Fraud is a major issue in every organisation and is acutely felt in the NHS- fraud, bribery, corruption and other illegal acts committed to obtain financial or professional gain cost the NHS billions of pounds every year.
It can have a substantial impact on a business, no matter what size it is. Fraud is an ongoing problem, and criminals today use increasingly sophisticated methods to carry out these crimes.
In general terms, the two most basic types of fraud are a misappropriation of financial assets by employees and fraudulent financial reporting by management of the organisation, resulting in incorrect, misleading or otherwise inaccurate financial information is provided to those who would normally make use of that financial information. This can include investors, stakeholders and the public.
To put it more simply, fraud can be defined as someone making a deliberate attempt to dishonestly make a gain for themselves or another or cause a loss to another.
Misappropriation of financial assets by employees often happens without management knowledge, and fraudulent financial reporting by management of the organisation is often unknown to employees. However, both can be devastating for a business, not just financially but in terms of a good reputation lost.
Training in NHS Counter Fraud can help employees and staff defend the organisation from financial fraud. It’s worth remembering that fraud committed against the NHS means that often large quantities of money earmarked for the care of patients, and paid for by taxpayers, is diverted to the pockets of criminals. It also means that less money is available for frontline health services such as patient care and facilities, not to mention recruitment and retention of doctors, nurses and other critical staff.
So, learning about Counter Fraud and how to help safeguard against it can be a powerful tool in assisting the NHS more broadly. Well-targeted Counter Fraud training can be a great way to help employees identify suspicious activities within their organisation- and it can empower them to act in an appropriate way against possible fraud where suspected or a risk has been identified.
The same training can help organisations such as the NHS be better at mitigating the risk of fraud, increase the effectiveness of other anti-fraud measures, and ensure that once they are set up the appropriate policies and reporting protocols are followed precisely. It’s clear that training both staff and managers about the risks and costs of fraud helps to reduce financial losses through fraudulent activities and ensures that those responsible for them are caught swiftly. Training can also alert staff to red flags and empower them to assess risks of fraud and identify situations where it may be happening.
Our course in NHS Counter Fraud was created to assist health care workers in the NHS to understand what NHS fraud is; the consequences of it; the role of NHS counter fraud and the individual in protecting the NHS and how to report fraud.
Contact us to discuss, obtain more details or book a place on the course!
