The government has announced how it will take tougher action on fraud and save hundreds of millions of pounds for the NHS over the next 5 years, increasing the money available for improving patient care.

The plans were announced by Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock.

The new approach will start with a commitment to halve prescription fraud, which costs the NHS £256 million a year.

Prescription exemptions will be digitised, allowing pharmacies to check whether the patient does not have to pay charge before their medication is dispensed. This will be piloted next year, before being rolled out across the NHS.

The focus on prescriptions is one aspect of a wider crackdown on NHS fraud, which will prevent up to £300 million being lost to fraud by April 2020. This is part of the government’s commitment to ensuring public finances are managed responsibly and that every penny invested goes towards improving care.

Further measures being introduced to stop fraud include:

• a new partnership between the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) and the fraud prevention service Cifas, allowing NHS counter-fraud professionals to access Cifas data

• more collaboration and data sharing between the NHS Business Services Authority and NHSCFA to identify the small number of pharmacists and dentists claiming payments for services they have not carried out

• the introduction of a new counter-fraud profession in central government, bringing together around 10,000 counter-fraud specialists, including 400 focused on fraud in the NHS

NHSCFA will take forward these measures. It will work with its data-sharing partners to analyse large amounts of information and identify anomalies, unusual activity and inconsistencies in the NHS, referring to NHS investigators for further action.

NHSCFA was set up in November 2017 and replaces NHS Protect, which has been working to stop fraud since 2010.

Fraud in the NHS ranges from a few pounds, to hundreds of thousands and occasionally millions.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock 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.

Sue Frith, interim CEO of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, said:

I am delighted that the Health and Social Care Secretary is showing such a keen interest in addressing fraud and supporting the NHS Counter Fraud Authority in its vital mission to prevent and detect fraud against the NHS. It is key to our success that we collaborate with others and I am confident that as we work with partners this ambitious target will be achieved.

The more data sets we are able to access from partners such as Cifas and the NHS Business Services Authority, the more fraud we can detect and prevent. NHSCFA are actively engaging with the fintech sector to identify technological solutions that could enhance data examination and exploitation capability.

Former service personnel who left service after 1 April 2018 may be entitled to arrears of pay following the 2018 pay increase. To ensure that any arrears of pay are received, bank account and address details must be kept up to date and the JPAC centre informed of any changes on 0800 085 3600.

Background

The Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body’s (AFPRB) recommendation for 2018 was a 2.9% increase in pay for all personnel up to 1-star level (Commodore, Brigadier and Air Commodore) and the Senior Salaries Review Body’s (SSRB) recommendation was for a 2.5% pay increase for all officers of 2-star rank and above.

The first part of the pay increase is 2% pensionable pay which was paid in September salaries backdated to 1 April 2018 for officers up to 1-star level and officers ranked 2-star and above will receive their 2% pensionable pay increase in November salaries.

The second part of the pay increase is the bonus element which is 0.9% for officers up to 1-star level and 0.5% for officers ranked 2-star and above. This element will be delivered in two lump sum payments one in November 2018 and one in March 2019

All personnel who have left the service after 1 April 2018, or will do so before March 2019 will receive pro-rata payments for the period of service that they completed.

It is vital that bank account and address details are kept up to date for these payments to be made

Published 23 October 2018

A multi-million pound flood defence scheme to reduce the risk of flooding to homes and businesses in Skipton has officially opened today (Thursday 11 October).

Welcoming the report, Mrs Bradley said:

I want to record my sincere thanks to the Independent Reporting Commission for their first substantive report on tackling paramilitary activity. It is deeply regrettable that in 2018, tackling paramilitary activity still remains a critical issue for Northern Ireland, not least at this current political impasse.

This is a significant report which benchmarks the progress which has been achieved to date but reminds us of the continued and challenging work still to be done to ensure that communities are free from the threat of paramilitarism. The IRC has acknowledged the good work carried out to date, but they too have pointed to the challenges of dealing with this issue in the absence of a functioning Executive. That is why I remain resolute in finding a way forward to get devolved government up and running again as quickly as possible in order to that the Commission will see further progress in the coming year.

Paramilitarism is a scourge on our society. It was never justified in the past, it cannot be justified today and these groups should have no place in our society. We must all continue to work together to keep communities safe and free from these totally unacceptable attacks.

Published 23 October 2018