Institutional corruption is the phenomenon in public bodies of placing the protection of reputation above fidelity to the truth, especially in the context of an independent or public inquiry.
Institutional corruption is differentiated from corruption by the institution's willingness to frustrate or slow the work of independent formal inquiries,[1] even after official reports and documentation recognise that such an inquiry is necessary.[2]
Institutional corruption is not limited to national-scale institutions. It can be as small as a single recommendation of a report rejected[3] because an institution wishes not to admit meaningful change,[4] or the misreporting of statistics in the Stafford Hospital scandal.[5]
^See, for example, Recommendation 26 from: Trust Board Meeting, Tuesday 29th June 2021, 9.30am (Part 1) (Report). Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. p. 47. Retrieved 25 August 2021. 26. The Trust to produce a statement that captures in an easy format document as to what has changed in relation to charging so that members of the public can see quickly those positive changes. Recommendation not accepted: Whilst the Trust is not planning to develop the statement as recommended by the panel, the Trust is committed to the learning enabled by the work of the panel...