NHS fraudster must repay £96k

Hospice and NHS to get every last penny

The former chief executive of St Margaret's Hospice in Somerset who went on to be chairman of Torbay Care Trust and Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, must repay nearly £100,000 he earned in the jobs, or go back to prison. A Dutch barge will be among the things to be sold.

John Andrewes, 64, from Totnes, has already served a two-year sentence for fraud after admitting lying about his qualifications. At his Exeter Crown Court trial last year,  a judge told him he'd based 10 years of his career on a staggering series of lies. Mr Andrewes had called himself "Doctor" without the relevant qualification, subsequently earning more than a million pounds from the deception. He was actually a probation officer and youth worker.

Now the NHS's counter fraud authority (NHSCFA), working with the Department of Health and Social Care, helped to bring another prosecution, resulting in Exeter Crown Court telling Mr Andrewes he has three months to pay every penny he has, under the Proceeds of Crime Act. If he doesn't cough up, he may have to serve a further prison sentence.

Recorder Martin Meeke QC threw out Mr Andrewes' claim that he was entitled to keep the pay because of his work performance. He calculated Mr Andrewes’ assets at £96,737.24, and told him it must all be repaid to St. Margaret’s Hospice and two NHS trusts.

The assets he must sell include his half share in the Dutch barge, a Mercedes car, two pension plans and premium bonds.

Richard Rippin, Head of Operations, NHS Counter Fraud Authority said: “It is vitally important that all available assets are recovered when someone deliberately sets out to defraud the NHS for their personal gain, and that money is returned to provide the patient care for which it was originally intended. This action sends a clear message that the NHSCFA is committed to pursuing those who exploit public funds for their own benefit.”

People with suspicions of anyone committing fraud or another economic crime against the NHS, tell NHSCFA about it, can call a confidential reporting line 0800 028 40 60 or report online at www.cfa.nhs.uk