It is acceptable for staff to receive small tokens of gratitude from a relative or carer in appreciation of care and treatment received. These are typically cards, chocolates or biscuits. Where staff are offered gifts of greater value these must be politely refused. [bottles of wine?  Whisky?]  If this is difficult they must refer the matter to their line manager.

Hospitality

It is acceptable for staff to receive small promotional items, e.g. pens, calendars, diaries. However,

• staff must not accept any offer of a gift or hospitality from any individual or organisation which stands to gain or benefit from a decision NHS Lanarkshire maybe involved in determining, or who is seeking to do business with NHS Lanarkshire.

• staff must not accept any offer, by way of gift or hospitality, which could give rise to a reasonable suspicion of influence on their part to show favour, or disadvantage, to any individual, organisation or company.

• staff should consider whether there may be a reasonable perception that any gift received by their spouse or partner or by any company in which they have an interest, or by a partnership of which they are a partner, can or would influence their judgement.

Note – the term ‘gift’ includes benefits such as provision of services at a cost below that generally charged to members of the public.

Modest hospitality may be acceptable provided it is normal and reasonable in the circumstances e.g. lunches in the course of a working visit. Any hospitality accepted should be similar in scale to that which the NHS as an employer would be likely to offer.

All other offers of hospitality should be declined.

Staff should register with their line manager all such modest hospitality which they wish to accept, using the hospitality register declaration form (Appendix 3). In cases of doubt, staff should seek advice from their line manager.

If the nature of the event dictates a level of hospitality which exceeds this, then the individual should ensure that their line manager is fully aware of the circumstances and approves their attendance. An example of such an event might be an awards ceremony involving a formal dinner. If the line manager grants approval to attend, the individual should declare their attendance in the register of hospitality held by their line manager. The approving manager must ensure that this will not result in any future conflict of interest.

If the individual is invited to an event in a private capacity (e.g. as result of their qualification or membership of a professional body), they are at liberty to accept or decline the invitation without referring to their line manager. The following matters should however be considered before an invitation to an individual acting in a private capacity is accepted.
a) The individual should not do or say anything at the event that could be construed as representing the views and/or policies of NHS Lanarkshire.
b) If the body issuing the invitation has (or is likely to have, or is seeking to have) commercial or other financial dealings with NHS Lanarkshire, then it could be difficult for an individual to demonstrate that their attendance was in a private and not an official capacity. Attendance could create a perception that the individual’s independence had been compromised, especially where the scale of hospitality is lavish. Individuals should therefore exercise caution before accepting invitations from such bodies and
must inform their line manager.
c) Where suppliers of clinical products provide hospitality it should only be accepted in association with scientific meetings, clinical educational meetings or equivalent, which must be modest, normal and reasonable in the circumstances and in line with what the NHS would normally provide. Any such hospitality should be held in appropriate venues conducive to the main purpose of the event. 

Sponsorship [should be] clearly disclosed in any papers relating to the meeting; products discussed should be described in relation to the Scottish Medicines Consortium, Formulary and the active promotion of clinical products is restricted to those in the Board’s Formulary and equivalent clinical product catalogues.

Any educational meetings hosted by suppliers must be approved by the line manager.

Before accepting an offer of hospitality the individual concerned should fill in a Registering Hospitality Declaration Form (attached as appendix 3) and have it approved by their line manager. A copy of the request form will be held as part of a Hospitality Register which will be available for scrutiny by the
NHS Board, Corporate Management Team, members of the public or press should they request such information.