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Former health secretary takes advisor role at major consultancy

Former health secretary Lord Lansley has taken up an appointment with an international management consultancy, advising clients on healthcare innovation.

Lord Lansley, who masterminded the 2012 Health and Social Care Act that introduced CCGs, took up his position with Bain & Company in August.

Documents released by the Office of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments – which considered the suitability of the appointment given Mr Lansley’s previous ministerial roles – state: ‘Your role would involve being a consultant and see you leading a discussion on innovation in healthcare with Bain’s clients and consultants.’

The document does not clarify whether Lord Lansley will be full time, or draw any salary, but the move was approved on the condition that he did not make use of any ‘privileged information’ from his time in Government.

He must also refrain from lobbying the Government on behalf of Bain & Compnay or its clients for two years from leaving his ministerial post at the Cabinet Office in 2014.

Bain & Company’s website states: ‘Companies across the healthcare industry recognize they need to deliver greater value—higher quality of care at a lower cost. To some extent, this pressure comes from changing Government policies. But employers, consumers and providers are making similar demands.

The reforms, which scrapped PCTs for GP-led CCGs were supposed to put clinical leadership in local health decisions, but a Pulse follow-up one year after the reforms showed GPs now feel even less involved in decisions.

Lord Lansley was also recommended for a peerage by David Cameron in August and became a member of the House of Lords.