Although it can be touching to receive a token of appreciation from a patient or a treat from a professional contact, it is important that dental professionals make sure that this does not impact their impartiality or affect their professional judgment.
Leo Briggs, dento-legal adviser at the DDU says:
“Dental professionals are always pleased to hear positive feedback and thanks from a happy patient and at Christmas time this may come in the form of a gift. However it is important to remember that accepting a gift from a patient could be misconstrued. While a box of biscuits or a bottle of wine is unlikely to be looked upon as anything more than a kind gesture, accepting something more substantial may be considered inappropriate and the dental professional’s motives could be called into question. At the same time, even small gifts could ring alarm bells in the context of other behaviour, for example, if the dental professional suspects that the patient has romantic feelings and in such circumstances, the gift may be best declined.
“GDC guidance states that you must refuse any gifts, payment or hospitality if accepting them could affect, or could appear to affect, your professional judgment.With this in mind, dental professionals should weigh up the impact of accepting a gift from a patient and may wish to consider declining the gift if they feel that their reasons for accepting could be misconstrued, or if the patient is likely to think that the gift will have an impact on their clinical care.”
While patients may wish to express their gratitude to a member of the dental team by giving a gift, professional contacts, such as pharmaceutical suppliers, may want to treat dental professionals to hospitality such as meals out, hampers or even theatre tickets. This can be particularly problematic as it could be perceived as a bribe in exchange for prescribing certain medicines or using a particular supplier. Section 300 (4) of the Human Medicines Regulations Act 2012 states that a person qualified to prescribe or supply medicinal products may not solicit or accept any gift, pecuniary advantage, benefit or hospitality, unless it is inexpensive and relevant to medical practice. This includes sponsorship of attendance at a meeting or event and the payment of travel or accommodation expenses.
Leo Briggs continues:
“No dental professional wants to appear ungrateful or offend a patient or professional contact by declining a kind offer of a gift but it is important that they think carefully before accepting and make sure that their intentions cannot be misunderstood.”