Ex-Marks & Spencer boss Stuart Rose brought in as adviser

Works for private equity firm looking to takeover NHS care

Rose ‘helping’ hospital … while Care UK bids for the contract

Jeremy Hunt is drafting in ex-Marks & Spencers boss Stuart Rose to conduct a review of hospitals. But eyebrows have been raised by Rose’s role with private equity firm Bridgepoint, which owns Care UK — a health firm at the forefront of the stealth privatisation of the NHS.

Tory-supporting Rose addressed Conservative Party conference in October 2010 (above) before putting his name to a letter backing austerity policies just days later.

But it gets worse. The government’s press release explains:

“Sir Stuart will particularly look at the problems faced by the 14 trusts currently in ‘special measures’, the programme to turn-around failing hospitals introduced last year, where strong leadership was identified as key to improvement.”

One of the hospitals which Sir Stuart will be ‘helping’ is George Eliot in Warwickshire. This hospital is currently subject to a takeover bid from, errrr, Care UK.

Conflict of interest much?