Four Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs have called on Samantha Jones, permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care, to recuse herself from government plans to regulate private ADHD and autism assessment clinics.
The MPs cite conflict of interest concerns linked to Jones's recent ties to a major provider of ADHD assessments, according to reporting by The Guardian. The calls come as ministers prepare to tighten regulation of what the reporting describes as a booming market in private neurodiversity assessments.
Jones holds one of the most senior civil service roles, overseeing the department responsible for health policy and regulation. The exclusion of a permanent secretary from a major regulatory initiative would be unusual and signals the MPs view the potential conflict as serious enough to warrant her stepping back entirely.
The reporting does not detail the specific nature of Jones's past industry links or the timeline of her involvement with the assessment provider. It also does not set out the precise regulatory measures ministers are considering or whether the government has responded to the MPs' demand.