Spot it, report it… wait, report what?

You’ve come across something that doesn’t look right, and you think it might be fraud. You have a pretty good idea of who is doing it, and you know that the money they are after belongs to the NHS. You know you can report it to us at the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, but you are still not sure – is it actually fraud? Am I reporting it to the right people?

What we would say to you first of all is: don’t worry. It’s worth reporting your concerns even if you are not sure about anything, or don’t know all the facts.

This article aims to explain exactly what types of fraud reports we take, and provide some pointers to organisations and services you can contact if you need to report other matters. Following this advice will ensure your report can be dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible.

What we deal with

We deal with fraud where the NHS in England and Wales is the victim. This means that by committing the fraud, someone wants to get NHS money, or cause a loss to the NHS.

But what do we actually mean by fraud? To find out more and see some examples, please visit the What is NHS fraud? page. This page explains that we also deal with other types of economic crime, such as bribery and corruption. You can find details of many types of fraud and other economic crime committed against the NHS in our fraud reference guide.

There are three ways to report fraud against the NHS in England and Wales:

• use our online reporting form
• call our freephone line 0800 028 4060 (available 24/7)
• if you work in the NHS, you can also speak to your Local Counter Fraud Specialist about your concerns

What we don’t deal with

If your report does not relate to fraud against the NHS in England or Wales, then we will not be able to look into it. Here are a few pointers on who to contact instead:

• Fraud against NHS Scotland – report it to NHS Scotland Counter Fraud Services by using their online reporting form or calling the Fraud Hotline on 08000 15 16 28
• Fraud against Health and Social Care (HSC) in Northern Ireland – call the HSC Fraud Hotline on 0800 096 33 96 or report online
• Fraud against individuals, or against organisations other than the NHS (including any frauds in which you are the victim) – report it to Action Fraud
• Theft, including theft of property belonging to the NHS – report it to the police by calling 101.

In an emergency always dial 999.

If we receive a report which we are unable to deal with, we will typically forward it to the appropriate body (for example the police). However, it is better if you make your report directly to the agency which is best placed to look into it.

Some reporting tips

If your concerns relate to fraud against the NHS in England and Wales, here are a few points to keep in mind when making a report to us:

• Don’t confront the suspect or try to investigate your concerns yourself.
• Please provide as much information as possible, as this will give us the best start in looking into the matter and may provide valuable intelligence to help improve our understanding of NHS fraud.
• Because of the sensitive nature of criminal investigations, we normally cannot keep you updated on the progress of any investigation. This doesn’t mean that your information wasn’t important or useful.

If you have any queries about the content of this article, please email generalenquiries@nhscfa.gsi.gov.uk.