NHS scammers who claim free drugs at a cost of £256million a year will end up behind bars under new crackdown
The tough new measures are set to halve prescription fraud as part of a crackdown which should save taxpayers £300million
SCAMMERS who cost the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds in prescription fraud have been warned they face jail under a new crackdown.
New technology will target patients who wrongfully claim free drugs which costs taxpayers £256million a year.
Pharmacies will use new smart data-matching systems to see if an individual is exempt from charges before their medication is dispensed.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock will today outline the tough new measures to halve prescription fraud. It is part of a wider crackdown on fraud in the NHS which should save taxpayers £300million by 2020.
He said: “Those who abuse the NHS and choose to line their own pockets with money that should be spent on patients and frontline care will no longer have anywhere to hide.
“The new technology and analysis, combined with intel and experience of counter-fraud specialists will form the starting point of this new fight against NHS fraudsters.
“We’re determined to make sure every penny of the extra funding we are giving the NHS as part of our Long Term Plan is properly spent.
“The message is clear: the NHS is no longer an easy target, and if you try to steal from it you will face the consequences.”
The move comes after Prime Minister Theresa May committed a new funding deal which will see an extra £20.5billion invested in the NHS by 2023/24.
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One counter-fraud probe uncovered a dentist who stole £1.4million from the health service for submitting 7,000 false claims and received a seven-year prison sentence.
A locksmith employed full-time by the NHS was sentenced to six years in prison for charging a mark-up of 1,200 per cent.
It comes just a week after The Sun on Sunday revealed fraud costs the NHS £1.3 billion each year which included staff claiming illegitimate overtime.
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