The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7359 p108
23 July 2005

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NHS fraud cut by £675m

Counter-fraud work in the NHS has led to an extra £675m being spent on patient care, the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service has claimed.

Statistics show that £175m worth of fraud by health professionals and staff has been identified and stopped since 1998, with a reduction in patient fraud worth £500m. Counter-fraud measures since 1998 have cost £59m.

Steve Lutener, head of regulation at the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, said: “Checks of prescription exemptions carried out every day by community pharmacists have helped the counter-fraud service to save £70m for the NHS.”