Hospital worker admits multiple fraud

A senior healthcare assistant has pleaded guilty to three offences of fraud after claiming payment for shifts she did not work, lying on her application form and submitting a false reference.

Michelle Bayliss, 41, of Rochdale, claimed approximately £200 during May 2008 for the bogus shifts at The Royal Oldham Hospital and admitted that a reference supposedly supplied by her previous employer had, in fact, been written by a friend.

Oldham magistrates gave her a 12 month community order, 240 hours of unpaid work and ordered her to pay £250 costs.

Bayliss has been convicted on several occasions of fraud related offences between 1990 and 2000.

During her employment at the Trust before being dismissed on 23 September 2008, Bayliss received salary payments amounting to £10,833.64.
Sue Smith, counter fraud officer for The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, welcomed the court’s decision.

She said: “Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is absolutely committed to maintaining an honest, open and well-intentioned atmosphere within the Trust.
“It is, therefore, also committed to the elimination of any fraud and to the rigorous investigation and punishment of any such cases.

“NHS staff who carry out fraud put their careers at risk for very limited potential financial gains.

“Fraud drains much-needed funds from the NHS and we take it very seriously.
“The vast majority of people who work in the NHS are honest and we must remember that there is only a problem in a handful of cases.

“If anyone suspects a fraud within the NHS, they should ring the NHS Fraud and Corruption Reporting Line on 0800 028 40 60.”

June is Fraud Awareness Month in the NHS and local counter fraud specialists will be promoting issues alongside the national NHS Counter Fraud Service.