Fraud Awareness Month (FAM) runs throughout October 2008 and Hywel Dda NHS Trust will show it is serious about reinforcing its antifraud culture by educating employees and patients about the damaging effects of fraud and some simple ways to stop it.
Every health body in England and Wales has an accredited Local Counter Fraud Specialist (LCFS) who is responsible for overseeing fraud-proofing measures, studying the financial comings and goings, looking for anything suspicious, raising awareness of the issues and investigating allegations of fraud. They are supported regionally and nationally by the NHS Counter Fraud Service, which deals with high-value or complex frauds.
Since the first Fraud Awareness Month in 2003, LCFSs have organised many highly successful events to raise awareness and educate NHS staff and patients.
This year, Caroline Thomas, a local counter fraud specialist, will hold fraud road shows at three of the trust's major hospitals.
The roadshows will be held as follows: Friday, October 24 - dining room at Bronglais General Hospital; Tuesday, October 28 - dining room at West Wales General Hospital; Wednesday, October 29: dining room at Withybush General Hospital.
Caroline said: "The work of LCFSs and the NHS Counter Fraud Service has already recovered tens of millions of pounds of NHS money and led to many fraudsters being prosecuted. However, we also need every honest person who works in, and uses, the NHS to help by recognising and reporting any fraud that does occur so we can ensure that the public funds of the NHS are spent on patient care."
Hywel Dda NHS Trust's director of finance, Nigel Morris, said:
"Fraud against the NHS is not a victimless crime because these valuable funds are meant for patient care. We want to send a clear message that fraud will not be tolerated in our trust and we will support the prosecution of offenders."
Types of NHS fraud and offenders vary. For example, patients may avoid paying prescription charges by falsely claiming exemptions, staff may gain employment with false documentation, or claim pay for shifts they did not work, and contractors may exaggerate or falsify records of NHS work.
To report any incident of suspected fraud in the NHS, please contact Caroline Thomas on 01267 235141 or call the NHS Fraud and Corruption Reporting Line on 0800 028 40 60. For more details about Fraud Awareness Month, visit http://www.cfsms.nhs/fam08">www.cfsms.nhs/fam08