O ne individual was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison at Southwark Crown Court in January 2026. They had previously entered a guilty plea to fraud by abuse of position in September 2025 during proceedings at the same court. The four additional defendants also received their sentences at Southwark Crown Court in January 2026. A second individual received a prison sentence of three years and two months, having earlier admitted four counts of money laundering in September 2025. A third individual was given a 12‑month sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £1,000 in costs by 31 December 2026. They had been found guilty of money laundering in October 2025 and were working for the NHS at the time. A fourth individual received an 18‑month sentence, suspended for two years, along with an order to pay £1,000 in costs by 31 December 2026. They had previously been found guilty of money laundering. A fifth individual also received an 18‑month suspended sentence and had been found guilty of money laundering in October 2025. The fraud came to light within the finance department at the trust for which they worked, after staff noticed unusual patterns in refund requests relating to funds held on behalf of patients and clients. Internal checks identified that an employee of the trust had been involved, and that this individual had access to confidential financial systems. Further examination linked them to accounts where the fraudulent payments had been directed.
NHSCFA financial investigators used their powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to track the movement of the stolen money. The investigation established that the individual had submitted fraudulent refund claims and that the proceeds had been transferred to accounts associated with the other defendants. Upon arrest, the individual gave a “no comment” interview. Documents relating to refund activity were later found at their home address. The investigation uncovered over £218,000 in fraudulent refunds that had been successfully processed, with a further £84,000 in fraudulent claims prevented, giving a total fraud value of more than £302,000. Financial analysis showed that all four co‑defendants received notable sums from the scheme, much of which was subsequently passed back to the main defendant and two of the others. A representative from the NHSCFA stated that the sentencing highlighted the seriousness of abusing a trusted role within the NHS for personal gain. They noted that the individual had misused their access to key financial systems to carry out a fraud aimed at funds belonging to patients, with others knowingly involved in laundering the proceeds. They added that swift action by the trust’s finance team, together with investigators’ use of Proceeds of Crime Act powers, led to significant losses being identified and further fraud prevented.
COUNTER FRAUD | SCRUTTON BLAND | 9
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