From Mr R. I. Dunkley, MRPharmS
SIR,—I had cause recently to report a suspected fraud by someone bringing in a prescription to my pharmacy. Not having a direct number for the fraud reporting department to hand, I decided to telephone the Freefone helpline that is detailed on the back of leaflet HC81 from the NHS Executive, which has just been delivered. It is the leaflet promising to visit all sorts of financial penalties on anyone found defrauding the system.
The woman at the end of the of the line was very helpful, and I even made her laugh in disbelief at the enormity of the fraud, but she was unable to help me further. "I'll give you the number of the Fraud Line," she said. Thus I found myself telephoning another number, and telling the story all over again. This time the answerer said to me: "I'll have to stop you there. This number is only for Scotland. I'll give you the number for England." When I telephoned the number and launched into my story for the third time, the man at the other end of the line said: "I'll have to stop you there. You have come through to the national office. What you want is the regional office." And still the fraud is not reported.
If Alan Milburn wants to enlist pharmacists' help in countering prescription fraud, he is going to have to get his act together with regard to the reporting process.
Bob Dunkley Leeds