2020health

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.

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.”, He also chose 2020health’s annual lecture in January to launch the Conservative Party’s green paper on public health

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.

Reports it has published include:

• 'Responsibility in healthcare: changing the culture' by Julia Manning and Emma Hill, published in January 2010. This 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.

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 Charlsonis 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          
• DrJonathon Shapiro, Senior Lecturer, Healthcare Development Unit, in the University of Brimingham 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 Artifical 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