News Article
19 February 2009
A health care assistant, Maria Jimenez, received an 18 month supervision order today at Nottingham Crown Court for defrauding the NHS by altering her timesheets, following an investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Service.
She also received an 18 month community punishment order (on four counts, to run concurrently) and was ordered to repay NHS Professionals (NHSP) over £1000.
Jimenez worked in temporary positions at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) via NHS Professionals, the public body which procures staff for Trusts from recruitment agencies. It became clear she was invoicing for more hours than she actually worked.
From January 2007 to the end of May 2007 Jimenez was booked to work 47 shifts on a variety of wards across both campuses of NUH. For 31 of these shifts, she altered start or finish times on her timesheets after they were signed off by her line managers, meaning she was paid extra for hours she did not work. In October 2007 Jimenez was suspended from further duties by NHSP, who called in the NHS Counter Fraud Service (CFS).
Two thirds of the inflated claims related to one particular ward at the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC), Nottingham. Jimenez was booked to work there until 9pm, but falsely claimed to have worked until 11pm, on 16 separate occasions. Jimenez added an extra five hours to one shift – while putting in an overlapping claim for an extra six hours work on another ward. She was unable to explain to NHS CFS investigators how she could be in two places at once. Jimenez also claimed to have worked in areas that were not even open at the time of morning she stated, such as the QMC GP Assessment Unit.
Commenting on the case, Managing Director of the NHS Counter Fraud Service Dermid McCausland said today:
"These acts of fraud by Maria Jimenez were systematic and prolonged, and it was in the public interest to investigate and expose them. The majority of NHS health care assistants are honest hardworking people and they are as determined as we are to track down and punish the dishonest minority who exploit their good name to abuse the system.”
-ENDS-
For more information contact James Robertson at the NHS CFS press office on 020 7895 4524. Further information on the NHS CFSMS can be found at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/fraud
Notes to Editors
1. The NHS Counter Fraud Service (NHS CFS) - a division of the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) - was established to tackle fraud and corruption throughout the NHS, whether it involves professionals, staff, patients or contractors. It aims to create a lasting anti-fraud culture.
2. Around 319 professionally-trained and accredited Local Counter Fraud Specialists are in place covering every health body in England and Wales. They are supported nationally and regionally by the NHS Counter Fraud Service. The Service investigations produced potential savings to the NHS of £7,565,014 during 2007-08.
3. In 2007-08 the NHS CFS successfully prosecuted 57 criminal cases with a 96% success rate.
4. To report any incident of suspected fraud in the NHS, please call the Fraud and Corruption Reporting Line on 0800 028 40 60.