§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to combat fraud in the national health service.
§ Mr. SackvilleA recent Audit Commission publication, "Ensuring Probity in the NHS", stated that the level of proven fraud and corruption in the national health service was very low and the vast majority of people working in the NHS are honest and diligent. The Department has taken a number of initiatives including strengthening internal audit, the creation of audit committees in NHS bodies and a major review of the systems for collecting NHS charges and the scope of fraud by contractors is under way.