Healthy Skepticism Library item: 17616

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Spence D
Politics of conflict: doctors, like MPs, should declare their interests
BMJ 2010 Mar 31; 340:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/340/mar31_2/c1780

Abstract:

Professional politicians are a particular breed-pretending to listen, never actually answering a direct question, revelling in their opponents’ pain, and changing with their stance to match public opinion. They are fundamentally opportunistic, being the first to criticise others, especially in the public sector. So when pilloried in the parliamentary expenses scandal for employing their children and spouses; enriching themselves through property; and claiming for the petty to the preposterous, they found little sympathy from doctors. Now politicians are in the dock over lobbying-acting as paid mouthpieces for corporations or unions. The indignant honest majority of MPs now bail for complete transparency.
In 2004 there was a move towards transparency in medicine, with Scottish government policy to establish a register of doctors’ “interests,” specifically around hospitality and payments, that would be open to public scrutiny (BMJ 2004;328:69, doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7431.69). But no doctor that I know has been asked to . . .