Fraudulant NHS technician sentenced

From: BBC, UK - 07 Jan 2003

A senior audiologist at Leeds General Infirmary has been sentenced to 200 hours of community service for defrauding the NHS out of £20,000.

Nigel Burgess, 35, of Glossop, Derbyshire, was found guilty of eight counts of theft at Leeds Crown Court in November last year.

The court was told Burgess bought 21 hearing aids - 13 digital and eight analogue - for his department.

But Burgess sold at least six on them on to private patients earning himself approximately £20,000.

'Resorces needed'

The NHS Counter-Fraud Service, which was set up to tackle fraud involving staff and patients at hospitals, worked alongside West Yorkshire Police to bring charges against Burgess.

Jim Gee, director of the Counter-Fraud Service, said: "The sentence given to Nigel Burgess shows that society will not tolerate fraud against the NHS.

"All fraud against the NHS, no matter how big or how small, deprives the NHS of resources needed for the delivery of patient care and the continuing improvement of NHS frontline services."

Chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Neil Mckay, said: "Our internal systems enabled us to identify this matter and we are grateful to the NHS Counter Fraud Service for their help and partnership in this investigation and the subsequent verdict."

Burgess was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £5,000.

©BBC