Editor's blog Monday 8 November 2010: The virtues of transparency from the Coalition Government

There is a nice line in one episode of Yes Minister about a paper on 'Open Government' - you get rid of the difficult bit in the title, and then don't have to mention it again.

It's a short segue from there to the newly-lanched transparency website created by the Coalition Government. We have previously congratulated them for their self-denying ordanance regarding a presumption to publish as much information as possible: it is a worthy successor to New Labour's Freedom Of information legislation, which jazz hands maestro Tony 'Journeyman' Blair says he now regrets.

So, what do we find at health?

No gifts - not one, for any minister. Goodness me! How tight of would-be influencers!

Mind you, the last lot didn't get zip, either.

We find about the following introductory meetings with external organisations:
Health Secretary Andrew Liberatin' Lansley
May 2010 NHS Confederation
May 2010 Local Government Association

June 2010 Independent Reconfiguration Panel
June 2010 Association Of British Pharmaceutical Industry
June 2010 National Association of Primary Care
June 2010 Academy of Medical Sciences

July 2010 Royal College of Nursing
July 2010 Macmillan Cancer - specified 'To discuss cancer policy'
July 2010 British Medical Association
July 2010 UNILEVER
July 2010 National Quality Board
July 2010  Cancer Research UK
July 2010 National Audit Office
July 2010 Mental Health Stakeholdres (future vision colaition)

Health Minister Simon 'Out Of Condition, Overweight And A Chain Smoker' Burns
May 2010 - NHS Confederation - Introductory meeting

June 2010 - Cure the NHS - To discuss the Mid-Staffordshire Inquiry
June 2010 - NHS Employers, Unison, British Medical Association, Royal College of Nursing - Introductory meeting
June 2010 National Stakeholder Forum - Engagement with key stakeholders
June 2010 - Social Partnership Forum - Roundtable discussion

July 2010 - Royal College of General Practitioners - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - Social Partnership Forum - Roundtable discussion
July 2010 - Ambulance Service Network - To discuss a single point of access and the delivery of urgent and emergency care
July 2010 - National Stakeholder Forum - Engagement with key stakeholders
July 2010 - British Medical Association - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - Confederation of British Industry - Introductory meeting

Under-Secretary Of State Earl 'Frightfully Posh' Howe
May 2010 - Association Of British Pharmaceutical Industry - Initial meeting with Association Of British Pharmaceutical Industry
May 2010 - NHS Confederation - Introductory meeting

June 2010 - Royal College of General Practitioners - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - Association Of British Pharmaceutical Industry - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - Specialised Healthcare Alliance - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - British Dental Association - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - NHS Alliance - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - National Association of Primary Care - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - Lord Mawson - Primary Care Debate
June 2010 - British Medical Association - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - Conservative Medical Society (official meeting not political) - Royal College of General Practitioners - Pharmacy Paper
June 2010 - Specialised Healthcare Alliance - Follow-up
June 2010 - Prof Sir George Alberti - Meeting to discuss (1) Violence against women (2) Diabetes (3) Healthcare for London
June 2010 - Health Link - Commissioning, PPI/PPE

July 2010 - National Voices - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - Advamed - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - British Medical Ultrasound Society - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - Social Partnership Forum - Forum supporting MS(H)
July 2010 - Eli Lilly (American pharmaceutical manufacturer) - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - British Medical Association - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - Partnerships in Care - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - Denplan - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - Lord Turnburg - Meeting about Dipex
July 2010 - Dr Foster Intelligence - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - United Kingdom Accreditation Service - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - Association of British Healthcare Industries - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - National Association of LINks Members - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - NHS Innovations South East - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - NHS Shared Business Services - Follow-up meeting
July 2010 - Bio Industry Association - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - Dental Tribune - Interview bid meeting

Health Minister Paul 'Token Liberal' Burstow
May 2010 - Counsel and Care - Introductory meeting
May 2010 - Age UK - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - Autism Programme Board – various stakeholders - To discuss Government policy on Autism services
June 2010 - Law Commission - To discuss reform of social care
June 2010 - Learning Disability programme board – various stakeholders - To discuss Government Policy on Learning Disability services
June 2010 - Social Partnership Forum – various stakeholders - Roundtable discussion
June 2010 - Social Care Reference Group – various stakeholders - To discuss reform of social care
July 2010 - Care Alliance – various stakeholders - To discuss reform of social care
July 2010 - Relatives and Residents Association - To discuss issues around older people and social care
July 2010 - Cancer Stakeholder roundtable - Various stakeholder organisations - To discuss cancer policy
July 2010 - Macmillan Cancer - To discuss cancer policy
July 2010 - Roundtable – various social care stakeholders representatives of the independent and financial sector - To discuss reform of social care
July 2010 - Roundtable – various social care stakeholders -Think tanks and academics - To discuss reform of social care
July 2010 - Cancer Research UK - To discuss cancer policy
July 2010 - National Autistic Society - To discuss Autism policy
July 2010 - Various mental health stakeholder organisations - Future Vision Coalition - To discuss mental health policy

Health Minister Anne 'Former Nurse' Milton
May 2010 - Nursing and Midwifery Council - Introductory meeting

June 2010 - Royal College of Nursing - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - National Stakeholder Forum - Round table discussion
June 2010 - International Institute for Society and Health - Introductory meeting
June 2010 -  Social Partnership Forum - Round table discussion
June 2010 - Royal College of Midwives - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - Smokefree Action Coaltion - Introductory meeting and to discuss the future of tobacco control
June 2010 - General Medical Council - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - Faculty of Public Health - Introductory meeting
June 2010 - Council of Deans - Introductory meeting

July 2010 - Royal College of General Practitioners - Introductory meeting
July 2010 - Macfarlane Trust and Eileen Trust - To discuss contaminated blood
July 2010 - Work Foundation - To discuss their thinking on workforce wellbeing
July 2010 - The Haemophilia Society, Manor House Group and The Hepatitis C Trust - To discuss contaminated blood
July 2010 - UK Public Health Association - To discuss their role in the development of improved public health systems
July 2010 - British Retail Consortium, Association of Convenience Stores, National Federation of Retail Newsagents - To discuss the tobacco display ban
July 2010 - African HIV Policy Network , National AIDS Trust, Family Planning Association, Terrence Higgins Trust, Medical Foundation for AIDS & Sexual Health and Brook - Introductory meeting

You can also peruse DH civil servants' expenses claims from April-June 2009 (the last one featuring Mark Britnell); July-September 2009; October-December 2009; and and January-March 2010.