NHS Protect

NHS Protect is part of the NHS Business Services Authority of the National Health Service. It has responsibility in England for tackling fraud, violence, bribery, corruption, criminal damage, theft and other unlawful action such as market-fixing. It also has responsibility for tackling fraud in the NHS in Wales. It employs 160 people.

From July 2017 it will be replaced by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority which will no longer provide support and training for local NHS organisations.[1]

Theft

In July 2014 a former NHS employee, Barry 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

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

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

  1. ↑ "Jobs cut as NHS quango will 'cease to exist'". Health Service Journal. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  2. ↑ '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.
  3. ↑ "Pharmaceutical scandal: 'You pay us £300. However, your invoice will say £600. So £300 stays with you.'". Daily Telegraph. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "Telegraph drug price investigation: summary". Daily Telegraph. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "Reported assaults against NHS staff in England rose 6% last year". OnMedica. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
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