A motion passed at a UCL Union ¡°emergency members¡¯ meeting¡± on 1 December says that ¡°in taking up the position of NHS commissioning board chair, Malcolm Grant is complicit in the carving up of the NHS as a public service¡±.

The motion had previously been passed by the union¡¯s council, which sent it on for wider approval at a members¡¯ meeting.

It argues that Professor Grant has ¡°a track record of actively undermining public services and public funding ¨C including education ¨C and has actively encouraged [tuition] fee rises behind closed doors¡±.

The no confidence motion, titled ¡°Hands off the NHS, hands off our education: Malcolm Grant has got to go¡±, is now UCL Union¡¯s official policy.

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Luke Durigan, UCL Union¡¯s education and campaigns officer, said it was the first time the union had passed a motion of no confidence in a provost.

But the motion will now go to an online ¡°referendum¡± of students, as some were shut out of the meeting owing to limited capacity at the venue.

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The union¡¯s no confidence position could be overturned if a majority of students support Professor Grant in the referendum.

A UCL spokesman said the institution ¡°encourages vigorous debate¡±.

¡°We don¡¯t believe that this vote necessarily reflects majority opinion among the student body at UCL ¨C many students were unable to get into the meeting, and UCL Union¡­is now in the process of organising a vote that will enable all students to express a view.¡±

In the vote, 160 students voted no confidence in Professor Grant, 86 confidence and 28 abstained.

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Professor Grant will work as NHS commissioning board chair for two days a week and give the ?63,000 annual salary to UCL, while remaining in his UCL post on a full salary.

His UCL salary, benefits and pension contributions came to ?337,655 in 2010-11, according to the institution¡¯s accounts, down from ?365,131 the previous year.

The UCL Union motion says it is ¡°inappropriate for Grant to hold the position of provost and the position of NHS commissioning board chair, and that this is inconsistent with a full-time commitment to our university¡±.

The college¡¯s spokesman said that as ¡°an institution at the forefront of UK medicine¡±, UCL must ¡°lead the development and implementation of national healthcare policy¡±.

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He added that Professor Grant¡¯s NHS role ¡°is part of our institution¡¯s national commitment and warmly supported by the university¡¯s senior management team¡±.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com