A group of four opposition MPs has urged the Department of Health and Social Care’s permanent secretary, Samantha Jones, to have no role in Government measures to regulate private clinics that assess ADHD and autism, citing concerns about a potential conflict of interest. The MPs say Jones’s recent ties to a large provider of ADHD assessments make it unsuitable for her to take part in decisions on the sector.
Samantha Jones, who is the department’s most senior civil servant, is being asked to step away from involvement in ministers’ plans to tighten oversight of the booming market for private neurodiversity assessments. Labour and Liberal Democrat members raised the matter amid growing scrutiny of private clinics that have expanded their activity in recent years.
The push to curtail aspects of the private assessment market has been framed by ministers and campaigners as a response to concerns over quality, consistency and patient safety in a rapidly growing industry. The MPs who raised the complaint said public confidence in any regulatory action could be undermined if the official overseeing parts of the process has recent industry connections.
The intervention by opposition MPs highlights tensions between efforts to bring private provision under tougher rules and the need for transparency about officials’ previous industry relationships. The call for recusal underscores broader debates about how best to regulate a fast-expanding area of care while safeguarding impartiality in policymaking.
The issue is likely to prompt further scrutiny of how conflicts of interest are managed across Whitehall as ministers consider tighter regulation of private neurodiversity assessments. The MPs’ request adds pressure on the Department of Health and Social Care to set out clear steps for managing any perceived or actual conflicts as it develops its regulatory approach.