NHS Protect
NHS Protect formed part of the NHS Business Services Authority of the National Health Service until 2017. It had responsibility in England for tackling fraud, violence, bribery, corruption, criminal damage, theft and other unlawful action such as market-fixing, and it had responsibility for tackling fraud in the NHS in Wales. It employed 160 people. NHS Protect was replaced by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority in April 2017.[1]
Theft
[edit]In July 2014 a former NHS employee, Trevor Cosson, was sentenced to five years in prison, following an investigation by NHS Protect. Cosson had defrauded the NHS of £2.2 million when he managed the payment systems for East Sussex Primary Care Trusts.[2]
Price fixing
[edit]In June 2013 the Daily Telegraph infiltrated reporters into the annual Pharmacy Congress to investigate malpractice in the market for Specials.[3] These products are generally individually priced. In November 2013 the paper reported that "The prices of more than 20,000 drugs could have been artificially inflated, with backhanders paid to chemists who agreed to sell them" and that NHS Protect had mounted an investigation.[4]
Violence against staff
[edit]In November 2013 it was reported that the number of criminal sanctions taken in cases of violence against NHS Staff had risen from 1257 in 2011/2 to 1458 in 2012/3, a rise of 15.9%. There was a rise of 5.8% in total reported assaults from 59,744 in 2011–12 to 63,199 in 2012–13.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Dunhill, Lawrence (29 March 2017). "Jobs cut as NHS quango will 'cease to exist'". Health Service Journal. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ 'NHS trust man steals £2m' Trevor Barry Cosson, aged 38, of Tenterden Rise, Hastings, used the stolen money to purchase properties in Hastings and London. Eastbourne Herald 1 August 2014.p 16.
- ^ "Pharmaceutical scandal: 'You pay us £300. However, your invoice will say £600. So £300 stays with you.'". Daily Telegraph. 20 June 2013. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ^ "Telegraph drug price investigation: summary". Daily Telegraph. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ^ "Reported assaults against NHS staff in England rose 6% last year". OnMedica. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.