Bribery Act may have impact on profession

Free frames and other gifts such as a bottle of champagne, free lunch, a day out or holiday could be considered bribery under a new act due to come into force in April 2011.

Speaking to Optician after the deadline for responses to draft guidance for the Bribery Act passed, dispensing optician and tax adviser Yogesh Patel also warned that suppliers negotiating discounts in practices could be considered as bribery under the Act.

'Before giving away something like a frame, pair of lenses or contact lenses to a customer, suppliers will potentially have to justify and keep records to prove that what they gave was not to make the customer do something that they wouldn't do normally,' said Patel.