Earlier this month I received a letter from a senior politician inviting me to attend a meeting on a public health topic. I have to confess that I was so distracted by being addressed as Dr Fiona Head that I failed to notice that the letter included the sentence: “The meeting is being supported by the healthcare company, Bristol-Myers Squibb.” However, when I arrived, the tabled agenda had a similar sentence across the bottom: “The logistical aspects of this meeting are being supported by Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS).”

The usual round of introductions revealed that there were two representatives of the company in the room listening to everything that was being said. The main outcome of the meeting seemed to be a proposal to hold a conference later in the year, and it seems highly likely that this will provide further opportunities for “logistical support.” Although I welcome unreservedly the transparent disclosure, when I tried to express concern about the process, the said politician assured …