C O G P E D

Committee of GP Education Directors

COGPED guidance on training with close family members

COGPED recognises that there is the potential for significant probity issues to arise if GP registrars are trained by close family members.

This paper summarises COGPED’s opinion on this issue and provides guidance for GP trainers and training practices, GP specialty registrars, and Deaneries. This is in line with the current guidance given to appraisers about who it is appropriate to appraise.

A trainee should not be placed in an educational environment where there may be conflicts of interest that affect the objectivity of their trainer. Placing a GP SRT in a practice where a close family member is the trainer, or a partner, or regular Performer working in the practice, is seen to compromise that objectivity. 

The issues can be summarised:

§  There is a potential lack of objectivity / influence around assessments.

§  There is a risk of decreased validity of the multisource feedback and the Patient Survey Questionnaire could also be at risk, as patients are quick to recognise relationships.

§  This could present a strong conflict of interest in any potential situation of assessing the marginally competent trainee.

§  The trainer could be vulnerable should any issues arise with the trainee.

COGPED agrees that GPSTR Training programmes should not allocate trainees to such a placement and sees it as a probity issue that trainees, trainers and practices are honest enough to inform the programme of any conflict of interest.  

COGPED recommendation;

A trainer should not train a member of his or her immediate family (i.e. son/daughter/brother/sister/ husband/wife) or a member of a partner’s or regular Performer’s (in the practice) close family, nor any other arrangement where there could be a perceived conflict of interest.

Thank you to the Northern Ireland Deanery for the wording of the recommendation

April 2010