The BBC’s guidelines on impartiality say “We should not automatically assume that contributors from other organisations (such as academics, journalists, researchers and representatives of charities and think-tanks) are unbiased.  Appropriate information about their affiliations, funding and particular viewpoints should be made available to the audience, when relevant to the context”.  The context on this occasion was a report on a speech by the Health Secretary setting out new measures aimed at tackling poor performance in the NHS, including the re-introduction of hospital rankings.  In the ECU’s judgement, the item’s description of the IEA as a “free market think tank” fulfilled the requirement to provide appropriate information for listeners to form their own view of the IEA’s comment.

Not upheld