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There's a story circulating this week that NHS hospitals sell access to maternity wards to a company (Bounty) who send in reps to collect personal details, so they can send you piles of junk mail and offers. Your information is sold to other companies targeting new parents.
You get sample packs of products, and confusingly, Bounty can also provide you with the forms to sign up for maternity benefits.
The conflict of interest seems pretty plain to me.
But what's really interesting is the Finnish solution: a newborn kit sent to every expectant mother, so everyone, regardless of income, is equipped with the same stuff. It started as a response to high child mortality, and now it's a part of Finnish modern culture - getting your new-baby box. The box can even double as a crib.
It's a great demonstration of what a policy to give everyone the same good start can provide.
You get sample packs of products, and confusingly, Bounty can also provide you with the forms to sign up for maternity benefits.
The conflict of interest seems pretty plain to me.
But what's really interesting is the Finnish solution: a newborn kit sent to every expectant mother, so everyone, regardless of income, is equipped with the same stuff. It started as a response to high child mortality, and now it's a part of Finnish modern culture - getting your new-baby box. The box can even double as a crib.
It's a great demonstration of what a policy to give everyone the same good start can provide.
