NHS England will strengthen rules for managing conflicts of interest in CCGs

NHS England will introduce tougher rules for managing conflicts of interest in clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) as part of an NHS-wide overhaul of its policies.

In a strengthening of its statutory guidance to GP led bodies, NHS England will require all CCGs to nominate a conflicts of interest guardian to ensure “firmer and more consistent” decision making.

The changes, announced after a recent joint investigation by The BMJ and the Times newspaper,1 which found significant variation in the management of conflicts and the levels of transparency, will also advise CCGs to increase lay member numbers on their governing body from two to a minimum of three to provide extra scrutiny for …