NHS Local Counter Fraud Specialist wins award
17/06/2008
Lee Sheridan is the name and catching people who cheat the NHS is his game. Lee’s contribution to tackling patient fraud in Gloucestershire has resulted in several successful prosecutions.His work is one of the factors that have led to significant changes in public attitudes to the problem, losses from which amount to millions every year. Now Lee’s efforts on behalf of the county’s primary care, hospitals and ambulance trusts, along with the mental health partnership 2together, have been recognised nationally with him being named as one of the country’s two top NHS Local Counter Fraud Specialists of the year.
His manager Sallie Cheung of the Gloucestershire Local Counter Fraud Service said the 33-year-old’s accolade was well deserved. “Over the last 18 months, Lee has made an outstanding contribution to countering patient fraud in Gloucestershire,” she said. “He has developed a network of contacts within GP practices, pharmacies, local authorities and police and cascades alerts regarding allegations of multiple registrations, overseas visitors (health tourists) and altered prescriptions on a regular basis. “He has achieved eight successful prosecutions, ranging from formal police cautions to one custodial sentence. “As a result, referrals have increased as practitioners realise that he will take action and that their referral will be dealt with seriously and immediately. “The GLCF received over 50 allegations in 2007 – 2008 and I consider Lee to be one of the most knowledgeable LCFS in the region regarding these types of patient fraud.”
Lee, who previously worked in a similar role tackling false housing benefit claims, said: “I was delighted to receive this award. I am passionate about tackling fraud committed by patients. The NHS is not a bottomless pit of money and when patients commit such fraud they are cheating every taxpayer in the country.”
Lee’s organisation works on a variety of levels to combat NHS fraud. This includes employee fraud, fraud by contractors (doctors, dentists, pharmacists and opticians) as well as patient fraud. Its ultimate aim is to educate patients, staff and contractors, share intelligence with other enforcement authorities and, ultimately, make it harder for such crimes to be committed.
Mrs Cheung said cheating the NHS was not a victimless crime. “It’s hard to measure exactly how much patient fraud costs the NHS every year but eight years ago the cost of people falsely claiming exemption from prescription charges cost £117 million,” she said. “Since then this figure has been reduced to less than half – with all monies recovered being poured back into providing NHS services to people who need them.”
The most common forms of NHS patient fraud include overseas patients coming to the UK to receive free medical treatment, altered prescriptions and former UK residents (for example those who have retired abroad) who return here for short periods with the intent to get free prescriptions. The GLCF has been in existence for nine years.
For more information please contact Susan Bradley, communications specialist, on 08454 223120.
Lee’s contact number is 01452 318 826
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