§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of whether the PSA target for £15 million savings from action on contractor fraud will be met on time. [47288]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 10 April 2002]: The target was to prevent £9 million worth of pharmaceutical contractor fraud and to recover £6 million worth of the same fraud by the end of 2001–02. The table shows prevention figures to March 2002 and recovery figures to February 2002. Both elements of the target have been met, and in the case of recovery ahead of the end date set.
Pharmaceutical contractor fraud outputs—Prevention1 £ December 1998 to March 19992 52,882 April 1999 to March 2000 2,103,119 April 2000 to March 2001 3,189,111 April 2001 to March 2002 3,972,342 Total 9,317,454 921W
Pharmaceutical contractor fraud outputs—Recoveries £ December 1998 to March 2000 32,251,815 April 2000 to March 2001 3,097,676 April 2001 to February 20024 2,130,260 Total 7,479,751 1Figures relate to prevention of continuing fraud. 2Progress tracked since December 1998 when PSA targets on pharmaceutical contractor fraud for the period to the end of 2001–02 were published. 3Figure relates to all recoveries December 1998 to March 2000. 4Recovery figures for March 2002 not yet available.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of whether the PSA target for a 50 per cent. reduction in prescription charge evasion by the end of 2002–03 will be met on time. [47289]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 10 April 2002]: On its formation in late 1998 the NHS Counter Fraud Service (NHS CFS) inherited the public service agreement target to reduce patient prescription charge fraud by 50 per cent. by 2002–03.
The progress the NHS CFS has made against the target has already shown a reduction in losses to fraud in this area of 41 per cent. (£48 million) by the end of 2000–01. This is a good indication that the target of a 50 per cent. reduction by the end of 2002–03 will be met.