All GPs will be legally required to declare any conflicts of interests to their CCG, regardless of whether they are they are on the organisation’s governing body or not.
An amendment made in by peers in the House of Lords during the passage of the Health and Social Care Act requires all CCGs to publish a register of all members’ and employees’ interests.
Ben Troke, Partner at law firm Browne Jacobson LLP, admitted to delegates at the Commissioning Show in London last week (27 June) “further clarification” was needed to halt the confusion over who constitutes as ‘CCG members’.
When asked by GP Business, a spokesperson from the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) confirmed all GPs will be named as members of CCGs and will have to adhere to the law around conflicts of interest.
“All GPs who provide essential primary medical services to registered patients during core hours will be required to be members of a CCG,” said the spokesperson.
”CCGs must maintain registers of interest in relation to GPs who are members of the CCG, its governing body, or members of a committee or subcommittee of the group or its governing body, and any other employees of the group.
“CCGs must also make arrangements to ensure that these individuals declare any conflict or potential conflict of interest as soon as practicable after they are aware of it and in any event within 28 days.”
Troke predicted there will not be many conflicts of interest among practice staff and as such the burden of CoI registers will be “more of a problem in theory rather than in practice”.
