NHS Requirement 12
The organisation has a managing conflicts of interest policy and registers that includes reference to gifts and hospitality with reference to fraud, bribery and corruption, and the requirements of the Bribery Act 2010. Staff awareness of the requirements of the policy are tested sufficiently regularly to demonstrate effectiveness of the process.
Note
The Bribery Act 2010 Section 7 – Failure of a commercial organisation to prevent bribery (corporate offence). An organisation may avoid conviction if it can show that it had procedures and protocols in place to prevent bribery. A GREEN rating from the NHSCFA is not in itself assurance that the organisation has adequate procedures and protocols in place in order to rely upon this defence.
Guidance, supporting documentation and evidence
Organisations should consider the following (the list is not exhaustive):
- Bribery Act 2010
- NHSCFA counter fraud manual Bribery Act Guidance
- NHS England "Managing Conflicts of Interest in the NHS" Guidance for staff and organisations.
- Organisational code of conduct
- Gifts and hospitality policy and declarations
- Constitution (for NHS foundation trusts)
- Staff surveys and other evaluation materials
- Code of conduct declarations
- Standards of business conduct policy and declarations
- Relevant clauses in staff contracts of employment
- Publicity in relation to the code of conduct
- Evidence of measures to evaluate awareness of the code of conduct among staff, and of changes made to increase it
- NHS Standard Contract General Condition 27 - Conflicts of Interest and Transparency on Gifts and Hospitality
- Ethical Standards for Providers of Public Services