NHS Counter Fraud Authority Prosecutions for False CVs and False Credentials –
The NHS Counter Fraud Authority will prosecute employees of the NHS where they lie on their CV or application forms. It goes without saying that a doctor should be honest in all they do and comply with the core duties of Good Medical Practice (the code of conduct for doctors) to be honest in all they do. The GMC can, and does, of course bring misconduct proceedings against doctors who falsify their credentials. Doctors who are dishonest in the way they present their qualifications and experience also risk being prosecuted for a criminal offence. Paragraph 66 of Good Medical Practice, by way of example, holds that Registered Medical Practitioners must always act with honesty and integrity. The code reads:
‘You must always be honest about your experience, qualifications and current role.’
A doctor who fails to live up to the code is likely to risk erasure or a long period of suspension from the register, should the GMC discover the dishonest act or omission.
Likewise, the NHS Counter Fraud Authority is likely to bring a criminal prosecution where a doctor has obtained a job through intentional misrepresentation of their credentials or experience. For a recent example of a prosecution for falsifying qualifications, see the NHS Counter Fraud Authority’s news briefing about a senior manager who was prosecuted for obtaining a job in the NHS having falsely claiming he had a degree. The manager received custodial sentence of two years, suspended for two years. A spokesperson was quoted as saying:
“Anyone who obtains an NHS job through lying is committing fraud.”
Indeed, such conduct would likely be classified as an offence under Section 2 (Fraud by Misrepresentation) of the Fraud Act 2006, depending on the circumstances of the case.
Doctors Defence Service provides legal representation and legal advice to doctors being investigated for fraud by NHS Counter Fraud, the police, or the GMC. Call us without obligation on 0800 10 88 739
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