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The former head of Amazon UK has applied to become the head of the NHS in England.
Douglas Gurr, 57, was a global vice-president and head of Amazon UK from 2016 to 2020.
The applicant, from Leeds, who faced controversy over Amazon's tax practices and access to NHS data, was interviewed by Treasury officials last week.
The successful candidate will replace Lord Stevens of Birmingham, who has been the chief executive of the health firm since 2014.
Douglas Gurr, 57, was a global vice-president and head of Amazon UK from 2016 to 2020 and has applied to become the head of the NHS in England
It is likely to be controversial after Amazon's UK corporation tax bill halved to £4.5million in 2016, when Gurr took over as head of the UK branch, The Sunday Times reported.
The publication also revealed in 2019 that the company had been given free access to data from the NHS, with a partnership going beyond Alexa smart speaker.
Last year, Gurr told the Financial Times that the company was 'very happy to pay all the required taxes'.
In Gurr's time at the global retail giant, which also saw him operate as President of the company's China operations, Amazon also came under criticism in 2019 for not doing enough to fight climate change.
Thousands of Amazon employees signed a letter to the company's chief executive Jeff Bezos demanding an urgent need of leadership regarding its environmental impact.
Unite union executive officer Sharon Graham, who is leading a campaign for trade union rights at Amazon, said: 'Appointing a former Amazon boss as head of the NHS in England is like putting a fox in charge of a hen house.
'It is an alarming signal from this Tory government. Amazon is steeped in corporate irresponsibility, including tax avoidance, poor working conditions and union busting.
'Amazon's values are
