Hundreds of NHS consultants have financial conflicts with private hospitals

A significant number of NHS consultants have financial interests in private hospitals and many have failed to declare them, according to a report from the Centre for Health and Public Interest (CHPI).1

The report, which looked at how private hospitals use financial incentives to win the business of medical consultants, said that a significant number of NHS consultants (546) own shares and equipment in private hospitals, giving them a potential financial incentive to refer patients to these hospitals for treatment.

Private hospitals were also found to give consultants who referred patients to them “substantial amounts of corporate hospitality,” with an estimated £1.5m (€1.7m; $1.9m) worth of gifts given …