News Article
08 September 2010
Royal London Hospital pharmacy clerk jailed for £38K NHS fraud
Immediate release – Wednesday 8 September 2010
A part time clerical assistant who worked in a London hospital, has been jailed for eighteen months following an investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Service (Snaresbrook Crown Court, Monday 6 September).
Georgina Price, 41, of Stocker Gardens, Dagenham, Essex, defrauded Barts and The London NHS Trust of £38,000. She forged her former managers’ signatures and submitted false timesheets claiming payment for a 40 hour week long after she had stopped working at The Royal London Hospital, which is part of the Trust.
In August 2007, Price was offered a temporary contract of 18 hours a week working in the Pharmacy unit at The Royal London Hospital. In February 2008, she left to take up a permanent position with a neighbouring NHS Trust. On the way to or from her new job, she regularly got off the train to personally hand in forged timesheets to the internal mail system at her old place of work.
Price’s deception continued until June 2009 when a new payroll processing system required additional information and it was spotted that Price had not worked at The Royal London Hospital for the previous 16 months.
Price pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud by false representation and was ordered to pay £37,200 compensation within eight weeks. His Honour Judge King stated that “in the current financial climate this was a substantial loss of funding to frontline services”.
Kevin Cane, London Operational Fraud Manager, NHS Counter Fraud Service, said: “The money that Georgina Price received by deception should have been used for patient care. Her actions were deliberate and premeditated. We hope that her conviction sends out the message to potential fraudsters that we will not tolerate the loss of valuable NHS resources for the personal gain of a dishonest minority”.
-ENDS-
For more information contact James Robertson or Daryl Barrett at the NHS CFS press office on 020 7895 4524 /4523. Out of hours mobile 07717 851 926
Further information on NHS CFS at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/CounterFraud.aspx
Notes to Editors
1. The NHS Counter Fraud Service (NHS CFS) - a service of the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) - was established to tackle fraud and corruption throughout the NHS and Department of Health whether it involves professionals, staff, patients or contractors. It aims to create a lasting anti-fraud culture.
2. Temporary staff are required to complete their weekly timesheets listing the days and hours worked. It is then countersigned by a senior member of staff and forwarded to the bank agency for payment.
3. Around 300 professionally-trained and accredited Local Counter Fraud Specialists are in place covering every health body in England and Wales.
4. The value of fraud and unlawful action identified in 2009/10 was £10,951,069.
5. In 2009-10 the NHS CFS successfully prosecuted 65 criminal cases.
6. To report any incident of suspected fraud in the NHS, please call the Fraud and Corruption Reporting Line on 0800 028 40 60 or report online at http://www.reportnhsfraud.nhs.uk