2020health Report Stealing the NHS?

A new 2020health reports that seeks to answer whether the NHS is being careless with Taxpayer's money.

Conclusions and recommendations

1) Tax payer’s money is being wasted and the NHS is probably still losing billions in fraud. Some finance staff and accountants within NHS bodies do not know what is going on in their Trust and they are not being held liable.

2) The secrecy is quite astonishing considering public money is being spent. NHS Trusts are hiding behind legislation that was designed to ensure the public could have reassurance about financial transparency. They have a moral obligation to show that they are handling our money responsibly.

3) It is still unclear whose responsibility counter fraud will be when PCTs go. Are GP Commissioner prepared to take over hitherto PCT responsibilities, and if all NHS Trusts are to become Foundation Trusts, as things are now will that mean that scrutiny is even harder?

We therefore recommend:

1. End to secrecy - Clarification of NHS Trust responsibility around reporting of counter fraud activity and spending to the public to enable transparency and accountability.
2. Outcomes not process - Change in the reporting requirements to provide clear and accurate outcomes information about how much losses are, to what extent they have been reduced, to what extent fraud losses have been recovered, and what preventative measures are in place.
3. Consequences for concealment - Fine NHS Trusts who do not publish their counter fraud outcomes.