An investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) found that Amran Hussain, 40, of French Street, Westerham, defrauded the NHS out of almost £170,000 after fraudulently obtaining 13 non-clinical roles within NHS organisations.
Hussain was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday 24 July 2026. He had previously pleaded guilty to three charges of fraud by false representation on 18 August 2025 at a hearing at Maidstone Crown Court.
He was caught after applying and being offered the role of Deputy Chief Operating Officer Urgent Care/Transformation and Operations at Devon Partnership NHS Trust (DPT) in 2021.
Hussain claimed in his application to be employed as Director of Transformation and Improvement at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT).
DPT’s pre employment checks on the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system found no evidence of this and CWPT subsequently confirmed that they had never employed Hussain.
Further enquiries by the trust revealed that Hussain had submitted false references in support of his applications. One of his referees was fictitious, whilst other references were linked to NHS email accounts which he accessed or controlled.
In his application, he claimed to have been awarded MSc degrees by the University of Oxford and Birkbeck, University of London, including providing a certificate for the latter. However, both institutions confirmed that he did not complete his respective courses.
Hussain also stated in his application that he held memberships with several professional bodies, including the Institute of Directors and the Chartered Management Institute. Enquiries found no evidence that he held any professional memberships.
Hussain was found to have applied for 2,071 NHS posts, with 13 fraudulent employments resulting in a confirmed financial loss of £168,072.41.
A recurring pattern emerged across Hussain’s NHS roles. Shortly after taking up post, he would go off sick and remain absent until his contract ended or his employment was terminated. As a result, he frequently undertook little or no work and did not acquire the experience claimed in his applications.
Two of the charges relate to roles he dishonestly obtained outside the NHS, as a non-executive director at Nottingham CityCare Partnership, commissioner of public health at Kent County Council and digital transformation programme lead at UK Health Security Agency
Ben Harrison, Head of Operations at the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, said:
“This sentencing shows that the NHSCFA will always pursue consequences for those who deliberately deceive NHS organisations through false applications, fabricated qualifications and dishonest references.
“Hussain engaged in a sustained pattern of fraud, repeatedly misrepresenting his experience and qualifications to secure senior roles he was not entitled to hold. Thanks to robust checks by NHS employers and the thorough work of NHSCFA investigators, this wrongdoing was uncovered and brought before the courts.
“Such behaviour undermines trust in NHS recruitment processes and diverts public money away from frontline services.
“We will continue to work closely with NHS organisations to strengthen recruitment controls, protect public funds and ensure those who abuse the system are held to account.”
You can report NHS fraud anonymously on 0800 028 40 60, our 24-hour reporting line powered by Crimestoppers. You can also report it confidentially on our website at www.cfa.nhs.uk/reportfraud.