Fraudsters have conned the NHS out of more than £7bn in six years

FRAUDSTERS have conned the NHS out of greater than £7billion over the past six years, evaluation reveals.

The determine would have been sufficient to pay the salaries of 17,000 nurses and eight,000 GPs.

Former Well being Minister Edward Argar has admitted the NHS has misplaced billions to fraudCredit score: GOV.UK

Evaluation by Labour reveals the well being service misplaced an additional £54 million to fraud, bribery, and corruption final yr in contrast with 2019/20.

One prison gang stole £300,000 value of medical provides earlier than promoting them again to the NHS.

Labour’s shadow well being secretary Wes Streeting mentioned: “The Authorities is letting fraudsters get away with stealing public funds, and taxpayers are paying the worth.

“If the Tories weren’t so relaxed about criminals strolling off with billions of kilos of taxpayers’ cash, they may afford to coach the docs and nurses the NHS wants.”

The Division of Well being and Social Care’s Annual Accounts present £1.2billion of the NHS price range was misplaced to fraud in 20/21.

Well being Minister Edward Argar beforehand revealed that the NHS has misplaced £6.2billion to fraud within the 5 years as much as 19/20.

Added to this yr’s determine, a complete of practically £7.4billion of NHS funds have been misplaced to fraud up to now six years.

The numbers embrace fraud from a prison gang that diverted funds of £1.2 million from separate NHS trusts.

In addition they embrace a dentist in Westminster who made 378 fraudulent claims totalling £73,000, whereas working a two-day week as an alternative of the five-day week she claimed.

A authorities spokesperson mentioned: “These claims are incorrect as they're primarily based on fraud estimates, somewhat than precise recognized losses to fraud within the NHS.

“We're taking agency and coordinated motion throughout authorities to clamp down on fraud, together with investing in counter fraud experience, which helps detect and forestall fraud. 

“Now we have arrange the Anti-Fraud Unit and theNHS Counter Fraud Authority to sort out fraud, bribery, and corruption throughout the well being sector, serving to to guard taxpayers’ cash for higher affected person care.”

It comes after a bogus psychiatrist who earned greater than £1million from the NHS faces jail for fraud.

Zholia Alemi faked a medical diploma from New Zealand to register right here in 1995 then landed jobs at a number of trusts.

She labored with probably susceptible sufferers, incomes between £1million and £1.3million