Information requested
Please provide figures on a financial year basis: 1 April 2017 – 31 March 2022 (i.e., FY 2017/18 to 2021/22 inclusive), and please use your standard NHSCFA reporting basis for year allocation. If a different basis is used (e.g., by date closed), a brief note is fine.
For the years 2017–2022, please provide:
i) Annual trust-level totals:
1. Referrals to the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (count) 2. Number of proven fraud incidents (disciplinary or criminal) 3. £ value lost (total) 4. £ value recovered (total)
Clarification:
Please accept this as confirmation that my request covers all NHS trusts in England (acute, specialist, mental health, community, and ambulance).
For clarity, the scope remains:
Period: 1 April 2017 – 31 March 2022 (FY 2017/18 to 2021/22 inclusive).
If you do not hold information back to 2017/18, please provide the figures for as far back as you hold them within that window, indicating the first year held.
Annual trust-level totals (using your standard NHSCFA reporting year allocation; if a different basis is used—e.g., by date closed—please note this):
Referrals to the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (count)
Number of proven fraud incidents (disciplinary or criminal)
£ value lost (total)
£ value recovered (total)
NHSCFA response
In response to your request, a search of records has identified reports received from the Trusts. The attached table shows the total reports received from 01/11/2019 – 31/03/2022 where the source is confirmed as being from a Trust. The table identifies reports from individual Trusts.
No data is recorded prior to 01/11/2019.
1.Referrals to the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (count) See attached data.
2.Number of proven fraud incidents (disciplinary or criminal) From the attached list of 266 allegations received there are four that have become investigations where fraud has been proven.
3.£ value lost (total) One fraud identified figure of £24,000 and a fraud loss figure of £676.
4.£ value recovered (total) as above.
The following caveats apply to the data:
Trust staff may report allegations directly to a Trust via a Local Counter Fraud Specialist and not via NHS Counter Fraud Authority.
There may also be some Trusts contained in the list who have changed name/merged with other Trusts since the allegation was received by NHS Counter Fraud Authority.
I would suggest that you request information directly from the Trusts, where information has been reported direct to the Local Counter Fraud Specialist. This may provide a more accurate response to your request.