Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which NHS bodies have Local Counter-Fraud Specialists (LCFSs); and (a) how much funding each LCFS received, (b) how many investigations each LCFS carried out and (c) in how many such investigations wrongdoing was found in each year since 2009-10.

As at 13 October 2016 all National Health Service bodies that are referenced in the NHS Choices list of authorities and trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) (published at http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/NHSTrustListing.aspx) have nominated Local Counter Fraud Specialists (LCFS) except for West London Mental Health Trust and NHS City and Hackney CCG.

Information concerning the cost of counter fraud services cannot be provided as the release of this data would prejudice commercial interests.

The number of investigations carried out by each LCFS and the cases where fraud was found and proven are shown in the table.

Notes:

¹ Figures provided are drawn from investigations that are concluded and closed within each financial year.

² The undertaking and completion of fraud investigations can span different financial years and, in the case of serious and complex investigations, multiple years.

Between 2009/10 and 2010/11 NHS Protect’s predecessor organisation, the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service, undertook investigations and was structured in regional and specialist teams. Numbers of investigations and the cases where fraud was found and proven are shown in the table.

From April 2011 NHS Protect operated a National Investigation Service (NIS) dealing with the most serious and complex allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption. Other cases of fraud are investigated at a local level by Local Counter Fraud Specialists. NHS Protect staff are located in London, Coventry and Newcastle and operate as a single investigative team.

The number of investigations carried out by NIS and the cases where fraud was proven are shown in the table.

Notes:

¹ Figures provided are drawn from investigations that are concluded and closed within the each financial year.

² The undertaking and completion of fraud investigations can span different financial years and, in the case of serious and complex investigations, multiple years. Single investigations within NIS relate to the entirety of the allegation, and will cover multiple subjects.