Dental regulator supports statement issuing advice on conflicts of interest

Conflicts of interest can arise in situations where someone’s judgement may be influenced, or perceived to be influenced, by a personal, financial or other interest. The NHS guidance released in February 2017, highlighted that there are increasing numbers of multidisciplinary teams and environments across the sector. This led to the nine health regulators uniting to create the complimentary statement, which was released on August 8.

The regulators’ statement sets out the expectations of health and care professionals in relation to avoiding, declaring and managing conflicts of interest across all areas. It also includes advice on putting the interests of people in their care before their own, maintaining appropriate personal and professional boundaries and being open about any conflict as early as possible. This advice has been illustrated in a series of case studies, which have been published alongside the statement.

A spokesperson from the General Dental Council, said, “We are delighted to announce that we have signed the joint regulator statement offering advice regarding conflicts of interest. It is important that dental professionals are supported and familiar with the guidance available. This will enable them to uphold the GDC Standards, which includes putting patients’ interests first.”