Revealed: Lobbying emails Cameron sent to NHS boss

THE emails sent by David Cameron in which he lobbied on behalf of Greensill Capital were revealed last night for the first time. In a message in April 2020 to Matthew Gould, head of NHSX, the health service’s digital arm, Mr Cameron described Greensill as ‘the UK’s leading fintech firm’. The lender fell into administration in March. Mr Cameron lobbied Mr Gould, who previously worked for him in government, about ‘ one of the businesses I now work with’ – Greensill Capital, whose Earnd app was being piloted in several NHS trusts, the Sunday Times reported. He also offered to introduce Mr Gould to Bill Crothers, previously one of Britain’s most senior civil servants who, it emerged last week, took a job with Greensill while working in Whitehall.

The message raised further questions for Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, as Mr Cameron wrote to Mr Gould to say that the Health Secretary was ‘extremely positive about this innovative offer’. Last week it emerged Mr Hancock met Mr Cameron and Mr Greensill for a ‘private drink’ in 2019 to discuss a new payment scheme for the NHS.

The 2020 email to Mr Gould read: ‘ Greensill have recently launched a digital solution (recently rebranded from Greensill Pay to Earnd) which helps with one of the SOS’s [Secretary of State’s] and your key priorities: helping all NHS employees’ welfare, morale, and wellbeing.’

The former Prime Minister asked NHSX to grant it access to the data of NHS employees. Within months, Earnd announced a partnership to deliver rapid payment to up to half a million NHS staff, having secured deals to get access to the sought-after data. A spokesman for Mr Cameron told the Sunday Times: ‘These discussions were about the mechanics to ensure Earnd was delivered for NHS workers in an efficient way.’