T he individual appeared at Reading Crown Court in April 2025, following a guilty plea to fraud by false representation under Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006 at East Berkshire Magistrates’ Court in September 2024. They were suspended from their role as Senior Sister in the Emergency Department at the hospital at which they worked on 21 April 2023, after suspicions of fraudulent activity surfaced. An internal review revealed that between December 2020 and April 2023, they exploited their administrative privileges on the Trust’s Health roster system to add shifts for themselves and claim payment for bank shifts they did not actually work, resulting in a loss of £19,575.41 to the Trust. Having joined the Trust in January 2013, their seniority gave them the ability to manage and alter shift schedules, including their own, which they used to commit the fraud. In May 2023, they voluntarily attended an interview under caution and confessed to the fraudulent activity. Their sentencing at Reading Crown Court included an 18-month suspended sentence, 200 hours of community service, and a requirement to complete 15 rehabilitation days. The NHS Counter Fraud Authority is now pursuing recovery of the stolen funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The Local Counter Fraud Specialist who led the investigation, commented that the individual had betrayed the trust of both their employer and colleagues, claiming pay for hours they did not work and forcing others to cover their absence. It is hoped that this case will deter others from defrauding the NHS. The Chief People Officer at the NHS Foundation Trust reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to addressing fraud and encouraged staff to report any concerns so they can be investigated with the help of Counter Fraud Specialists.
COUNTER FRAUD | SCRUTTON BLAND | 5
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