Academy reaffirms commitment to transparency in relationships with industry 

The Academy has long argued that transparency by healthcare professionals is vital for the benefit of patients and their care and for this reason recommends that all doctors support pharmaceutical disclosure via Disclosure UK and the industry’s Code of Practice.

This aligns with NHS transparency principles across the UK, including NHS England’s Conflict of Interest policy. The Academy also supports guidelines reflected across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which ask all healthcare professionals and organisations to declare any conflicts of interest via their relevant local, organisational mechanism.

By participating in the publicly searchable database, Disclosure UK, and proactively reporting locally, transparency will be improved, and conflicts of interest or apparent conflicts of interest will be reduced.

For more information on how to conduct partnerships with industry, find updated guidance: NHS and Industry Partnership Guidance 2024

Dr Jeanette Dickson, Chair of the Academy Council said:

‘Cross-sector collaborations between healthcare professionals and the pharmaceutical industry have a strong track record of delivering benefits for patients, however these relationships must be transparent. The vast majority of healthcare professionals partnering with industry support disclosure via Disclosure UK, and we are pleased the rate of healthcare professionals who are choosing to declare their payments or benefits has been increasing in recent years. We want to see this trend continue and urge all members of the medical profession to choose to be open about what they receive.’