Massive Opportunity Cost of Fraud and Errors in the NHS? (BBC News / Panorama / Portsmouth University)

Summary

Fraud may be costing the NHS £5bn a year. Errors may be costing a further £2bn per year, according to the former head of the NHS anti-fraud section. These losses (to fraud alone) might be used to fund 250,000 new nurses, according to a report reviewed prior to publication by BBC’s Panorama.

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Reference

NHS fraud and error ‘costing the UK £7bn a year’. London: BBC Health News, March 24^th 2014.

See also:

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Reference

Does fraud really cost NHS £5bn a year? London: BBC News, March 24^th 2014.

These fraud estimates are repeated (broadly) in 2015.

Possibly also of interest, it is estimated that 30 million prescription items, worth around £237 million in lost revenue to the NHS per annum, are claimed free incorrectly each year:

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Reference

Roberts, M. (2014). Prescription fraud clampdown plan heavily criticised. London: BBC Health News, December 30^th 2014.

On the other hand, no prescription charges apply at all in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

November 2017 Update

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Reference

Triggle, N. (2017). ‘Despicable’ fraud costs NHS in England £1bn a year. London: BBC Health News, November 1^st 2017.