Former NHS healthcare assistant sentenced for fraud
A former NHS healthcare assistant has been ordered to repay £6,000 to an NHS trust and will complete a 12‑month community order after admitting to fraud.
T he individual, aged 24, was sentenced at Newcastle upon Tyne Magistrates’ Court in November 2025, following earlier guilty pleas in October 2025 to two charges of Fraud by False Representation. They must also complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity and cover £279 in additional costs.
In December 2023, their employing trust began an internal review into their ability to work, after which the individual resigned. A representative of Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust commented that the fraud resulted in a financial loss to the NHS that should have been directed towards patient care. They added that the wrongdoing was identified quickly and reported to the fraud team, ensuring the matter was addressed and the individual was held responsible. They also noted that this conduct does not reflect the behaviour of the vast majority of NHS staff, and that the case highlights the trust’s commitment to tackling fraud and safeguarding public funds.
Over a four‑month period in late 2023, the individual was absent from their role at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, supported by four GP‑issued fit notes. During this same timeframe, they worked 20 shifts as a bank nursing assistant for Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and had been allocated a further 44 shifts.
4 | SCRUTTON BLAND | COUNTER FRAUD
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog