Statement from ABHI - June 2018

"Over the years many healthcare professionals have benefited from industry funding their attendance at educational and training events run by third party organisations, such as professional societies. This funding has enabled a level of participation that might otherwise not have been possible, given the financial constraints under which the healthcare systems operates.

 

Because of changes in the ethical compliance environment, the medical technology industry has concluded that there needs to be greater separation between commercial and educational activities. As such, it has been decided that companies will no longer provide financial support directly to a healthcare professional for educational events but that such funding will be routed through an appropriate intermediate organisation.

 

The intermediate organisation could be a Health Care Organisation such as a Trust, a charitable body, such as a professional society, a Royal College or a professional conference organiser.

 

Companies will therefore no longer determine which HCPs should receive financial support, creating a “firewall” between the award of an educational grant and the company providing the funding.

 

We understand that the money provided by industry to Healthcare professionals can be a significant source of funding for clinical organisations and it is important to understand that these changes in no way reflects a desire by industry to reduce its support for these activities. Industry remains fully committed to supporting independent medical education.

 

These changes are being brought in on a European basis (see MedTech Europe leaflet below) and in the UK are being adopted within the ABHI Code of Ethical Business Practice. Full details of the ABHI code can be found here and below"