2020health

This article is part of the Health Portal project of Spinwatch.

2020health is a Westminster based centre right think tank for health and social care, set up in 2006. It describes itself as 'an independent, grass-roots, think tank for health and technology interested in realistic solutions', which aims to 'uniquely focus on bottom-up policy development by front line professionals. However, it is not clear how many health professionals it represents nor how well it represents their views. Its chairman is also CEO of a global network of private health insurance companies and its Advisory Council is heavily weighted towards large, for profit companies.

2020health, 83 Victoria Street, London SW1. Photo by Spinwatch Dec 2010

Links to the UK Conservative Party

2020health has a number of ties to the Conservative Party.

• According to its website, the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley said of 2020health: “I have been very impressed with some of the discussions and documents that have emerged from 2020health. They are looking at serious issues (for example vaccination, dentistry, screening) and providing valuable impact on future policy.”

• Health Secretary Andrew Lansley also chose 2020health’s annual lecture in January 2010 to launch the Conservative Party’s green paper on public health.

• 2020health's CEO, Julia Manning was a prospective Conservative MP, and its Chair, Tom Sackville is a former Conservative Minister.

• The Conservative Party also commissioned 2020Health to conduct an 'independent review' of emerging technologies and health policy, published in October 2010.

• On 9 June 2010, Stephen Dorrell, the Conservative MP and new Chair of the Health Select Committee (2010-), attended a 2020health Roundtable Discussion on The next steps for Commissioning. Dorrell's views are seen as an important guide to Tory thinking on the NHS, reflecting a strong belief in the power of markets, choice and competition to produce benefits for patients.

• 2020health research fellow, Dr Nini Adeteburu, is working as the project manager for the Mental Health Review in association with the Centre for Social Justice, a think tank closely associated with the Conservative Party.

Activities

2020health describes its primary concerns as:

• Inequalities, wise use of resources, uptake of new technologies, evidence based care.

And its current interests (autumn 2010) as:

• Commissioning; Causes of mental health illness; Elderly care; Work and wellbeing; NHS IT; Value-based pricing; long term conditions; reconfiguration; diabetic care.

Events

2020health held five fringe events at the 2010 Conservative Party conference, including" ‘Why The NHS Needs To Be Transformed By Technology’, ‘Pricing Medicines: Can we deliver value to patients AND industry?’ and ‘Pre-Hospital Care: Why the NHS is not fit for purpose’.

Publications

See list under 'Funding' below.

Funding

2020health says on its website it is "funded by people like you because it exists for you,” refering to its claim to be a"grassroots" organisation. It adds that this “ensures that we retain our independence and credibilty as a Think Tank.”

However, a number of 2020health's reports do reveal other, corporate donors it has received money from. Below is a list of reports along with who they are sponsored by:

• Health, humanity and justice: Emerging technologies and health policy in the 21st Century, October 2010. An independent review commissioned by the Conservative Party, and partly paid for by 'an unconditional educational grant from Pfizer and Genzyme. Written by Julia Manning with a Consultative Group of Professor Nigel de S. Cameron, Professor Noel Sharkey, Gregory Shenkman.
• Cutting the costs, without cancelling the services: How to save £12bn in a year, June 2010. Report advocating cost-saving policies, including axing the NHS Direct service.
• Responsibility in healthcare: changing the culture by Julia Manning and Emma Hill, published in January 2010. Funded by Bayer Healthcare. This report controversially advocated ending free treatment for minor or “lifestyle” illnesses. It includes in this varicose veins, fertility treatment, cosmetic surgery and moderate increases in blood pressure or cholesterol. Such changes would leave people needing treatment in the hands of private healthcare providers.
• Not Immune: UK vaccination policy in a changing world. (2009) Authored by Mark Weston, edited by Julia Manning. Funded by an unrestricted educational grant from Novartis Vaccines , Wyeth and Sanofi Pasteur MSD. According to the report, 2020health had full independence in the design of the study and the writing of the report.
• How should we value new medical treatments?September 2009. Funded with an unconditional educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim, Genzyme, Lilly, Pfizer, Sanofi-aventis and Shire Pharmaceuticals.
• Creating a national framework for telehealth, upcoming report (late Nov 2010). Funding: 'Several leading companies have agreed to work with us on the study: Pfizer, TPP, Tunstall and Vodafone.
• Implementing value-based pricing for pharmaceuticals in the UK, 2020health's Final Value Based Pricing Report (March 2010). Written by Panos Kanavos, Julia Manning, David Taylor, Willemien Schurer and Kyle Checchi. Paid for with grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Genzyme, Lilly, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis and Shire Pharmaceuticals
• Practised Based Commissioning: Not what it says on the tin, 2020health Discussion Paper sponsored by Sanofi-Aventis, May 2009.

Personnel

Directors

• Julia Manning, CEO and founder
• Dr Jonathan Shapiro, consultant director
• Gail Beer, consultant director
• John Cruickshank, consultant director
• Richard Lucas, consultant director
• Professor Nigel Cameron, consultant director and board member

Board members

• Tom Sackville, Chairman. Sackville – a former Conservative minister – is CEO of the International Federation of Health Plans, which represents one hundred private health insurance companies in 31 countries.
• Dr Paul Charlson is a GP and founder of a private centre which specialises in cosmetic anti aging treatments. Dr Charlson is also involved with a number of other lobby groups: He is Chair of the Conservative Medical Society - Julia Manning is its vice chair.. He is also on the steering committee of pressure group Doctors for Reform, which is supported by the free market think tank, Reform.

• John O’Dowd, Consultant Spinal Orthopaedic Surgeon, and Exec Chairman of the RealHealth Institute UK and Director AO, Switzerland. Chairman of 2020health, Tom Sackville is also a director of RealHealth UK.
• Professor Nigel Cameron, Professor of Bioethics, Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, and President of the Center for Policy on Emerging Technologies (c-pet.org) in Washington, DC
• Simon Chapman, consultant to National Council for Palliative Care.

Advisory Council

• Dame Bridget Ogilvie, Former Director of the Wellcome Trust & AstraZeneca PLC          
• Greg Shenkman, Managing Director, N M Rothschild & Sons          
• Dr Jonathon Shapiro, Senior Lecturer, Healthcare Development Unit, in the University of Birmingham Medical School & Chairman, Education for Health          
• Bob Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Optometrists        
• Victor Chong, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Oxford          
• Ash Soni, past President, National Pharmaceutical Association     
• Prof Noel Sharkey, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics & Professor of Public Engagement, University of Sheffield       
• Prof Clive Bartram, Honorary Professor of Gastrointestinal Radiology, Imperial College          
• Derek Watson, Chief Executive, Dental Practitioners Association  
• Mattilda MacAttram, Director, Black Mental Health UK          
• Dr Andy Jones, Group Medical Director, Nuffield Hospitals        
• Sally Taber, Chief Executive, Independent Healthcare Advisory Services

Contact

83 Victoria Street, London SW1H OHW

Url:www.2020health.org