This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Fraud costs NHS £1 billion a year
New figures released by the NHS’s new anti-fraud body suggest that the yearly bill for fraud in the NHS has topped £1 billion.
Cases include patients falsely claiming for exemptions on dental and prescription fees, and dentists charging for work they had not done.
Sue Frith, chief executive of the NHS Counter Fraud Agency, said the fraud takes vital funds from front line care.
She said the body will be looking at new ways to fight the ‘despicable’ acts of fraud.
The analysis by her team estimated that £1.25 billion of fraud is being committed each year by patients, staff and contractors - the first time the NHS has put a figure on total fraud committed itself.
The sum represents about one per cent of the NHS budget.
Frith believes the new organisation will be able to improve its detection rate. It has been given independent status and allowed to focus solely on fraud.
Responsibility for security has now been devolved down to local NHS trusts and the budget for tackling fraud increased by over 10 per cent.
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