Following the National Audit Office (NAO) 2015 Report on Managing conflicts of interest in NHS clinical commissioning groups, which led to a revision of NHS England's Statutory guidance on managing conflicts of interest for clinical commissioning groups in June 2016, it is interesting to note that the on-going [closes on 31 October] public consultation on the broader issue of Managing conflicts of interest in the NHS includes a section on conflicts of interest in procurement.
The management of conflicts of interest in procurement is an interesting area of growing practical relevance, but also one where the law applicable to the activities of NHS England is increasingly complex and in need of consolidation (see the main findings of a recent research project I carried out at the University of Bristol Law School here). In that context, the adoption of additional guidance seems appropriate, although it should be carefully designed to ensure that it does not conflict with mandatory legal requirements.
The Managing conflicts of interest in the NHS consultation document is interesting in many aspects and puts forward a rather specific and quite polished view of the need to increase the transparency of both the rules and the decisions concerning the management of conflicts of interest across the activities of the public health system in England. However, it also contains some principles and rules which, in my view, could be improved and I hope that they will be revised as a result of the public consultation. With that aim, I have submitted a response to the consultation, which I am happy to share with anyone interested via email (a.sanchez-graells@bristol.ac.uk). I would also encourage anyone with a couple of hours to spare to contribute to the public consultation before it closes on Monday.
I will write again about this once the final recommendations of the Task and Finish Group of experts are published.