This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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European healthcare fraud
09/11/2006
Scotland is taking part in the first European Healthcare Fraud and Corruption Awareness Campaign.
The campaign aims to promote awareness, show how to report suspected fraud and deter those who commit it.
Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald said:
"The potential losses to healthcare across Europe from fraud and corruption are estimated to be at least 30 billion euros each year and may be as high as £100 billion. That is why this campaign has been launched.
"The campaign aims to raise awareness across Europe of the damage which is caused to health services, including to our own NHS, by fraud and corruption and to explain how cases of potential fraud and corruption may be reported for investigation.
"It is important to be aware that fraud and corruption can take many forms and that the people committing these crimes are always looking for new openings through which to commit them.
"We all value our NHS and it is important that we take action to protect it by reporting potential fraud or corruption where we suspect it is taking place."
As part of the European Campaign, for the next month, NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services staff will be visiting 30 locations in Scotland to reinforce the message that fraud and corruption against the NHS is wrong.
Neil Billing, Head of NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services, said:
"Counter Fraud Services is committed to reducing the levels of fraud in the NHS in Scotland but we cannot do this alone. Raising awareness of the detrimental effects of fraud encourages NHS staff to work with us to prevent and deter fraud. The types of fraud being uncovered are common across Europe and membership of the European Fraud & Corruption Network enables us to share experiences, information and solutions. This campaign is the first European Awareness Campaign and we in Scotland are working with our European counterparts to maximise the impact of the campaign."
The European Healthcare Fraud and Corruption Awareness Campaign will run from November 9 to December 9 which is UN Ant-Corruption Day. Members of the European Healthcare Fraud and Corruption Network (EHFCN) are organising initiatives in their own countries to promote awareness of health care fraud and corruption as part of the Campaign. NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services is a member of the EHFCN.
NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services (CFS) was established on July 1, 2000. Its initial role was to prevent, detect and investigate fraud and other irregularities in NHS family health services. This was subsequently extended to fraud and other irregularities within and against NHS Scotland as a whole.
Since 2000 to March 31 this year, there have been gross savings from fraud to the NHS in Scotland of more than £18 million.
4. There are various types of NHS fraud. Examples include:
the submission of payment claims for medical, surgical or dental work which has not been undertaken or inflating such claims;
patient fraud (e.g. patients using their free or discounted healthcare provision to obtain prescription medicines or healthcare for people who are not entitled to it or patients declaring they have a lower wage or salary in order to receive free or discounted healthcare or not declaring a change in financial circumstances in order to continue to obtain free or discounted healthcare);
payroll fraud (such as falsifying time sheets); or healthcare professionals creating details of patients who do not exist for treatment under state-funded or discounted health schemes.
5. During the campaign, CFS staff will visit NHS locations to highlight the detrimental effect of fraud. The full programme is listed below:
November
9: Edinburgh: Royal Infirmary
10: Edinburgh: Western General Hospital
13: Skye: MacKinnon Memorial Hospital, Portree Hospital
14: Invergordon: County Community Hospital
15: Inverness: John Dewar Building (NHS Highland), RNI Community
Hospital
16: Aberdeen: Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital
17: Aberdeen: Woodend Hospital, Royal Cornhill Hospital
20: Edinburgh/East Kilbride: Scottish Executive Health
Department/NHS National Services Scotland
21 East Kilbride: Hairmyres Hospital
22: Dumfries, Royal Infirmary
23: Dundee: Ninewells Hospital
24: Perth: Perth Royal Infirmary
27: Galashiels: Borders General Hospital
28 Dunfermline: Queen Margaret Hospital
29: Kirkcaldy: Victoria Hospital
30: Falkirk: Falkirk & District Royal Infirmary
December
1: Stirling: Stirling Royal Infirmary
4: Kilmarnock: Crosshouse Hospital
5: Ayr: Ayr Hospital
6: Greenock: Inverclyde Royal Hospital
7: Glasgow: Stobhill Hospital
8: Glasgow: Leverndale Hospital
11:Clydebank: Golden Jubilee Hospital & NHS 24
5. For information on the European Fraud and Corruption Awareness Campaign please contact Maggie Worsfold on 01506 705254 or Stephen Frier on 01506 705240 or email Maggie.Worsfold@cfs.csa.scot.nhs.uk
Contact: Ruth Jays 0131 244 251