CCGs put GPs in a challenging position, says Medical Protection

In response to the joint BMJ and The Times investigation - General practice commissioning: in whose interests?

Dr Richenda Tisdale, Medicolegal Adviser at Medical Protection said:

“GPs are acutely aware of their professional and ethical duties as set out by the General Medical Council, and use their professional judgment to identify when conflicts of interest arise.

“Trust between GPs and their patients is essential to maintaining effective professional relationships, and GPs understand that this trust may be damaged if conflicts of interests, whether actual or perceived, affect their professional decision making.

“CCGs put GPs in a challenging position of being not just the patient advocate but also the budget holder and this leaves them vulnerable to accusations of conflicting interests. In most cases it is an entirely appropriate and possibly unavoidable scenario, such as in rural areas where GPs will often sit on several boards, providing essential services for the local area. In other cases, all of the GPs in a decision-making body could have an interest in a decision, particularly where the CCG is proposing to commission services on a single tender basis from all GP practices in the area.

“However; it is important that perceived and actual conflicts are dealt with openly and stand up to public scrutiny and GPs must continue to be mindful of the need for transparency in decision making. The CCGs also have an obligation to make details on commissioning public for just this reason, and include clear and robust governance structures and processes for the scenarios when all local practices could be conflicted.”

For further information please contact Kim Watson, Media Relations Manager at Medical Protection on +44 (0) 207 399 1428 or email [email protected]