Health Professions: Conflict of Interests
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to minimise conflicts of interest within the medical profession.
Answered by Karin Smyth
The General Medical Council (GMC) is the regulator of all medical doctors, anaesthesia associates (AAs), and physician associates (PAs) practising in the United Kingdom. It sets and enforces the standards all doctors, AAs, and PAs must adhere to. The GMC is independent of the Government, is directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties.
The GMC’s core guidance, Good medical practice, sets out what is expected of all registrants, including ‘Acting with honesty and integrity’ and ‘Sharing information with patients’ which requires that medical practitioners be ‘open and honest with patients about any interests’ that may affect, or could be seen to affect, the way they propose, provide, or prescribe treatments, or refer patients. This guidance is made under powers in the Medical Act 1983. The GMC can take action against professionals who fail to meet these requirements, and serious or persistent breaches that pose a risk to patient safety and/or public trust may put a registrants’ registration at risk. The GMC’s core guidance, Good medical practice, is available at the following link:
https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/good-medical-practice-2024---english-102607294.pdf
Although the Department is not currently taking steps to minimise conflicts of interest, all medical professionals are expected to be open and transparent about any relevant interests, to enable patients to make informed decisions about their treatment and care.
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