Party Conferences
2004

BUPA maintains a high profile at the political conferences

BUPA generated debate on healthcare funding and corporate social responsibility during two successful fringe events at this year's Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative party conferences.

At the BUPA / SMF CSR fringe meeting held at the Labour party conference, Home Office Minister Fiona Mactaggart called for the industry to take the lead in providing a single, agreed standard, applicable to all companies. At the Conservative conference John Baron MP called for the Government to be more active in encouraging the voluntary sector in general, but stressed there is a fine line to tread in providing support without interfering. Whilst speaking at the Liberal Democrat fringe meeting Ed Davey MP complimented the current Government's work in the field of CSR and he admitted that the Lib Dems had to catch up on their CSR policy. The meetings coincided with the launch of a BUPA/ Social Market Foundation book entitled 'Giving Something Back: Business, volunteering and healthy communities', which considers the role that government and business can play in pushing forward the employee volunteering agenda.

The BUPA/ Populus fringe meetings entitled 'Panacea or Placebo? Public Attitudes to Private Healthcare and the Future of the NHS' precede the publication of another BUPA supported book, by the same name. The book, written by journalists Stephen Pollard and Rick Nye, was published to coincide with the BUPA Health Debate 2004 on 20 October. It sets out to identify what the British public ants out of a healthcare system at the beginning of the 21st century, and what tangible qualities and conveniences they are looking for in a modern health service.

Copies of both of these books are available from Katherine Miles in the BUPA Government Relations Team on 0207 656 2382 or at milesk@bupa.com