§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 24 February,Official Report, columns 91–92, if he will seek out the procedure for a health authority investigation of allegations of transfer of prescriptions from one branch of a multiple pharmacy in another health authority area for processing in another branch in the area of the first health authority for the purpose of making a fraudulent claim for the professional practice allowances for community pharmacies; what provisions govern the obtaining of evidence from individual patients named on the prescription forms; and what assessment he has made of the ways in which the investigation procedure could be simplified. [18128]
§ Mr. HagueThe detailed procedure would be a matter for the health authority or authorities concerned, in accordance with their own fraud policies. They are required at an appropriate stage in their investigation to notify their statutory auditors and the police. I have been advised that the same duty of confidence applies to prescription forms as to other kinds of medical record.
§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what consultations he has had with the chairmen of the Bro Taf and Gwent health authorities about adjustment to their respective budgets for 1996–97 for prescription items arising from investigations into the transfer of prescriptions from a Gwent branch of a multiple pharmacy for processing at a cardiff branch of the same pharmacy; [18122]
(2) what representations he has received from the chairman of the Bro Taf health authority and the Prescription Pricing Service about the cost of carrying out investigations into the alleged fraudulent transfer of prescriptions handed in at a Gwent branch of a multiple pharmacy to a Cardiff branch of the same pharmacy. [18115]