Health chiefs have expressed concern about a deal which could allow commercial drug companies to carry out local NHS work.
Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which manages the town’s NHS services, has passed a policy which will let pharmaceutical firms work with GPs on public health projects.
So far such projects – carried out in other health authorities – have been used to formulate care policies for people with various conditions, including cancer, arthritis and asthma.
But Holmfirth GP and CCG board member, Dr David Hughes, warned that the financial interests of drug companies would interfere with patient care and lead to extra costs.
Dr Hughes said: “They only want to do this for their own financial interests.
“We are blind if we think they are doing this for altruistic reasons.”
Under the policy, pharmaceutical companies will be banned from using their CCG contracts for promotional purposes.
The CCG will also be able to pull the plug if the project breaks NHS guidelines.
But Dr Hughes said: “It will end up costing the CCG more than we will save. They will coerce us to prescribe stuff from their particular company.
“This is about the CCG endorsing ‘company A’ to work for us. It’s about them promoting their image in general.
“It’s the wrong way to go.”
Board member Dr Chris Beith added: “There’s a risk of pharmaceutical companies doing data trawls, bamboozling us and doing trials that show limited benefit.”
But board chief officer, Carol McKenna, said Greater Huddersfield CCG needed a formal policy following approaches to GPs from drug firms.
Ms McKenna said that while the deal would pave the way for joint working, no scheme may ever be commissioned.
She said: “All decisions would need to be signed off by the CCG board.”
