A bribe is a financial or other advantage intended to induce or reward the ‘improper performance’ of a person’s official public functions or work activities.
Generally, this means offering or receiving something of value to influence a transaction that someone shouldn’t do (offences include offering, promising, giving, requesting, accepting, or agreeing to accept).
Section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010 includes a ‘corporate’ offence, which means that commercial organisations may be held legally liable if they fail to take steps to prevent bribery by those who are associated with it.
There is a defence for organisations if they can prove that they had in place adequate procedures designed to prevent bribery from occurring on its behalf. This law is applicable to NHS bodies, meaning that the Trust must put measures in place to prevent bribery from happening.
