The NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) secured its first criminal conviction last week against a former Locksmith employed by Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust who was found guilty of defrauding the NHS of almost £600,000. 

The NHSCFA was created on 1 November 2017 taking the place of NHS Protect, the previous body set up to tackle fraud in the NHS. 

According to the NHSCFA, in 2016-17, losses to fraud and other economic crime in the NHS were estimated at £1.25 billion a year. The use of criminal and civil proceedings to combat fraud and recover these financial losses will be increasingly important.

The former Locksmith employed by Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust was today found guilty and sentenced for defrauding the NHS of almost £600,000 in the first conviction secured by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) since its establishment as a new Special Health Authority in November 2017