Legal News
Scotland Tackles NHS Fraud (23 November 2011)
Date: 23/11/2011
Scotland NHS’ counter fraud team has successfully saved the health service a total of £43 million since its formation 11 years ago. The team has been hailed for securing the sentencing of a surgical theatre technician who was found to have stolen £23,000 in medical equipment. The theatre technician stole in excess of 200 pieces of surgical supplies and sold them on a popular auction website. He was handed a 20-month gaol term. They also caught out a doctor who used several false names to attain prescriptions for opiates for personal use.
Michael Matheson, the Public Health Minister, claimed that the team sent out a warning that fraud within the NHS would not be tolerated. Mr. Matheson claimed that NHS fraud took funds away from the NHS where it was needed the most. Scotland’s counter fraud team also dealt with a family who were discovered to have had access to non-emergency medical treatment and services at a cost of £20,000, despite living in Britain illegally. Their case was passed on to the UK Border Agency.
Duncan Lewis’ criminal law department deals with a wide range of criminal offences on a daily basis. Their team can represent clients on an emergency basis, both at police stations and courts of law across the UK. Duncan Lewis’ clients understand that they are able to rely on an efficient and effective legal service and this is why they use their criminal law solicitors repeatedly. The department is particularly knowledgeable in dealing with cases of fraud.