The NHS Counter Fraud Authority is a special health authority charged with identifying, investigating and preventing

fraud In law, fraud is intent (law), intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate Civil law (common law), civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrato ...

and other economic crime within the

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

and the wider health group, formed on 1 November 2017 under section 28 of the

National Health Service Act 2006 The National Health Service Act 2006 (c. 41) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It sets out the structure of the National Health Service in England. It was altered and completely renumbered by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 ...

. It replaces its predecessor NHS Protect, which was part of the

NHS Business Services Authority The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care which provides a number of support services to the National Health Service in England and Wales. It was created ...

Role

As a special health authority focused entirely on counter-fraud work, the Counter Fraud Authority is independent from other NHS bodies and as an arm's length body is directly accountable to the

Department of Health and Social Care The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for government policy on health and adult social care matters in England, along with a few elements of the s ...

. The departmental sponsor is the Department of Health and Social Care's Anti-Fraud Unit, which holds the board to account for the delivery of its strategy. The mission of the organisation is to lead the fight against fraud affecting the NHS and wider health service, and protect vital resources intended for patient care. It is intended to be the single expert, intelligence-led organisation providing centralised intelligence, investigation and solutions capacity for tackling fraud in the NHS in England. It acts as the repository for all information related to fraud in the NHS and the wider health group, and will have oversight of and monitor counter fraud work across the NHS. It calculates that £216 million in fraud was “almost certain” and a further £135 million was “highly likely” with around £560 million considered likely. This included £100 million of pharmaceutical contract fraud, £90.6 million

payroll A payroll is a list of employment, employees of a company who are entitled to receive compensation as well as other work benefits, as well as the amounts that each should obtain. Along with the amounts that each employee should receive for time ...

and

identity fraud Identity fraud is the use by one person of another person's personal information, without authorization, to commit a crime or to deceive or defraud that other person or a third person. Most identity fraud is committed in the context of financial ...

and £165 million related to procurement and commissioning.

Objectives

It had five objectives for 2017–2020: # Deliver the Department of Health's strategy, vision and strategic plan and lead counter fraud activity in the NHS in England. # Be the single expert intelligence-led organisation providing a centralised investigation capacity for complex economic crime matters in the NHS. # Lead and influence the improvement of standards in counter fraud work across the NHS. # Take the lead in and encourage fraud reporting across the NHS and wider health group. # Continue to develop the expertise of staff. It aims to identify current and future fraud risks and adapt to emerging threats and issues, meeting head-on the fraud risks affecting the NHS and wider health group.

Location

The organisation's headquarters is at 10 South Colonnade in

Canary Wharf Canary Wharf is a financial area of London, England, located in the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Greater London Authority defines it as part of London's central business district, alongside Central London. Alongside ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, with additional offices at Citygate in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

and Earlsden Park in

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

References

External links

* {{Official website Fraud in the United Kingdom Fraud organizations NHS special health authorities Organisations based in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets 2017 establishments in the United Kingdom Government agencies established in 2017

Role

Objectives

Location

See also

References

External links