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Pharmacists form largest fraud group

Pharmacists form the largest group of National Health Service worker in England to be investigated for defrauding the NHS.

Of 542 people currently under investigation in 484 cases, 127 are pharmacists. General practitioners come close behind at 117. The value of the current cases is put at £18.3m. The figures are to be found in the latest report on NHS accounts by the auditor general, Sir John Bourne.

The report reveals that over £7.64m is expected to have been recovered as a result of the activities to date of the Department of Health’s director of counter-fraud services, Jim Gee.

In Mr Gee’s first year the sum recovered was only £80,000, but in 2000–01 over £3m was recovered. As at April 2001, a further £4.5m had been offered for recovery and 43 prosecutions were pending.

See also Community pharmacy fraud checks more widespread than first expected

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