§ Mr. NormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individual GP practices and primary care trusts(a) have been and (b) are being investigated by the NHS Counter Fraud Department for removing from their lists children not immunised against MMR. [99183]
§ Mr. HuttonThe National Health Service Counter Fraud Service (NHS CFS) investigates all matters of fraud and corruption in the NHS. Since 1999 NHS CFS has completed 1,026 investigations. There have been 157 successful prosecutions and 212 successful civil and disciplinary cases. None of these cases related to general practitioner practices and primary care trusts removing from their lists children not immunised against MMR.
We do not comment on whether investigations in a specific area may or may not be currently taking place.
§ Mr. HuttonThe latest information that is available is for 2001–02 and has been placed in the Library.
National health service trusts, which host NHS Professionals, the organisation that provides temporary staff for the NHS, include the expenditure for agency staff in their accounts and financial returns. The trusts are St. Mary's NHS Trust Paddington, Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust, West Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, John Radcliffe NHS Trust, East and North Herts NHS Trust and North Bristol NHS Trust. NHS trusts, that use the services of NHS Professionals are recharged for these services and will also include these payments in their own accounts and financial returns. This results in the expenditure being double counted in the annual financial returns of NHS trusts and accounts for higher than average returns for trusts hosting NHS Professionals.