Avoiding conflicts of interest is presumably something that executives in pharma companies get very good at. I’d be willing to bet Paul Blackburn didn’t see this one coming though.

Blackburn, a senior vice president at GlaxoSmithKline, has been forced to resign his position on the non-executive board of the UK body responsible for school standards. He survived just weeks in the role, reports the Financial Times today.

The problem? GSK makes drugs. Some drugs are used for children. And children go to schools.

Pharma bashing seems to have reached a new low.

Blackburn’s problems really started when last week’s edition of UK paper the Mail on Sunday ran an article headlined ‘Boss of drug firm behind cervical cancer jabs for schoolgirls is on board of Ofsted’.

The paper quoted “childcare expert Phil Frampton” saying, “Drug trials using children in care are a modern form of child slavery, only more insidious. Do we want the modern Bodysnatchers at the heart of the care system using their position on Ofsted as a cover for their global exploitation of children in care?”

What qualifies him to be a childcare expert isn’t explained in the Mail story, which is not to say that he isn’t eminently qualified.

Critics of the appointment were also unhappy that GSK recently won a government contract to supply a cervical cancer vaccine to schoolgirls, and potentially saving some of their lives. Won’t somebody think of the children?

The best of their complaints though, as explained by the FT is that GSK “tested and produced drugs that have caused side-effects”. I’m not the biggest fan of big pharma but really, come on, isn’t that their job?

Here’s the current membership of the Ofsted non-executive board, with Great Beyond thoughts on their potential conflict of interests.

George Battersby, Director of Human Resources, Cable & Wireless

Children use telephones! And ‘human resources’ sounds like he thinks children are a resource to be exploited! Get him off!

Paul Blackburn, Senior Vice President Financial Controller, GlaxoSmithKline

Yusuf Chuku, Founding Partner, Staufenberger, Smith & Butte [advertising agency]

Some adverts are for children! Get this person away from our schools!

Vijay Sodiwala, Managing Director, Digital Ventures, Chime Communications plc

Another marketing firm? Off!

Sharon Collins, Executive Director of Operational Services, Scope

Charity work? That’s fine. You can stay.

Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector

Well the Queen has grand-children. Conflict of interest alert!

David MacLeod, Senior Advisor, Towers Perrin

A company involved in “human capital strategy”? Sounds like a modern form of slavery to me. Off!

Jane Roberts, Director of Quality and Performance, Islington Primary Care Trust

PCTs oversee medicine! Medicine has side-effects! Get her off!

John Roberts, former Chief Executive, Royal Mail and Deputy Chair, BECTA

I don’t know what BECTA does but you can’t be too careful. Off!

Museji Takolia, Group Chairman, Metropolitan Housing Partnership

Children live in houses! You’re out.

Chris Trinick, former Chief Executive, Lancashire County Council

Chris can stay, provided he can prove there are no children in Lancashire.

Image: Punchstock