Paul Jerram, the head of medicines management at the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), is at the centre of a Daily Telegraph expose that they claim “raise questions about the impartiality of public sector staff who control budgets worth millions of pounds”.
The report claims that Mr Jerram, who has been Head of Medicines Management at NHS Isle of Wight for over 11 years, charges thousands of pounds to organise ‘advisory board’ meetings around the world for drug companies.
Suspension “a neutral act” says CCG
The Isle of Wight CCG say that Mr Jerram has been suspended whilst they investigate the claims, but stress that it is “a neutral act which protects both the individual and the organisation”.
Mr Jerram says, “I believe that I have acted in the best interests of the NHS.”
The expose
An undercover reporter for the Daily Telegraph secretly filmed a meeting with Mr Jerram (see below), in which he talks about his involvement,
“We have to be careful not to choose a nice venue, just because it is a nice venue, but it does sway people.
“Even the waste bins [are] gold plated. You know I had this jacuzzi in my room, the works!”
He went on to say,
“I can only describe it as superb. All the delegates came back with this glow. Great company.”
When the undercover reporter asked whether many of the delegates decided to switch drug companies afterwards, he replied,
“100 per cent.
He later said,
“I’m told I’m very influential …. but I don’t know how influential I am.”
Investigation underway
A spokesman for Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group told OnTheWight,
“We recognise that these are serious allegations. We are undertaking an internal investigation and will complete a thorough review.
“Whilst this investigation is being undertaken we have suspended the Head of Medicines Management.
“This is a neutral act which protects both the individual and the organisation. In view of the investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
“I believe that I have acted in the best interests of the NHS seeking the most effective medicines for the benefit of patients and the wider NHS. In view of the investigation it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this time.”
NHS Protect investigation
The claims made by The Daily Telegraph have also sparked a wider investigation. A spokesperson for NHS England said,
“These are extremely serious allegations so we have immediately directed NHS Protect to launch a full investigation of each and every case identified by this press report.”
A Department of Health spokesman said,
“If these allegations are true, this is completely outrageous and amounts to an abuse of the trust that patients place in NHS staff. The NHS fraud protection body has launched an urgent investigation and we expect each Trust and Clinical Commissioning Group involved to launch a full inquiry.”
The Telegraph report
This is how the Daily Telegraph reported the undercover investigation,
Paul Jerram, the head of medicines management at , revealed he had recently attended a meeting in Germany at which a company took 12 “payers” to “one of the top 10 hotels in the world”. He claimed that each delegate was paid £500 a day to attend and all of those who were invited “switched” to the drug company’s product after the trip. Several attendees separately admitted they attended, but denied they had changed medicines afterwards.
CCGs and hospital Trusts make decisions on which medicines should be used across the country – from GP surgeries to hospital wards.
The Isle of Wight CCG said it was launching an investigation, with which Mr Jerram told The Daily Telegraph he was “co-operating fully”.
Image: © Daily Telegraph
