned to his special adviser position gives him any way of avoiding a conflict of interest or of not using privileged information.

    They’re not even trying to look honest, are they?

  2. Barry Davies February 6, 2017 at 4:03 pm - Reply

    There is no benefit whatsoever to patients in privatising the Health Provision the whole idea of private companies being more efficient is flawed in any event it is just more money for tory donors and the politicians.

  3. Mervyn Hyde (@mjh0421) February 6, 2017 at 4:18 pm - Reply

    I simply call it corruption!

  4. Dez February 6, 2017 at 11:05 pm - Reply

    Contractors writing/advising on Gov. contracts?? That is total madness OR corruption is in the making. The stench of these appointments is apparent to most normal fair minded humans however to the Cons this is just business as usual. However the Cabinets decision to include their two year hard nose conditions not to lobby or draw on priviliged information must have sent fear and consternation and put a major stop on progress….NOT were most likely laughed at over a few G@Ts down the Cons local. Probably generate a few generous political contributions to show their gratitude for handing many NHS commercial sensitve information to them on a plate. Nice one Cons….I hope you choke on your decisions.

Leave A Comment