NHS has clawed back £500,000 of £330m lost to patient fraud

Health boards examined more than 15,000 cases as part of a move to reduce the tens of millions of pounds lost to the NHS through dishonesty every year.

The catalogue of fraudulent incidents is thought to include cases of patients selling on prescribed medicines, falsely claiming travel expenses for appointments and lying to the NHS about benefit entitlement in order to claim free treatment or care.

Officials recovered £538,000 defrauded from the NHS after carrying out checks on 15,630 cases during the last three years, according to figures released under freedom of information laws.

The figures were published as the latest NHS counter fraud services figures showed that roughly £110 million is lost to fraud across Scotland’s health service every year.

There was also a sharp rise in the amount of patient fraud investigated year-on-year, with the number rising from 4,994 incidents three years ago, to 5,398 during 2011-12.

Scotland’s biggest health board Greater Glasgow and Clyde had the most incidents recorded at 6,985, while Lothian had 2,225 and Lanarkshire 1,646 during the three-year period.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman and deputy leader Jackson Carlaw warned that patients’ lives and NHS jobs were being put “at risk” by the loss of resources due to fraud.

He said: “Stealing from hospitals is the lowest of the low, and something we can ill afford in times like this.

“NHS Scotland estimates more than £100m is lost each year through this. New hospitals could be built for such a price, and swathes of nurses hired.

“I hope the Scottish Government is able to find a way to improve the amount collected back, because £500,000 – while a decent start – doesn’t even make a mark on the £110m missing each year.

“I also urge the courts to come down on such individuals who knowingly rob from the NHS in the most severe way they can, so those considering such a move can be left in no doubt of the consequence that awaits them.”

Meanwhile, the figures also showed that an additional £60,000 had to be recovered from fraudsters during the three-year period, with the amount increasing from £152,000 in 2009-10, to £175,000 in 2010-11 and then to £211,000 in 2011-12.

A Scottish Government spokesman yesterday insisted that action was being taken to reduce the amount of fraud committed within the NHS and the cost to the taxpayer of this.

The government spokesman said: “Any fraud against the health service is unacceptable and there must be zero tolerance of fraud.

“NHS fraud is not a victimless crime and whether committed by staff, patients, clinicians or contractors, NHS fraud takes money away from where it’s needed most.”