Doing Business With the US: The Elephant ‘entering the room’

THE president of independent accountancy firms group PrimeGlobal believes the American influence in UK public service organisations like the NHS is now unavoidable.

Kevin Mead was visiting Manchester-based mid-tier member company Hurst, which he sees as a linkage point between the UK and the US.

Mr Mead, who lives in Idaho, said: “I sat next to an American guy on the flight over and he had a stack of papers with the NHS logo on it.

“He was reading documentation on how to deliver patient value. The thing is that Americans are getting involved in NHS regardless of political fears and controversy.”

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London-born Mr Mead, who describes himself as Idaho’s only Millwall fan, has lived in the US for 30 years and does think the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership(TTIP) – currently under discussion between Europe and the US – would make much difference if it came to fruition.

“The elephant’s trunk is almost through the door,” he said. “Soon the entire elephant will be in the room.

“There are differences between systems here and in the US. American companies sometimes complain about their health care costs.

“General Motors has been referred to as a health care plan which just so happens to make cars. Health care plans put American companies at a disadvantage.”

Mr Mead, who is also chief executive of PrimeGlobal, said its 300 members benefit from foreign and open trade.

“Different businesses and cultures have to be respected,” he said. “Hurst is the member in the UK I visit the most often, which reflects the level of activity the company has. This firm acts as a fulcrum for inbound business into the UK.”

PrimeGlobal was formed two-and-a-half years ago in merger between three similar organisations, Polaris, Fidunion and IGAF.